Hernia Forum - Inguinal Hernia - UltraPro Mesh

I am a week out of surgery and wanted to share my experiences so far. I researched far & wide and decided to go for open surgery rather than laporscopic.

I also read enough to know that i did not trust mesh from Duval (makers of Bard and Krug mesh). This company waited until the FDA forced them to recall one of their meshes. The company knew about all the complaints and would not voluntarally recall the product.

UltraPro mesh made by Ethicon is what i wanted. Read about it here: http://www.jnj gateway.com/home.jhtml?loc=USENG&page=view Content&contentId=09008b98812ae1d9&nodekey =/Prod_Info/Specialty/General_Surgery/Surg ical_Mesh&parentId=09008b98812a76c4

You must find a general surgeon who uses the product. You can find them here: http://www.he rniasolutions.com/locator/index.jhtml

Find a surgeon who performs 200+ hernia sugeries per year. The last thing you want is a rookie practicing on you!!

The first 24hrs after surgery was great. Then the constipation and bloating kicked in. It took 48hrs before i had a movement. I chose to get off the pain meds rather than deal with the bloat.

I sleep in a recliner for 3 days because i only felt pain when going to lay down and getting up. Basically, all you need to do is move slow and no hard laughing, coughing or sneezing. I iced the area around the incition area for 20 min on and 20 min off. I did this whenever i thought about it.

Now, i will copy and paste the best information i found about recovery (especially in the first week).

Recovery overview-
You will go to the recovery room after your operation. You will probably have minimal discomfort because the local anesthetic that was injected will make the area numb for 6 to 12 hours.

Following this initial period, you will notice pain and stiffness at the site of surgery. The more you walk the less stiffness and pain you will experience. It is not uncommon for you to have more discomfort on the second and third day after an open hernia repair than you did on the first.

This is because the local anesthetic has worn off. By the sixth to seventh day, you should be ready for all of your normal activities.

Your Diet-
You can eat a regular diet without any restrictions after surgery. This, of course, will be limited by other illnesses you may have, such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.

Here are some general tips:

%u2022 On the first day eat small, light meals and liquids. Progress to a normal diet as tolerated.

%u2022 Nausea and vomiting from anesthesia are not uncommon for 24 hours. If you feel nauseous, take clear liquids only. Call the office if nausea and vomiting persist for greater than 36 hours.

%u2022 Do not take any alcoholic drinks for at least 24 hours and while you are taking narcotic pain killers such as Vicodin (hydrocodone) or Tylenol (acetaminophen) with codeine.

Activity Guidelines-
With the exception of heavy lifting and vigorous exercise, you can resume normal activities, including driving, walking and sexual activity, once you feel you are ready. Pain is the body%u2019s way of letting you know you are doing something you shouldn%u2019t. If it hurts, don%u2019t do it. Here are some guidelines:

%u2022 For 24 to 48 hours after surgery you will most likely not want to do much. Although you should get rest during this time, it is equally important to get up and walk.

%u2022 It is okay to go up and down stairs, and it is encouraged.

%u2022 Do not drive while you are taking narcotic pain medicines and while your incisions hurt. This may reduce your ability to move quickly.

%u2022 Your thought processes may take 24 to 48 hours to return to normal because of anesthesia. Do not make any important business or personal decisions during this time.

%u2022 You can return to work when you feel comfortable that you can perform your job safely and at the level you and your employer expect. Usually this is a minimum of one week. If your job involves heavy lifting you should stay out of work for 2-4 weeks.

%u2022 Most people find that they fatigue easily during the second and even the third week, so don%u2019t overload your schedule.

%u2022 Do not return to exercise or strenuous activity until you are seen for a follow-up.

Pain and Discomfort-
It is normal to have pain after your operation. How much pain a patient experiences usually depends on the individual and not on the operation. Pain normally is located over the incision and in the groin. If you or your family were not informed of anything unusual after surgery, rest assured that everything is fine and the procedure went according to plan.

Ice-
You should keep ice on the area of surgery for 24 to 48 hours. This will minimize postoperative swelling and reduce pain. There is no benefit to using ice after the first 48 hours.

Medication-
You have been given a prescription for a narcotic: hydrocodone (Vicodin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) with codeine. You can take one or two tablets every six hours. If you experience itching or a rash, call the office immediately and stop the medication.

If your pain is not controlled by the medication you have been given, call the office. It is helpful to take some type of pain medicine (narcotic or over-the-counter) before getting out of bed and before going to sleep for the first few days after surgery.

If you do not like the drowsy feeling these medications cause or you do not need as much medication, you can try the following:

%u2022 Ibuprofen (600 mg every 6 hours),

%u2022 Tylenol (two extra strength every 6 hours) or Aspirin (two every 6 hours)

Bowel discomfort-
After surgery you may notice alterations in your bowel habits.

%u2022 Diarrhea can occur from the surgery itself or from the antibiotics you received. This is best treated with Metamucil, Amphogel or Yogurt.

%u2022 Constipation is very common and results from the narcotic pain medicine you are taking. To avoid constipation, take Hailey%u2019s MO or Milk of Magnesia as directed on the bottle once per day while you take the narcotics.

Groin discomfort-
After surgery, men may notice swelling of their penis and or scrotum and women may notice swelling of the labial area of their vagina. This is from the surgery and will go away. Ice (and for men a scrotal support) will reduce any discomfort.

You may also notice black and blue discoloration of the groin and/or genitals as well as numbness of the area. This. too, is not cause for alarm, even if it occurs a few days after the surgery. It usually goes away in a few days.

Incisional Care-
%u2022 Your incisions are covered with a gauze pad. It is not uncommon for the pad to become saturated with blood during the first 24 hours. Do not become alarmed; just change the bandages as needed.

%u2022 You can take a shower 24-36 hours after surgery. Be sure to gently dry your incisions and replace the bandage.

%u2022 After 2-3 days, it is not necessary to keep your incisions covered but it will usually make you more comfortable to do so as you increase your activity.

%u2022 If you do not see metal clips or sutures, the sutures are in the skin itself and will dissolve. This occurs 3-4 weeks after surgery and may be associated with a little drainage from the incision.

%u2022 It is common for patients to notice some black and blue or maroon discoloration around the incisions. This is caused by a small amount of blood and is normal. It should not alarm you. It is also common for this to only become apparent 2-3 days after surgery, as blood in the tissues moves to the surface.

%u2022 If your incision is red, hot and tender, you may have an infection. In that case call the office. You have been given antibiotics in the operating room prior to surgery. Unless it was discussed with you, you do not need them after surgery.

%u2022 It is normal for the incision to be hard and swollen after surgery. This is called a "healing ridge" and and it is a signal of wound healing. It is not a hernia and it will go away in 8-12 weeks.

%u2022 Do not tan your incision for one year after surgery; it will leave a dark scar.

%u2022 Some people believe that Vitamin A and Vitamin E, when applied to the incision, help wound healing. These can be obtained at a natural food or drug store.

When to Call the Office-
Call the office immediately if you experience:
%u2022 Significant bleeding
%u2022 Difficulty breathing
%u2022 Persistent light headedness
%u2022 Chills and/or fever greater than 101°F
%u2022 Pus or infection at the incisions
%u2022 Inability to pass urine
%u2022 Severe pain
%u2022 Any worrisome condition

AT HOME-
You will notice significant pain for the first one to five days, especially when coughing, laughing, sneezing or moving too fast. You will have oral pain medications for time period.

You should get up and walk periodically and you may use the stairs, although you will want to move slowly. Some people sleep in a recliner the first or two because it is difficult to go from a standing to a flat lying position and versa.

As the pain eases, you should wean off pain medicines and switch to an antiinflammatory (Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, etc.) As the pain resolves, you may begin activities as tolerated by your body. If you overdo it, you will feel worse pain either or the next day. As you feel better, you should ease back into activities slowly.

Constipation -
It is common to become constipated after abdominal surgery. Due to the surgery itself, anesthesia and the narcotic pain medication, the bowel may be slow to respond. Walking, minimizing the use of narcotics and using stool softeners may help to minimize constipation.

If you have not had a bowel movement for several days and you feel very constipated, which may increase your pain because of the pressure, you may need to take Milk of Magnesia or magnesium citrate. You may use these as directed or in smaller doses over the course of a day (for example, sipping magnesium citrate over four to six hours to gently cleanse your bowels.)

You also might need a gentle enema if you do not get adequate esults from oral medications. You should avoid medications that induce your bowel to spasm such as Ex-Lax. You may also try fiber foods (fruits/vegetables) and supplements (Fibercon, Metamucil, etc.). You must drink plenty of water%u2013six to eight glasses a day%u2013for the fiber to work optimally.

Inguinal Hernia - UltraPro Mesh - Recovery