After surgery I am fine, now I have a hernia

I had Da Vinci Feb 8 and the catheter out Feb 16 and minimum problems, almost no leaking and no gushing so far and I am feeling fine from the surgery.  The surgeon told me they saw I had a hernia on my right side, but they did not do anything about it, I guess they may have needed a signed permission slip, but my wife was available and they could have had her sign it.

The hernia did not bother me the first few days out, but I noticed a swelling on my lower right side and I had a pain in my right testicle that I assumed was from the prostate operation and then I find out the pain is from the hernia and not the prostate operation. 

So now I am feeling fine from the prostate surgery, but now I can barely stand up or walk because of the hernia pain so now I need to go back in for another surgery.  I had a hernia on my left side about 15 years ago and it was a simple out patient deal, went in one morning and out that afternoon and I would hope that this is the same thing, but now I am in pain again and the surgeons are booked up for 2 weeks so that slows my prostate recovery down a bit as I can not exercise.

Has anyone else been through a hernia on top of the prostate surgery?

Motelmat

Hi Motelmat,

Yes; I regret that would be me. After the daVinci procedure I suffered 2 hernias within 5 months. As you already know the procedure is a 1/2 day in and out operation, but the recovery times vary according to the severity of the hernias. The first hernia (left inguenal) was quick, and recovery was only a few weeks. The second hernia (right inguenal) was so painful I was unable to walk 50 feet before I was forced to lie down. Consequently the recovery from that surgery took twice as long, and the residual soreness lingered on for months.

If you have to wait for your surgery ask your doctor about a truss. This elastic undergarment may help you for a couple of weeks till you can have your procedure. I wish you good luck, and a speedy recovery.

Glen 

Hello bluebird,

thanks fo rthe inquiry.

I had the hernia surgery done last tuesday, Feb 27 and while the surgery went well the post op did not.  When they moved me from the operating room to the recovery room I guess they forgot to give me any pain medication and by then the doctors were gone and they did not have permissioni to give me an injection so they gave me oral vicodin and that took about 30 minutes to work and I was in the worst pain I have ever had.  the prostate surgery had mild after affects companed to this hernia pain and discomfort. 

I think the 2 surgeries in 3 weeks has made the problem much worse than if I had waited to have them 6 months apart, but I figured if I was already recovering from one surgery I might as well recover from both of them at the same time an dhaving the hernia slowed down my recovery from the prostate as I could not walk or exercise much.

My incontinence seems to be under control after 3 weeks (Da Vinci on 2/8/07).  The doctors at VA started me on 1/2 a Cialis as soon as the catheter came out and I actually woke up the other morning with a pretty decent erection, but that was before the hernia surgery and the pain and discomfort from that has pretty much stopped any other concerns or actions.

Other than that I am getting along fine and a little better each day and I am confident I wil be back to normal pretty soon.

Mat