Swelling after Hernia Repair

My swelling hasnt gone away. I look like I have a lump where my original belly button was at first. Now I look like I have a butt in the the front and back. It s been almost 12 years since I had my henia repaired. My belly button area is still sore and itchy under the skin , sometimes. After I had the hernia repair and abdominal plasty I had drains. He removed the drains. I had a build up of fuild in above th belly button . He used a needle to draw out fluid. It  still looks like something isnt right in that spot

Guys I had hernia surgery about 3 years ago. My stomach is worse now then ever hard as a rock. I was just told a week ago by my Prim care doc. That I should massage the area that may help the scar tissue go down.. Really!! nobody told me this before.. Pretty much sucks wait do I sound upset... Maybe a little anyway.. I always tried to remain active due to other health factors, but this has taken the wind out of my sails..  so if you've recently had hernia repair where they had to cut you vetically and insert the mesh.. ck with your doc to see if it's OK to massage the area and if that will help with the scar tissue.  Good luck to you all.

Guest wrote:

 I am gratefull for this post. I am VERY annoyed the more I go through my recovery stages of my hernia repair that SO much information is not being relayed by my, nor apparently many doctors/surgeons/hospitals in regards to what is to be expected potentially, in every aspect. Instead, we are sent home, and left to worry for weeks on end, as strange things happen we dont understand. My surgery was performed by a surgeon at Shouldice hospital in Canada, and their *supposed* to be like the best, or one of the best hernia specialized facilities in the world.. and yet I have had to dig around a number of times to try to find out whats causing various things to happen online, because their 'On your way' paper they give you covers only a fraction of the possible post op things that can happen during recovery... The call to the surgeon equated to 'your worrying too much' .. the inflamation is to be expected, with little in depth description beyond that, and a 'hurried' goodbye now. Sheesh these hospitals and facilities need to start bucking up and providing the re-assuring info that is needed by the patients for their recovery.

I went to Shouldice in Toronto Ontario in 1999 and again in Nov. 2011 and had no problems. It is a hospital strickly for hernia surgery. They are experts in that fiekd and I won't let anyone else do the surgery but them. They average 7000 surgeries a year to people from all over the world.

Well,guys I just had a massive left side operation with 4" vertical incision tht grew into my sag witch resulted in some stretched skin,so now tht the henia is fix a couple of days after the fluid filled it right back up and my Doctor(Dr. Sumet)said it would take 2-3 months for the fluid to resede and at the most 6 months for all the sweiling to go away.I had the same questions after the pain subsided but there was so much sweling ,so I made him see me before my follow up so he could do a xray or ultrasound because I thought I had broke threw or had another heria ,but he said no just sweling.Tip:Ice packs before bed for about 39 mins will speed up healing.

Thanks for posting this, I am 9 days post inguinal repair and have developed a prominent ridge just below the suture line which is extremely painful at times (not at rest) and worrying me heaps.

I had a ventral hernia fixed 2 times. The last one was about 3 months ago and I still have swelling and still have bulging on and off where it is uncomfortable. It hurts when I vacuum or cough a little too much...

Seems like most are having similar issues after the surgery..... Sad

Any input would be appreciated. Thank you, june

I had a laparotomy for a burst appendix some 23 years ago. About 10 years ago (aged 28) the scar broke down around the umbilical area and after 2 botched stitch repairs, I then had a mesh over the top which is still there to this day and seemingly fine.

However, at 3 other points on the original laparotomy scar I developed new hernias. An excellent surgeon here in the UK implanted a mesh a little under A4 in size behind the muscle wall held in place with dozens of titanium pins. This op was a year and a half ago. At the time the surgeon said that over the coming months the body would fill the hernia holes with fluid which would harden (calcification) and that there was no reason to worry as and when this happens. Having lost a bit of weight over the new year I can now feel these hard calcified lumps beneath the surface and whilst it's easy to go into panic stations over whether (a) the mesh has failed (b) it's a new hernia, it's important to get a handle on things and remain as calm as possible. Any doubts, go and see your surgeon or GP and get a scan.

My surgeon said that if the mesh has been in for anything over a year without complication, especially meshes behind the muscle wall the chances of it failing are infinitely small, although not impossible, highly unlikely. I was very fortunate to have a specialist in hernias treat me last time as having had regular surgeons do the first 3 repairs, they didn't have the insight or knowledge of the aftercare and healing process.

Ask the surgeon about the holes left either below or in front of the meshes and ask his opinion if it could be calcification (totally normal for the body to heal this way apparently). If you're not happy with the feedback then go get a second opinion and keep on at the medical people until you're satisfied. Oh and try to keep positive, we all know it's difficult, but in may respects it goes a long way to getting the outcome you want.

I had an inguinal hernia repair & bowel resection and also have swelling in the groin after three weeks of recovery. I went to the internet and the doctor said as long as there is no pain, fever, discharge, or an increase in the swelling it should start to subside but see the surgeon if it doesn't change. I am a female.

I had an inguinal hernia repair 11 days ago with mesh inserted.  The doctor used my c-section scar to perform the repair, I did not have a drain inserted.  The amount of swelling was alarming to the point that I called the doctor on day 4, but I was told that it was normal.  I figured that if he saw it he'd agree that it was too much, but at my post-op appt on day 6 he looked at it and to my surprise he confirmed that it was normal.  I am fairly thin, and the swelling is about the size of an orange and equally as hard/firm, I can't even hide it with compression garments.  I look about 3 months pregnant on my right side.  I was really hoping that the swelling was going to start diminishing by now but every day it looks the same as it did on day 3.  Per the doctor I used ice for the first several days then started using heat to speed healing, but nothing is reducing the size.  The swelling is quite uncomfortable and has been the most frustrating part of my recovery, since the surgical pain hasn't really been significant since the first day.  The doctor said that by day 10 the swelling normally peaks and then the area begins to very slowly soften and flatten.  I sure hope so, I'm going back to work in 4 days and my normal clothes are very uncomfortable in this state.  Not to mention that I've worked pretty hard to have a nice figure, so this is upsetting that I'm not able to see any improvement yet, especially when I read posts from people who say their swelling has remained for years, yikes.  I'll post an update if I see any change.  Hang in there everyone.  %-)

It's me again, I originally posted 11 days after my hernia repair, and now its been 6 1/2 weeks. I've had my lump drained 3 times now, but the last time no fluid came out and I still have a very hard lump under the incision about the size of an extra large egg that is not going away. If I don't wear a compression garment during the day it becomes extremely uncomfortable and swollen by evening. It's driving me crazy, I don't feel well enough to work out like this, even regular activity aggravates it and makes it swell. Feels like I'm going to have this lump forever, i don't understand why it's not getting better. Is it a hematoma? Ugh!

Currently suffering with similar symptoms but Informatiom you have provide is very reassuring. Must admit I was informed I'd be back to work within a week but on the face of it ,more like a month.

Yours gratefully

Me again (River).  It's been 8 1/2 weeks now since my open inguinal hernia repair with mesh.  Still dealing with swelling.  Wearing the compression garment 24/7 keeps the fluid from building up and it looks better (smaller), and I'm back to working out, but I still have an egg sized hard lump where the hernia was.  I'm scheduled for surgery on August 6th to remove the remaining fluid/hematoma and to insert a drain.  August 6th will be 10 1/2 weeks from the original surgery.  To esmatz, if you aren't wearing a compression belt yet I would highly recommend it.  It's a hassle but it really keeps the fluid from building up, and may help the tissue heal together where your fluid pocket currently is.  When I work out I wear a neoprene back belt velcroed pretty tight, and under everyday clothes I wear something similar to an ace bandage meant for ribs that I just wear really low to hold the groin area tight.  Doing that is the only thing that has made any difference with reducing the swelling.

Hi there, I have now had 2 operations for a hernia repair, the first was 8 years ago and involved the surgeon making a cut of approx 5 inches down the centre of my stomach and inserting a gauze over the hernia, I was on a long waiting list for this operation and released from hospital almost immediatley after. The swelling from this operation took about 4 months to go down but the scar left behind was always quite wide, red/ pink in colour , quite lumpy & bumpy and always sensitive to the touch.

2 weeks ago following doing some heavy lifting I started to notice a larger than normal lump in my lower abdomen & that familiar deep routed pain in my right rib area, I also found my old scar was hyper sensitive and much redder than normal, woried about this I went to a local walk in centre and was immediatley sent to A&E and operated on within 4 hours, the second operation was much larger and more complicated than the first and basically involved re-opening the original scar, removal of the original gauze which had become entangled around my bowel and replacing a new gauze, I was kept in hospital for 5 days following this operation.

Recovery from this second operation was much worse and much more painful than the first, abdominal swelling and water retention was bordering on the rediculous with bowel movement seemingly imposible, I had difficulty eating and yet was putting pounds on every day due to the fluid retention but this eventually subsided 2 days ago and my swelling is now reducing, eating is returning to normal along with bowel movement.

All of the above I have been informed was perfectly normal given my circumstances and I hope it answers some of your questions.

Kind Regards

Gary

Hi, I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago and developed a hernia a year later. I put off having the surgury until 3 weeks ago, because I wasnt mentally ready. Now post op day 21 I also am having that same lump in my belly which was very scary. As usual the Dr. said it is normal. I'm so glad I read the post by Wendy and I feel better about the bump, now just waiting for it to go away and getting back to a normal life. I am scheduled to go back to work in a week and I don't think I'm ready. I'm a Nurse Asst. and I do a lot of lifting and I'm afraid of getting another hernia. I really appreciate this website to know that we are not alone dealing with the same issue's.