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Has anyone had an inguinal hernia repaired after Pca?

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mlbsm
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2008
Posts : 85
Posted 4/17/2009 10:10 AM (GMT -8)
I had never heard about gluing people back together either. He surprised me after the surgery, I never thought to ask before it how he was going to close.

To me, the difference between the staple scarring and the glue scarring is apples and oranges.

On the other hand, I took off the bandage myself after a week, and the difference between that and taking out those staples was night and day. Anybody who tells you that taking those staples out is painless is a masochist. It was nowhere near as painful as the drain, but trust me, you are well aware of what's happening.

As far as the ice is concerned, I'm not sure what to tell you other than not to freeze the area. When I went to see my doctor, he told me to put a heating pad on the swelling.

As far as the supporter is concerned, I'm not too sure your husband is going to like that idea very much. I didn't even want my whitey tighteys on going across that area. The most comfortable I got was flying free for about 4 weeks with very loose shorts on. The incision is going to be right along the line of the supporter, and to put it mildly, it's TENDER.

:)) Billy
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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 4/18/2009 6:10 AM (GMT -8)
mlbsm,

Thanks, Billy for all of your input, I sure appreciate it. It says on
the papers the surgeon sent, if strips of tape were used to close your
incision do not pull them off. Let them fall off on their own. So, maybe he is going to use tape. With the glue, is it just smeared over your incision? Does it feel rubbery or is it dry. I don't know anything about surgical glue. Does it just come off on it's own?

Also, I read that this kind of surgery was painful afterwards and that the pain pills do not take away the pain, but only make it tolerable.
Is this true? Also, How long did you take the pain pills before the pain subsided (two or three days?)

If the incision is swelling and painful, I'm sure my husband won't wear the athletic supporter.

Also, he is claustrophobic and I read that if you are having conscious
sedation and are claustrophobic, you should tell the anesthesiologist
when he talks to you before the surgery. I will have to remember
that because my husband probably won't tell him.

Enjoy your weekend,
Wiggyann
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Gildersleeve
New Member
Joined : Apr 2009
Posts : 1
Posted 4/19/2009 7:39 AM (GMT -8)
Dear Wiggyann,   Tell your husband he'll do just fine.  Had my hernia 'fixed' about 14 months after radical prostatectomy and it couldn't have been easier.  Still fine today two years later.  I don't know it having had radiation and seeding if he will experience anything different.  Look at it this way, he'll have only one scar and it should be quite small.   I was in and out in about 3 hours.   Good luck to you both.

PS:  Be sure to get a good surgeon who knows about and has a long track record of doing hernia operations.    

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mlbsm
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2008
Posts : 85
Posted 4/19/2009 10:28 AM (GMT -8)
Wiggy,

My sugeon put a REALLY strong tape over the incision. It is dry to the touch, but the bandage will probably get blood soaked before it comes off. I was told I could shower 72 hours after surgery, but to leave the tape on for a week HOWEVER, my wife is an R.N. known by the Dr. and that may have played a part in his instructions.

As for pain, the area is VERY tender, and I'm sure there is pain involved, but I am already on Vicodin for pain related to hand surgery, so I could not differentiate.

In all probability, he will prescribe a painkiller for your husband for a week.

Keep in mind, if your husband does get painkillers, they WILL make him constipated, and that doesn't feel so good in combination with the Hernia. Whether he likes it or not have him drink a juice glass of prune juice every morning, and stool softeners in the A.M. and P.M. If he doesn't have a bowel movement in 48 hours, have a mild laxative on hand.
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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 4/20/2009 12:00 PM (GMT -8)
Hello Everyone,

This morning I happened to read that if you have had radiation treatments and are having a hernia repaired, the healing may be slower. My husband had 25 (IMRT) immensely modulated radiation treatments before his seed implant. He didn't put this down when he filled out the papers at the surgeon's office. He just put down that he had a seed implant. Does anyone know why the previous radiation treatments would slow down his healing?

Also, he told me that he has a "brain block" and can't think of anything
else except his pre-op tests on Thursday and his surgery on April
30th. Is this a form of anxiety? And if so, do you think the doctor would give him something to help him?

Thank you,
wiggyann

Husband diagnosed 12/05
PSA 7.3
stage t1c
treatment 25 IMRT and 90 seed implant 4/25/06
last PSA April 2008 was 0.5
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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 4/23/2009 7:47 AM (GMT -8)
Greetings lvdgs,

I hope your husband's laproscropic surgery went very well and I hope
he is doing okay and on the road to recovery. I spoke to my neighbor
yesterday and she recently had laproscopic surgery on her gallbladder
and recovered nicely. Wishing you both the very best.

Wiggyann
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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 4/23/2009 9:09 AM (GMT -8)
Hi mlbsm,

Just wondered how you are doing and I hope the swelling you had
has gone down. Also, I want to thank you for all of your advice
and help :-) I just reread your last post and made a note to
pick up some prune juice and stool softeners. My husband has
decided to go with the frozen peas :-)

He just returned from having his pre-op as I was typing
this so I stopped to talk to him. He said the nurse was super
nice and explained everything to him. He had a short
electrocardiagram and blood tests and the nurse went though the
medications he was taking and gave him instructions. He has to
purchase some pepcid and take it the night before and the
morning of the surgery to keep him from getting sick from the
anesthesia . Also, he has to get what looks like Mibiclens and
take a shower with it the night before surgery. She gave him a
magazine which explains all about hernias with pictures which is
really informative and we both feel much better since he talked to
the pre-op nurse.

Wiggyann
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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 4/29/2009 2:22 AM (GMT -8)
Hi Gildersleeve,

Wanted to thank you for your comforting words about my husband's inquinal hernia surgery. He goes in tomorrow at six and his surgery
is at 7:30 AM. May I ask what kind of anesthesia you had? I was encouraged to read that you were in and out in three hours. The surgeon said his surgery would take an hour and a half and then
he will go to recovery. He is not having general anesthesia but
something called MAC (monitered anesthesia care) and a local. The surgeon said he would be up quicker doing it this way. I hope so :-)
It's afterward that I am concerned about. I have heard there is a
lot of discomfort for several days.

Thank you,
Wiggyann
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lvdgs
Regular Member
Joined : May 2008
Posts : 70
Posted 4/29/2009 6:27 AM (GMT -8)

Hi Wiggyann,

Sorry I didn't answer you sooner I hadn't been feeling well but it's passed now. My husband got through surgery just fine it took about an hour even though we were told 1 1/2. His surgery was for 9:45 and we were home by 12:30. He was sore on the day of surgery (Tue)but by Saturday he swelled up pretty bad and has been that way ever since. The doctor said it was normal and to keep putting ice on it which he was suppose to do right after surgery but didn't, now he's paying the price for it. Even if your husband doesn't see swelling immediately make sure he puts ice on it anyway. I read that it can take up to two weeks to subside. Also, no driving which again my husband didn't listen.  He goes back to the doctor on May 5th so we'll see how he is than. For now, he takes the percocet when needed but it keeps him awake.  

The intern that worked with my surgeon had his hernia repaired with regular surgery, he's a young guy, and he said you don't feel anything under twilight  so your husband should be fine. The intern plans on specializing in prostate cancer which is great, we need the young blood to further the advancement in this department.  The surgeon also said if my husband had robotic or open surgery for the prostate cancer he would not have been a candidate for laproscopic surgery.  

Please let us know how your husband is doing post surgery. As long as he listens to his doctor he should be just fine.

lvdgs    

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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 5/2/2009 8:07 AM (GMT -8)
Hi lvdgs,

Thanks so much for the update on your husband's surgery. I'm sorry to hear that you were not feeling well, but am glad you are okay now.
My husband read your post and appreciated it very much. He
was in quite a bit of pain when he came home and kept ice packs on
his incision 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off all day and into the night
and he couldn't lay on the couch or sit in his recliner because it really hurt when he got up. Yesterday he felt a lot better and walked around
the house as the surgeon had told him to. He didn't need the ice packs anymore. He had to either lay on the bed or sit in a straight back
chair as he could get out of bed and out of the chair with hardly any
pain. Today, he went for a walk outside. He is taking Hydrocodone/
apap 5-500MG and Ketorolac 10 MG every six hours for pain. I happened to read the paper the pharmacy gave me when I picked up his medication and the Ketorlac warns of the risk of serious and sometimes fatal heart problems and attack and stroke while taking this medication. It also warns of the risk of fatal stomach and bowel problems, including problems that may occur at any time during therapy and without symptoms and elderly patients are at higher risk for serious stomach problems. (My husband is 70) and has been having a lot of gas in his stomach and some pain. It also says you should be monitered if you are taking "'water pills" or lisinopril and my husband is taking both. I happened to read this last night after my husband had gone to bed and it alarmed me very much. I showed it to him today and he is not going to take Ketorolac anymore. He has taken it every six hours along with the Hydrocodone from Thursday to this morning though. Is your husband taking anything besides the percocet?

My husband had surgery Thursday morning and it took about an hour and a half. He told me he couldn't remember anything, but I know they gave him an amnestic. His surgeon had told him that he would be sedated enough so that he would not care what was happening. When the anesthesiologist came in to talk to him before the surgery, I asked him if my husband would feel anything and he said he might feel the stinging and burning when the local was injected. I didn't think he would feel anything. After the surgery, he did not go to recovery but went straight to one back to a room with a curtain in front and when i went in to see him, he was sitting in a reciner eating
some packages of crackers and a white soda the nurse had brought him. Later, she brought him some coffee and he was really happy to
have the coffee. He hadn't eaten since about nine the night before.
The nurse had an ice pack over his surgery while he was sitting there
and he was still hooked up to the IV and had on a blood pressue cuff that would tighten up every once in a while and register his blood pressure on the machine there in the room. He told me that he felt
like he had a hang over. When he had the general anesthesia for the the seed implant he told me that he had the most wonderful feeling afterwards and it lasted a long time. When the surgeon came into to talk to me. He said everything went well and as he was leaving I asked him if my husband was asleep. He turned and said to my husband,
"were you asleep?" and I can't remember if my husband nodded or said aanything, but I already knew he couldn't remember anything
and and I knew they had given him an amnestic. Then, the surgeon said to me, "Ask him if he was asleep." Since he was in there, he could have just told me, he knew my husband would not remember.
As soon as my husband could pass his urine, the nurse took out the IV and I helped him dress and she went over the instructions with both of us and then wheeled him out while I hurried ahead of her to get the car and pull it around.

He can take a bath tomorrow and take off the bandage and he can drive tomorrow. The surgeon said he had stitches inside.
When your husband took off his gauze, does he put anything on his incision like betadine or peroxide?

I hope your husband's swelling subsides soon so he can heal and I'm
glad both of their surgeries are over with :-)

Many Thanks,
Wiggyann
I'm glad both of surgeries are over with
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lvdgs
Regular Member
Joined : May 2008
Posts : 70
Posted 5/2/2009 10:10 AM (GMT -8)

Hi Wiggyann,

Glad to hear your husband surgery went well. Pretty much what you wrote was the same for my husband, he was sitting in a chair when I went in as well and having a muffin and coffee. The swelling has gone down to normal on the right side but he still has some swelling on the left side where the hernia was. Maybe the swelling happens more with laproscopic surgery? His swelling didn't happen until 4 days after surgery so make sure your husband keeps a watch on that. He's been on flomax since the prostate seeding but that's all he takes other than tylenol. He no longer takes the percocet, he took 10 of those during the first few days but now it's just sore not painful. He has steri strips over the incisions there were no stitches which is why we like this surgeon he had no stictches after having his appendex out either. He goes to the doctor on Tuesday so those will probably come off than. He hasn't put anything on them other than soap and water in the shower.

I'm glad they are over as well, I really hope this is the end of it for him. In the past year he landed in the hospital with a bleeding ulcer (never saw that coming) prostate cancer right after that and now the hernia surgery and all this for a man of 54 that's never had problems other than his back and the appendex. On Friday he got the news that the terminal he works in is shutting down so he'll be out of a job in June. We have 6 months of medical insurance after that and than we have to find something either pay cobra or try and pick it up where I work but with his cancer they may not pay for that right away. Union jobs are hard to find and right now the trucking industry is taking a huge hit. These guys should all be dovetailed into the other terminal so they are fighting this but I don't hold out much hope it will happen. If it goes thru than he will have a job since he's higher on the list but that just means another poor guy losses his job. I really hope things start to turn around for people.

 Take care,

 lvdgs

    

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mlbsm
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2008
Posts : 85
Posted 5/3/2009 9:17 AM (GMT -8)
Hello Wiggyann,

Happy to hear that all went well, my only advice from here on is to monitor the Vicodin closely, it loves to turn into cement.

I am not a fan of pills, so I drink 2 small juice glasses of prune juice am and pm and it keeps the train moving.

If if stops for more than 2 or 3 days, I get a little more pro active.

The last thing he'll want is 2 or 3 hours on the throne.

I'm almost back down in the swelling department, but for whatever reason, the twin hasn't gone all the way home yet. Nobody seems to be concerned but me, but I am kinda attached to the little fella.

Take care,

Billy
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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 5/7/2009 1:46 AM (GMT -8)
Hello lvdgs,

I hope your husband is well on the road to recovery after his laproscopic surgery. He has had more than his share of health
problems this past year. Also, I am so sorry to hear about his
job ending in June. This economy has taken its toll on everyone
it seems. Our son-in-law was laid off in December from the steel company he worked for when it closed due to lack of orders.
I'm thankful your husband's health insurance will continue for six
months.

My husband's surgery is six days old today and he has been doing
really well, but yesterday he noticed some swelling below his incision which is about six to seven inches across the bottom right side of his belly. Plus, he also noticed that one of his testicals has an extra lump and he said he hoped it wasn't the hernia and the surgery didn't work.

wiggyann

Husband diagnosed 12-06
PSA 7.3 eight out of twelve cores positive
Gleason 7
25 IMRT and brachytherapy in April of 2007
last PSA April 2008 was 0.5
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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 5/13/2009 10:25 AM (GMT -8)
Hello mlbsm and lvdgs,

My husband's inquinal hernia surgery is two weeks old tomorrow
and he still has a little swelling and a lump down under his incision.
He mentioned last night that he thought he would be doing better than he is. He is still tender and sore. He has an appointment with his surgeon tomorrow at one o'clock for his after surgery check up.

Hope you are both doing well and healing nicely.

Wiggyann
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wiggyann
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 171
Posted 5/15/2009 7:00 PM (GMT -8)
Hi lvdgs,

Just wanted to ask how your husband is doing. I have heard that with laproscopy, you are up and about
a lot quicker, but my husband's doctor would only do his surgery the regular way.

Yesterday, he had his after surgery follow up and the
and the surgeon told him the tenderness, lump
and a small amount of swelling are normal and said that he was doing better than most men did which caused
my husband to feel a lot better psychologically. Tonight
he went back work. He is retired and works two nights a week as a security guard.

Thanks to everyone for your posts and all of your help.
I appreciate you all very much :-)

Wiggyann
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