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hernia repair after prostate surgery

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Posted 10/12/2016 7:00 AM (GMT 0)
Howdy:

I have been having increasing groin pain the last few weeks. It could be a groin pull or an inguinal hernia. I did have a right inguinal hernia repair done in 1988 (open surgery). This is also on the right side. There is no bulge as there was in 1988, so I am hoping it isn't a hernia. But, such is life (ie: having PC does not preclude other problems!)

I will see my doctor next week if things don't improve.

Question: Is it true that if I need surgery, it would have to be of the open kind (as opposed to laparoscopic surgery)? I vaguely recall reading this somewhere.

Mel
Posted 10/12/2016 2:13 PM (GMT 0)
I had hernia surgery. It was laparoscopic. But I had seeds as my treatment.
Posted 10/12/2016 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
I would think they want to do open, but that's a bit of speculation.

After my RT, they wanted to do open so they could avoid treated areas and better control what was going on.

Andrew
Posted 10/12/2016 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
andrew

how was your surgery?

mel
Posted 10/12/2016 5:31 PM (GMT 0)

compiler said...
But, such is life (ie: having PC does not preclude other problems!)


Indeed. In fact, having PC often causes other problems...or more to the point, having PC treatment often causes other problems.

While I note that you had a right inguinal hernia repair done in 1988, it is been demonstrated that the incidence of groin hernia repair after radical prostatectomy for PC is higher by nearly 4-fold (slightly lower for minimally invasive vs. open RP) compared than the incidence in a control population without PC in a nationwide, population-based study.

Add it to the list of the "slippery slope"...
Posted 10/12/2016 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Not bad and it was still done on outpatient basis. Painful the first couple of days, but I was able to stop the pain meds around day 3 and was working again in about 2 weeks. It was sore for a good month.

That was four years ago for a right inguinal hernia repair. Haven't had any problems since.

As I recall, my surgeon was confident that the open procedure was better in my case as it put the surgery site furthest away from the prostate and further from any tissue affected by the radiation. Not sure if the same thing holds true for post RP guys (ie staying far away from scar tissue), but it might.

Andrew
Posted 10/12/2016 5:48 PM (GMT 0)
BTW, while there is a nearly 4-fold increase in incidence of groin hernia for men treated for PC via surgery as I previously mentioned, there is also a nearly 2-fold increase in incidence of groin hernia for men treated for PC via radiation...(all compared in large numbers to men not treated for PC).


As always, Mike Smith at the PC InfoLink does a great job of putting things in lay terms: /prostatecancerinfolink.net/2013/06/20/risk-for-hernia-after-first-line-treatment-for-prostate-cancer/
Posted 10/12/2016 6:12 PM (GMT 0)
Jack H:

You know, I asked a specific question about the kind of hernia surgery after a RP.

I know there is an increased risk of hernia after a RP.

In my case, my hernia (if I have one) can well be due to the RP. It can also be due to gallbladder removal surgery I had in 2013. Did you know that gb surgery does list hernia as a significant future risk?

It could be due to my first hernia surgery in 1988. Did you know that hernia surgery results in an increased risk for a future hernia?

It might also be that I really overdid it in the gym (this started a day after a "good" gym workout).

In fact, getting older is by itself an increased risk factor.

Jack -- I asked a specific question. Your obsession with turning every thread into an overtreatment thread needs to be addressed. Sorry you regret your treatment. Sorry you have to deal with whatever it is you are dealing with. Glad you appear to be cured. Unfortunately, many of us are not cured and we have to deal with plenty of weighty issues.

Mel

Post Edited (compiler) : 10/12/2016 12:17:30 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/12/2016 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Chill, attack dog!

I did not know that increased risk of hernia was part of the "slippery slope" that one should be aware of prior to making a decision (rushed or un-rushed) on PC treatment(s). I learned something new. I don't recall if my surgeon mentioned it or not; but if he did, that did not stick with me. I did see (I just looked) that it is indeed on the ACA/PC website in the long list of treatment side effects...it is the very last item listed, but it is on the list. I'm glad to learn something new today. And I'll be pleased to be able to offer this new knowledge to others in the future, particularly newcomers (who are typically low-risk cases) who join this site seeking insight beyond what they can/do learn from their doctors. The "slippery slope" is a problem that not many doctors talk about, but we have case after case of men here who are experiencing post-treatment problems that they never anticipated when they signed-up for treatment. The high rates of low-risk cases being rushed into unnecessary aggressive treatments--and all the unnecessary side effect issues that have resulted--has given prostate cancer a bad name, and I'd like to do my part--as we all should--to improve that situation. It's better than sticking your head in the sand...



added later as an edit:
I thought it was particularly interesting that there is 2X increase in incidence of groin hernia after RT treatment for PC. The problem after surgery in the same area is more intuitive; after RT helps highlight the invisible power/danger of RT. That was NOT listed amongst side effects in the ACA/PC site under radiation treatments. Age, of course, applies to both the test and control groups, and is therefore not relevant.

Post Edited (JackH) : 10/12/2016 12:52:44 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/12/2016 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
Jack:

I am surprised you did not know about it, but I'm sure you can now add it to your lengthy list regarding the risks of overtreatment. Any SE from a tx. is part of the risk of that tx. Period.

Why you need to inject that in so many basically unrelated threads remains a mystery.

Carry on.

Mel
Posted 10/12/2016 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
I appreciate that you think I know all there is to know, but I am humbly pleased to learn something new every day.
Posted 10/13/2016 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
Mel,

Sorry your thread got hiJacked.

Anyhow, it is my understanding that it is the mesh that is sometimes installed that causes problems for future surgeries. When I had my DaVinci the surgeon had to work his way around the mesh that was installed for one of the inguinal herniarepairs. I have had two inguinal repairs on the same side so unless you have some mesh I can not think of why you couldn"t have an inquinal repair.
Posted 10/13/2016 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
Mel, I had an inguinal hernia treated about 4 years ago.
They did an open surgery as I was told they couldn't repeat the keyhole after the RP.
It wasn't that bad but painful for a couple of days to a week although I didn't need pain meds and I'm as soft as they come.
I couldn't drive for a week or 2 and no gym work or lifting for 6 weeks.

Mike
Posted 10/13/2016 4:02 AM (GMT 0)
My husband had inguinal hernia repair surgery done after RP. He was told by NYC docs - Memorial Sloan Kettering, Cornell, Mount Sinai - that he had to have open surgery. He had open surgery done at Cornell and had no problems.
Posted 10/13/2016 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Like the others had mentioned, the surgeon (same dr who did my RALP) told me that he can't do laparoscopic surgery on RALP patient, so mine similar with others here is an opened one too.
This surgery, post healing more restriction to follow for 10 to 12 weeks, especially on the lifting of weight. Other then that it is slightly more painful then the RALP...
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