Repeated hernias

learn anything.

There seems to be precious little information out there.

Surgeons just seem to put it all down to hereditary factors, or age, which really is telling us nothing.

We need to know what changes have taken place in the tissues that cause them to be weaker in that area. Knowing this could possibly lead to a remedy, some way to toughen the tissues.

I've been unable to find any research in this direction at all. Cause and cure seem to be totally disregarded. Just cut and stitch up.

I've got a double inguinal hernia and I'm trying to find the best option and am learning more and more about the whole medical world in my search and what I learn isn't very encouraging.

I'd say look around and talk around, understand your own case as well as you can.

And if you find anything good let us all know.

Mine were fixed with mesh but, as you can see by my first post, this caused it's own problems. I hope you find a suitable repair solution to your hernias.

I have an incisional hernia, following bowel cancer surgery. About 4 1/2 moths ago. It seems to be getting bigger but Dr. just said to 'keep an eye on it.' As I am a worrier, especially after the cancer scare, I have arranged to see a specialist rather than wait 5 months to see one in the public health system. Does anyone have any information about this type of hernia - is strangulation possible or less likely with this type, should I have some sort of support, etc etc.

Thanks.

plenty information in my experience (googling) on the anatomical details of any hernia at all and also information can be found, though not so plentiful, on methods that are and were used to deal with different hernias and sometimes you can even find a youtube video that shows a procedure actually being performed.

Such a video - on Desarda's inguinal hernia repair - is what largely inclined me towards that technique.

But you'll find no information on other ways of dealing with the hernia. No details on how to cure it. Few if any suggestions on how to live with it, manage it.

No information beyond 'hereditary' on what caused it - suggestions, the old belief, that they are caused by bad lifting, straining, are largely discounted nowadays, I believe, with all the emphasis now placed on 'weakness' of the 'abdominal wall' or 'muscles'.

If you DO find any information where I've suggested there's none to be found then PLEASE post it here or email me.

There's so much about this whole thing that is mysterious. Note 'abdominal contents pushing through the abdominal wall'. Just how strong are those abdominal contents? The intestines are not exactly spears, are they? What gives them the ability to 'push through' ?

Coughing and muscle straining can be seen to compress the lower abdomen to some extent but this compression then is shared across the whole of the contents, a rubbery, wet, smeary mass. What causes one part to 'push through' ?

And, despite what I've said, which seems right, when I feel my hernia sometimes it feels quite hard and solid. Why would that portion of my intestine be so hard and solid? And so on...

I think this whole thing is on a par with the gastric ulcer thing, you know? Believed to be one thing for decades and decades and then those Australian doctors proved it to be a completely different thing: an infection.

It's my opinion this could eventually be 'solved' by some such sudden illumination from a totally unexpected direction. And I can't wait.

For a while there I was chasing this 'collagen' thing. Because the external oblique muscle aponeurosis is the tissue that is 'weak' and that an inguinal hernia 'pushes through' - and it is largely collagen.

Ah, great, I thought. A tissue weak in collagen. Let's see if we can strengthen the collagen somehow, like diet and exercise.

But then what? I discovered 90 of the body is collagen or somesuch percentage. It is the most common tissue in the body.

So if your body has a hereditary 'weakness' of that tissue surely it'd manifest throughout the body?

Not in one tiny area.

Anyway... the search goes on...

If you 'follow this discussion' you'll get emails about posts. Is that what you mean? You get them and can't find it otherwise? I'd suggest cut and paste the URL of this page or bookmark it in that case.

regards,

ab

There is a very interesting Wikipedia entry for collagen here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen

and under the section: Synthetic pathogenesis

can be found this entry:

"Many bacteria and viruses secrete virulence factors, such as the enzyme collagenase, which destroys collagen or interferes with its production. "

The whole thing is a fascinating read.

Lay on your back to take the strain off the herniated region and read it....

I have been searching the internet for several months with the hope of finding someone with same or similar condition as I am experiencing and glad I came across your post.

I had emergency surgery to repair Spigelian Hernia in July 2011, my Doctor informed me that they are very rare and surgery went well..In Early 2013 I started to experience pain again in surgical area including feeling the bulge on my lower left abdomen. I visited my Surgeon and he was 'not convinced the surgery was a source of my pain" a visit to ER days later thru a CT scanned confirmed hernia returned.

In Oct 2013 I had 2nd surgery and it was discovered that the mesh from first surgery dettached from surgical site and affixed itself to my colon which he was unable to remove due to scar tissue. A second hernia was discovered in my umbilical area and also repaired. A new mesh was placed and secured with many dissolvable sutures. Recovery was very painful and during my second follow up visit 2 months following surgery date I advised my surgeon that I felt like I was getting worse rather than better and began to feel the bulge again. Another CT scan performed and transpired that mesh tore and surgery would be necessary to repair.

In June 2014 I had 3rd surgery, my surgeon discovered that mesh from 2nd surgery lifted and placed another mesh over it and secured it with 100 metal staples in addition to also securing it with 2 screws in my left hip bone to avoid the mesh from dettaching again from the surgical site. He also advised that the mesh from first surgery in July2011 is cemented on my colon and still unable to remove, he further explained that the only way to remove it would be to cut the part of my colon out that the mesh is affixed to and reattach my colon. That an entire separate major surgery.

3 weeks into my recovery and since I awoke, have had a burning sensation on my left thigh and numbness, probably from screws placed in hip, waiting for xray and visit with another Doctor to confirm sensory nerve damage.

To summarize 3 hernia surgeries, since first surgery I do not engage in heavy lifting, I am overweight, but who isn't and can not understand how these keep returning. To make matters worse, when I informed my employer that I was taking a CT Scan after 2nd surgery, he asked if I was going to be out of work again, replying that I had no idea, later that day there was a Company wide lay off and my position was eliminated, beyond shocking for me and many of my coworkers.

Are you feeling better these days and have you given any consideration that the mesh used in your intial surgery is subject to product defect?

Thank you for your post and reply. Be well.....