rpenmanparker 

Are you sure about that? I was taught they are all dangerous due to risk of trapping tissue in the lesion and possibly severe infection. No upside to living with it. Perhaps you are thinking of side effects of misuse of mesh fabric to strengthen the repair.

profjmb

Yes. I decided not to get mine repaired for that reason.

the sci guy 

I can't complain about the after effects of my surgery. i still get sore in the area when i do heavy lifting for an extended time. but it goes away. i'm pretty sure scar tissue remains for a long time, and it also depends on how the mesh weaves itself into your muscles, sometimes it just gets tweaked. it's been about a year since my surgery and aside from a few pains after some strenuous activities, it's been good. glad i got it fixed because while i wasn't in any physical danger (yet), it was really uncomfortable.

Long Tom

That mesh will save ya. I was positive I'd blown mine, pulling a £!?*% well pump up from 125 feet down, I mean I FELT it let go again... but it was just the mesh/muscle tearing a little. It was sore, healed up, and I've lifted way too many way too heavy things since then.

Country livin' will make you strong like ox.... until you break.

dralways

Thanks alot for all of the extremely useful information and telling me about your personal experiences, guys.

One last thing I'm very worried about, how painful is the procedure under general anesthesia? Do you guys who've had this done remember alot of pain? I can't believe this operation has been done under local, not a chance in the world for me.

renton

I had it done under general, there is some pain but it's not too bad at all. It was more painful when they took the stitches out.

dralways

That's so not what I wanted to hear but thanks alot for the honesty.

rpenmanparker 

Latest general anesthesia cocktails are light years improved over the old stuff. Peaceful sleep, rapid awakening, short post-op recovery period, alert upon awakening, little or no immediate memory loss or lack of awareness, no nausea, all good. No wonder Michael Jackson liked the stuff so much. No pain during surgery of course. Very little pain during recuperation in my case. Endoscopic techniques reduce complications considerably. Of course, YMMV.

the sci guy 

they knocked me full out. when i woke up, there was some pain, but not a ton. it was mostly just sore to do things like get up out of a chair or roll out of bed, and bend over of course. sneezing sucked, so did coughing and clearing your throat. but honestly, that only lasted like 5 days or a week at most. i hobbled around after getting home from the hospital on the same day and maybe for the next day or so - but it wasn't like a "i broke my leg" hobble, just not a full walk.
because i had it done laparoscopically i only had pain where there was internal bruising from them rooting around inside me with their instruments - that's where all the pain was. the incisions were fine. the stitches degraded and went away, and the tacks they used to attach the mesh to my muscles dissolved eventually as well.

it wasn't bad at all.

dralways

Thanks alot for the consoling words guys. It sounds like the during and post surgery is drop in the bucket compared to what I'm going through now. With your testimonials I now fully have the courage to go through with this like I know I must. Now just to figure out the insurance/financial side of the ordeal.

I should be back on the road in no time! Thanks again, you all really helped me a humongous amount.

Long Tom

Even under local, there was no pain per se during the surgery. Just some sensations I won't describe since you are a bit squeamish.

Post-op was quite painful. But, I suspect your procedure will be way less invasive.

Good luck!

dralways

Damnit! I hate you Long Tom, quit scaring the crap out of me!

No but I do appreciate the honesty. Maybe the method you went under the knife may have something to do with it. Anyway, thanks for the heads up. I'll have a lengthy conversation with the physician beforehand ($300 conversation, ugh) and I'll be sure to request pain medication if I need them.

Now, back to trading forex.....right :sarcasm:

Long Tom

Well, there's worse things than pain. And as they say- pain is weakness leaving the body!

My surgery was amusing in a Monty Python-esque way. Turned out the surgeon, who was kind of an arrogant pr!ck, was married to one of the nurses. As a subtext to the surgery-talk, they were having this tense little argument about some vacation they were leaving on, apparently right after my surgery. He wanted things to go faster. I was like, hello! I'm right here!

dralways

Lmao!

That's really not funny though, I do understand maybe putting up with certain types of things considering the guy is doing you a massive favor and possibly even saving your life but as much as you're paying him if that happened to me hell would be raised and I'm going to be looking for atleast a good 5 grand back. The operating table is no place for games and malpractice needs to be taken seriously every single day.

I'm so grateful for my local hospital's reputation.

bikepro

Yes, be sure to get an Rx for pain medication -- just to be safe. I had the procedure over 30 years ago -- of course it required a 4 inch incision. Hopefully they will do the less invasive procedure. But seriously, thinking about it is the worst part.

Cyclelogikal

Had one of those back in school when lifting weights from putting too much weight on my back. Felt my abdominal wall tear and could hear it as well..................Yeeeeowwww!!!!! In all seriousness it did not hurt as much as burned. But I have always had a high tolerance for pain.

Well back to my point................you need to get that surgically repaired like I did. Never a issue in over the last 30 years since!

the sci guy 

when you do get a surgery scheduled, make sure it's in the morning(ish).

dralways

Why's that?

Long Tom

Oh Lordy.... you didn't need to hear this....

Well, one of the more horrific risks of surgery, these days, is to get an antibiotic-resistant infection from the hospital. It's rare, but it's bad. They say that scheduling your surgery early, preferably FIRST, reduces the risk because the room was sanitized the night before and hasn't had any activity.

In a way, it makes having relatively minor procedures done right in your doctor's office look better.

My wife's sister broke her elbow in a fall, and then caught one of these bugs in surgery, and had to have multiple followup surgeries and do a massive course of some HARDCORE antibiotics. The kind that can ruin your kidneys. It was not a fun year. But she's fine now.

Im sorry that you now know this. But hey- it gives you something to think about other than the pain!

phoebeisis

If you ever get cash-you can bargain them down considerably-depending on where you are.
Buddy just had that very surgery done-outside Houston-under $8000
about $2500 for surgeon-preop care surgery post op care
about $5000 to same day surg hospital + anesthesia

As others pointed out-other than the cosmetic aspects-the "only" problem with those hernias
is IF the tissue(your guts) get "twisted" in the "HOLE" AND THE BLOOD SUPPLY IS CUT OFF
your intestines will die-
Now this would be VERY PAINFUL-so you would have time to get to an ER-emergency surgery-etc
Wherever you landed -in the USA- they would HAVE to do the surgery-$$ or not-
Now they would hound you for the $$-but blood from a stone

So until you can afford it-perhaps just bind it-wide ace bandage-and ride as much as you can tolerate
Ride upright-give it a try-
probably work out just fine
Luck
Charlie

rms13

I'm also living with a double hernia now of the groin variety. No pain or discomfort. My new doctor diagnosed it during my last physical in March. He was not concerned and told me that I shouldn't worry about surgery unless I start to have pain that lasts for a week. I don't know. He's apparently a very good doctor and younger and up to date on the most recent research not some old guy who last read a medical journal in the 60's like other doctors I have seen. I know I will have to fix it eventually but I have been riding, lifting weights (lighter then I used to), playing softball, doing yoga, hiking, swimming and generally leading the same active life I always do without any problems ...so far

halfspeed

Don't sweat it. Public health care is how every civilized country in the world does it.

halfspeed

Then there's this option: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism_in_India

halfspeed

I had a hernia repaired a little over a decade ago. Open procedure. Not a scope. Very painful for a few days but I don't notice it at all. Drinking the bowel clearing solution the night before wasn't fun.

the sci guy 

this and because there are many shift changes in the early afternoon, or have been doing surgeries since 5 or 6am, and are just plain tired from standing and working.