POST HERNIA SURGERY DISCOMFORT/PAIN

[jefftee]

I'm wondering if anyone has had inguinal hernia surgery and is still experiencing pain/discomfort over 12 months later.
Had surgery back in June 2010, 57 years of age.
I was riding and racing a few months later and seemed to be recovering okay. Since then I've had a few bouts of abdominal and groin discomfort which, although not excruciating agony, is enough to put you off riding with any amount of effort or enthusiasm.
I just seem to be getting back into it again and the problem of discomfort returns.
I've checked a few hernia forums and it seems that it's not an unknown problem, although my GP seems skepticalI presume the surgeon who did the job would be even more skeptical.
Anybody had the problem and how did you/do you deal with it?

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Yep, but only on the side that I had the open procedure on. The side I had done laparoscopically has given me no problems.

I had tenderness and a pulling sensation for over a year on my left hand side. It went away, eventually, but I'm still prone to muscle pulls on that side of my groin. Nothing is bulging, though.

I did nothing in particular to make it go away, but that was a couple of years before my re-birth in cycling. The second procedure was done after that as well and I was cycling all the way up to the op and then 10 days after it. I rode to the doctors appointments, in fact. Maybe the increased fitness/muscle and less fat made a difference.

Maybe you should ask for an ultrasound on the area to make sure nothing was placed wrongly and that the surgery held. Did you have an old fashioned sew up repair or a mesh repair? Was it open surgery or laparoscopic? How big was the repair? My first one (the problematic one) was very large, the second not so much.

David

[toolonglegs]

I got checked for a couple of types of hernia due to severe groin pain...in my case it was a problem with a psoas muscle.By the the time I found the cause of my groin pain it had escalated in to a slightly bigger drama.
Might be worth a look though.

[jefftee]

It was a laparoscopic procedure and mesh was used.
The discomfort seems to be more of a "gut" problem than muscular, although I do get pain in groin and testicle area.
I did have a scan earlier in the year to check it out but nothing unusual was found.
Anyway, I'm seeing the doc again tomorrow and I'm going to pursue it further.
I guess you put up with it for a while, just presuming that things are just "settling down" but I think I've waited long enough.

[pauls51]

I got checked for a couple of types of hernia due to severe groin pain...in my case it was a problem with a psoas muscle.

Sorry to OP for hijacking but, I have a similar pain and the doc has told me that this muscle takes a fairly long time to heal because there is no supporting tissue (I cant remember his exact wording)... I don't get the pain much when riding but when I lift myself of the ground i get the discomfort from that muscle..... I especially feel it when arching my back backwards in an attempt to stretch it.... What was suggested to you if you don't mind me asking...??

[bigfriendlyvegan]

I got checked for a couple of types of hernia due to severe groin pain...in my case it was a problem with a psoas muscle.

Sorry to OP for hijacking but, I have a similar pain and the doc has told me that this muscle takes a fairly long time to heal because there is no supporting tissue (I cant remember his exact wording)... I don't get the pain much when riding but when I lift myself of the ground i get the discomfort from that muscle..... I especially feel it when arching my back backwards in an attempt to stretch it.... What was suggested to you if you don't mind me asking...??

+1 for arching myself backwards and getting pain. I'd forgotten about that. This sounds like a possible culprit. Maybe some core exercises?

David

[pauls51]

I only started getting the pain recently after an indoor soccer game.. When I do get onto core exercises I feel pain for the first few then it disappears and reappears 20 minutes after doing the exercises! Lunges for me is what really hurts....

[jefftee]

I work with a guy who had the same sort of surgery as me but a few months earlier.
He's a bit older and probably not as active but after a conversation a few weeks ago he said that he still has various pains, presumably related to the surgery, after activities such as gardening. I'm wondering if people who were in extreme discomfort before surgery are willing to put up with a bit of pain post-surgery.
I didn't really have a lot of pain with my hernia and just thought I'd "better get it fixed up".
No worries about 'hijacking" OP. It's all interesting.

[toolonglegs]

I got checked for a couple of types of hernia due to severe groin pain...in my case it was a problem with a psoas muscle.

Sorry to OP for hijacking but, I have a similar pain and the doc has told me that this muscle takes a fairly long time to heal because there is no supporting tissue (I cant remember his exact wording)... I don't get the pain much when riding but when I lift myself of the ground i get the discomfort from that muscle..... I especially feel it when arching my back backwards in an attempt to stretch it.... What was suggested to you if you don't mind me asking...??

I was going to a physio and will start again soon...stretching,massage and laser therapy (I think).I am doing all my stretching of it during rides...get warmed up then get off the bike and the grab the top tube and do a big lunge and then sink into it stretching out my groin.It is a tough one to get to!.
I have pain when in bed,mainly an ache.When I arch my back backwards I feel it as well but I have more serious issues that I feel more.I felt it a lot on the bike but it is not as bad these days.

[eddy montignac]

These posts have got me somewhat worried as I've had a small inguinal hernia for about 18 months and am due to see a surgeon next week to decide what to do about it.

I am 68, an ex-road racer, and still ride fairly hard three days a week.

I'm now wondering about the long term effects any post-operation problems might have on my riding, and (as I'm not currently suffering any discomfort from the hernia) whether it's better to opt for watchful waiting

[jefftee]

I think the prevalence of post-surgery pain is more common than the general medical field admit to. I just assumed that it was a straight forward operation with no side effects (the surgeon did 3 or 4 in the one morning, I think)
I've read about numerous surveys that have been done and there seems to be a reasonable percentage of people that have some sort of post-surgery pain long after the event.
I saw the surgeon 6 weeks after the op and that was it.
Further to my previous post, I had a barium enema (oh the pain) a couple of weeks ago, which showed up nothing of any note. The GP thought there might be indication of Irritable Bowel Syndrome so he gave me some tablets.
I may be a layman but I think he's way off the mark. The pain does reach into the bowel area sometimes but I have lower groin pain which doesn't seem to relate at all. My whole digestive system worked perfectly and felt fine before the op.

[Schmenz]

just as an aside.

if there is a poor core - the psoas will be over active and you can get an increase in the lumbar curve.

work on the core but talk to a chiro, physio or exercise physiologist. you can do situps and use the hip flexors (inc psoas) and not much core at all so you want to make sure you do them properly and using the correct muscles. (Most people cheat in a standard situp )

also work on the glutes. typically when theres a poor core you will also find weak glutes.

by restoring the correct balance in length and tone to the psoas, glutes, low back muscluature and hamstrings the psoas can stop over working and may help reduce the pain.

if theres adhesions post surgery - well thats another story.

(all this is said without examining you but it would be something i would be looking at)

Edit: all of this is said assuming that everything has been checked and cleared by the gp and surgeon. naturally that needs to be checked first

[sogood]

I only started getting the pain recently after an indoor soccer game.. When I do get onto core exercises I feel pain for the first few then it disappears and reappears 20 minutes after doing the exercises! Lunges for me is what really hurts....

In health and disease, anything may happen.

In your specific case given the surgery was 12 months ago, a number of possibilities exist. For a start and given the time gap, this could well be a new and unrelated problem to your prior surgery. Other possibilities include adhesion, recurrence of hernia, mesh failure and many many others. The only way to know more is to further investigate through your GP/surgeon.

[scotto]

I only started getting the pain recently after an indoor soccer game.. When I do get onto core exercises I feel pain for the first few then it disappears and reappears 20 minutes after doing the exercises! Lunges for me is what really hurts....

In health and disease, anything may happen.

In your specific case given the surgery was 12 months ago, a number of possibilities exist. For a start and given the time gap, this could well be a new and unrelated problem to your prior surgery. Other possibilities include adhesion, recurrence of hernia, mesh failure and many many others. The only way to know more is to further investigate through your GP/surgeon.

+1

oh, and if youve had a mesh repair, dont go crazy with the core strengthening bulls$%t that everyone seems to think will cure anything. Ive seen a few issues in the past with that...