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Posted 11/24/2009 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone had a ventral hernia repair? I go in on december 4th for this, and am told i'll be in the hospital for several days. My doctor wouldn't give me an exact number. Which I didn't expect, but I hope the pain is no worse than after my reversal surgery. The same doctor is doing the hernia repair. What should I expect?? What can I do to prevent it again?? I have a huge hernia. Well, i'm sure there are larger ones, but it's huge to me. It sticks out further than my breasts, and i'm a well large woman. thank you!!
Posted 11/25/2009 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there!  I just read your post and since I just had a ventral hernia repair (5 weeks ago)  thought I would tell you how it went for me...The hernia was at the stomas site.  I went in for surgery on Monday morning (no prep for this except no eating after midnight).  I woke up with pain (of course) but it was well controlled with meds.  I could have come home the same day after the surgery but I was having alot of pain, and so full of pain medication that I didn't feel comfortable in doing so...they kept me overnight and released me the next morning.  The healing was quick, and the pain wasn't bad at all after I came home.  He had prescribed me percocet which I only took for a day or so.  Then just regular tylenol.  All in all, it wasn't too bad.  Mine was very large also..almost all one sice of my abdomen.  It is still quite tender, but I'm so glad I had it over with and it's behind me now...I wish you all the best with your surgery..let us know how it goes k??  ....Cheryl
Posted 11/25/2009 5:12 PM (GMT 0)
me again...I forgot to add that it was a mesh repair..
Posted 11/26/2009 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there

my husband had this surgery for a large insisional ventral hernia 4 weeks ago tomorrow. His pain was well controlled with a morphine epidural, highly recommended. He also had two small leaks in his small intestine repaired so he had to remain in hospital for 6 days. He had the epidural for 3 days and didnt needed much for pain meds after that. They were not able to use mesh for his repair because of the intestine reppair and too much of a risk for infection. He has had to wear an elastic wrap to help support his mid section. he sees his surgeon tomorrow. He is feeling well for the first time in over a year the leaks had caused an abscess that had to be drained for months. He is very pleased to be feeling better. He still has a lot of weight to gain back.

good luck and dont worry but get the epidural if you can
Posted 11/26/2009 10:06 AM (GMT 0)
thank you all!! I am kind of worried, because of the size of my hernia. As I said, i'm "large" and I swear it looks like I have a third breast. I can't even suck in my stomach. It isn't over my stoma site, but over the top of my incision. I keep reminding myself, four more nights of work, and then i'm off the entire month of december, starting at around 7 am on december 1st!! Until sometime in January!! i'm so ready. I will NOT plan another surgery for next december, so i'm off for the holidays next year. <G>

Epidurals scare me, because i've seen to much of what can go wrong, to quick with them. I'm a registered nurse, and have seen the good and bad with them. I had a dilaudid pca with my last surgery, and that worked wonderfully for me. I know, I need to get up and walk as soon as possible after surgery, and go slow with food intake. i'm just so not ready for the pain!!

Don't worry, i'll update everyone. I bought a laptop, just so I can use it while in the hospital, and so far i've had no problems getting online in the hospital. I work on the same floor, that i'll be on post op.

Posted 11/26/2009 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
I had an epidural scare me, also, because the one I had for my colectomy surgery didn't work!!! When I awoke from the serious surgery, all I could do was scream. I know that this doesn't happen all the time but once was enough for me. I had an abscess opened up last month and absolutely refused an epidural before the procedure.

Good luck with your hernia repair!!! I would love to have that surgery, but my doctor doesn't want to do it. Go figure. I am so tired of this bulge on my right side.

Jennie
Posted 11/26/2009 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Ignorance is bliss sometimes I guess, my husband was so thankful for the epidural after a horrible painful year. His surgury was at the hospital that is the major trauma centre in western canada, perhaps that made a difference, after hearing your stories I perhaps wouldnt want it in a small local facility. He was like superman on the morphine epidural, easily up and around the next day and continured to do well after.
Posted 12/2/2009 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
thank you everyone!! I'm now just ready for it to be over and done with. I'm off work till sometime next year. I'm an RN, and i know lifting will be out for a while. I should say i'm guessing i'm off till sometime next year. I didn't ask my doctor and he didn't say. I'll ask him friday. I got my picc line yesterday, I asked him to have it placed before surgery, so that I wouldn't have to be stuck a jillion times before surgery.
Posted 12/5/2009 5:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Dilatante,

 

I would like to tell you about my hernia repair just over 4 months ago. I went into the hospital,no prep needed,the surgeo marked my left side for a new stoma which was a bit daunting,the reason he did this was because sometimes when the hernia is so big which mine was also they sometimes have to make a new toma on the other side. So anyway he marked my tummy  then they took me in to the set up bay as i was having an epidural forthe pain plus the general. The epi was very painful,took a while to do. Then they took me in and i took about 3hrs and i was in recovery. When i woke up i had no pain at all as i was numb from under the breast area and they also had some kind of tube inserted into my riht side where the op was and that was pushing other med's into me to make me even nummer. Strange feeling not to be able to feel anything at all.

Then i went to icu for a couple of day's then onto the ward and home on day 6 for me. Then 4 day's after i came home i felt really unwell and was in total agony tp the point i was vomiting couldn't eat,dronk or hardly walk. Mum called for an ambulance and tey rushed me straight to the nearest hospital called my surgeon in and i ended up withan abcess the size of a soccer ball in my stomach,so back in for an emegency surgery as i had also gotten peritonitis so my life was on the line too. They operated put a drain in and was in icu for 5 days,extremely painful and i am allergic to erevy painkiller besides KETAMINE so i was on a ket transfusion. This second surgery was the worst as the abcess caused alot of damage inside and also had to remove another 10cm of small bowel.

That is my story. Please dont let it put you off though.

Also the success rate for a hernia repair is only 20% and usually return's in 80% of people.

 

sincerly,

 

damagedgoods41.....  xxxxxx

 

Look after yourself ur in my thought's!!!!!!!!

 

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