Umbilical hernia repair
Posted , 5 users are following.
I'm now 9 days post op for a repair of an umbilical hernia. It's been quite an experience as I'm sure many here will identify with. Firstly, it's been a bit more of a deal than I was first led to believe; I got short notice for the surgery itself and the secretary suggested I'd be able to drive a few days afterwards... so yes, she's not medically trained. I am perhaps being impatient but it's still quite sore, again with the little information I was given, this seems to be about right. I've been struggling with doing almost nothing (the good news is I've not even done the dishes in almost two weeks) and trying to run the gauntlet of not sitting still too much with not being too active also - last few days I'm managing a very slow walk outdoors. My wound is much larger than I'd expected, my stomach now looks like the jokers face. I managed to have a good look at things yesterday after changing my dressing and it looks exactly the same! 😔 There is still a lump apparently poking its way across what's left of my bellybutton which was what alerted me to going to the GP in the first place.
I'm now trying not to panic! For those of you who've undergone umbilical hernia repair, does any of this ring true? Should I be panicking? I've an appt with my GP in a few weeks time which was mainly to get a 'sick note' as I've agreed with work that I'd be off just a little longer than the 4 weeks the surgeon had suggested.
I'm worried that the surgery hasn't worked... given it looks exactly the same (short of a great big scar across my stomach now). I'm very much considering ringing the hospital and asking if a follow up appointment can be arranged as I'd love to be convinced all is well... it certainly doesn't look like it though!
0 likes, 15 replies
derek76 r94708
Posted
You have considerably cheered me up on my future operation:-)
r94708 derek76
Posted
Thanks for your reply. I think I will contact the ward I was on; it was day surgery and they were very good. I'm off work at the moment so whilst I can't drive I'm sure I can sort a way of getting seen.
There was another fella on the ward at the same time as me who'd had the same surgery three years earlier (he was in for something else) and it had all gone swimmingly... I just can't shake the idea that there's a bulge exactly where there was one and that it if the repair had worked any swelling shouldn't have been able to 'escape' through (which is kind of what a hernia is anyway).
It's certainly not the most pain I've ever had by any means, but you realise that everything you do goes through your core!
Thanks again and the very best of luck mate for your op
derek76 r94708
Posted
r94708 derek76
Posted
Oh no! When you say three of four haven't worked, has one actually worked then? (Fingers crossed). If this is for the same treatment then there's something wrong with that surely?! I'll be taking my chances at the local vets if I'd had so many treatments fail... nightmare mate.
derek76 r94708
Posted
The one that did work was laser surgery for BPH.
r94708 derek76
Posted
I'm not wholly familiar with these treatments but it would be fair to say that's very poor outcomes... again not sure if what's happened to you is common or not? However likely potential side effects can be, it's never great to hear about someone suffering multiple difficulties. Hope any further treatments are more effective :-)
derek76 r94708
Posted
Esoteric r94708
Posted
If they're not helpful at the hospital ward I would go straight to A&E. When I had my umbilical hernia the GP told me I would have to wait 2 months to even get a ultrasound. Screw that. I was in intense pain and got it taken care of. The doctor I saw couldn't believe they didn't rush me in.
On another note I had a lot of trouble with the mesh they put in. I just had surgery to remove it two weeks ago. Hernias shouldn't be this complicated. I'm a huge advocate of NO mesh unless it's absolutely necasarry because it causes so many problems.
r94708 Esoteric
Posted
I am hopeful that the ward will be reasonable and offer to see me at some point soon. I'm not in any significant pain thankfully (it's certainly sore and uncomfortable still). Your experience sounds awful so I'm glad to hear you were seen in A&E - fab folk indeed! My repair was done with stitches and I've read since all sorts of variation in success using mesh; lots of folks singing it's praises and some not so much, it seems also there are different ways of using mesh, tension and non tension techniques... I completely agree that this shouldn't be as complicated. I keep reading that hernia repair is fairly common and takes up a lot of the general surgery time, you'd kind of think there'd be guidance based on actual up to date research.
r94708
Posted
So rang the day surgery ward to be told to go see my practice nurse or GP. I asked if there was any chance of being seen for a follow up, to put my mind at ease, but was told no, follow ups are not routinely given unless there was an obvious complication. The staff nurse I spoke with was nice but wouldn't accept that the fact there was now an even larger bulge across my belly button than before the surgery wasn't something worth looking at.
I've fortunately got an appt with the GP who initially referred me in around 10 days time so I'm going to have to be patient until then. I've a lot of time for practice nurses, but i can't imagine they'll be able to tell me anything I don't already know in this case. After some further reflection I'm going to ask the GP if they'd refer me for an ultrasound scan - to be able to tell if indeed the survey was successful? If there not willing to do that then I'll ask instead for a re-referral to see the consultant and be can have a look; I'd prefer ultrasound as it's not based on someone's opinion and is wholly diagnostic.
Feeling quite frustrated and disappointed that there is no follow up available given the surgey I've had. Fingers crossed my GP comes good.
derek76 r94708
Posted
Is there a walk in surgery in your area? If not I would go to A&E.
r94708 derek76
Posted
Thanks again for your reply. I'm feeling stuck between wanting to do something in order to try and get an answer to my question "has the repair worked or not?" But not wanting to overdo it! It's hard this as when it's happening to you it can easily feel like an emergency and I'd be lying if I didn't admit to not feeling I want something done now! I can't really justify calling this an emergency as such as I'm healing nicely and the pain and discomfort are improving.
I've since had a planned conversation with my occupational health dept (as I'm on the sick at the moment) and they were in agreement that it's completely reasonable to want to know if your surgery has been successful or not? I'm going to pester the surgeons secretary some more come Monday and see if they'll see me for follow up; again I suspect not as if nothing else, I doubt they'll get paid for it - it's likely a situation where the NHS trust they work for gets paid by the GP per appt. feels very sad that if it's true.
Having too much time on my hands hasn't led me to also notice the very same consultants working privately in a local private hospital, offering the same operation for £3,300 - including aftercare. I don't want to stray too far from the original post or get too political, but the amount of NI I continue to pay would cover this several times over... crazy systems!
The plan is to pester the surgeons and ask if they'll see me at their convenience. Plan B is to wait and do them same with my GP - either/or re referral back to see the surgeons so they can take a look at their work, or my preferred choice would be something like ultrasound which is wholly diagnostic, unless I'm lucky enough to see a medic with x-ray vision of course who can categorically show me all is well and to be quiet :-)
If I was to get any increasing pain or signs of infection I wouldn't hesitate to go to A&E of course, these guys are fab.
r94708
Posted
So not long back from seeing the surgeon who carried out my operation... after something of a convoluted route. Following my last post, I've seen one of my GP's who agreed with me that whilst I was healing otherwise, there remained something resembling the original hernia. The GP also felt unable to asnwer "what is this?" (Pointing to lump across belly button). Further to that I've pestered the life out the surgeons secretary and the short story is I got in to see the surgeon today due to a cancellation. The surgeon reckons my 'lump' is actually scar tissue which kind of makes sense as it's hard and not at all like swelling or the previous hernia which would squish! He really had a good go at poking around on my stomach today; he probably doesn't even need a scalpel to operate such is his technique. He's convinced all is well and I have to say it's convincing. I can go back but he doesn't expect that will be needed as he feels all went well otherwise.
So fingers crossed, after several more weeks of healing I'll hopefully have something resembling a belly button back, but more than that, less of a lump which is what started me down this route to diagnosis of hernia and then to surgery.
It was interesting to hear the surgeon talk about him favouring stitches over mesh. He did say he's had lots of success with mesh but had had to remove some last week due to 'complications'... sounds like timely intervention is perhaps key here.
So this has been intense.
derek76 r94708
Posted
Glad that it all turned out well.
I'm just starting on my hernia journey with having an ultrasound scan today. At one point the two doing it were muttering about an MRI. They said that I should hear from my GP within ten days for what has to be done.
r94708 derek76
Posted
Thank you for your kind words. It's an odd feeling; I want to believe all is well but time will tell I guess.
One thing I've come to realise is there are as many 'best' ways to deal with hernias as there are surgeons which maybe isn't great really... having tried to research using medical journals there's a lack of information out there. We need a young keen as mustard medic to organise some decent research into diagnosis and treatment options so we can move towards standards based not just on individual surgeons, but what is 'best practice'.
Glad you got seen. Maybe the ultrasound wasn't clear enough? An MRI will give a very clear detailed picture of what's going on so is certainly not a bad idea, particularly when you think any decisions about treatment could be influenced by it.
Would be good to hear how you get on ? best of luck!