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Hernia repair after prostatectomy

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Posted 1/27/2021 3:23 PM (GMT -7)
Hello all,

I'll be having a double hernia repair next month, open surgery with mesh. I'm curious about experiences of other members who have had hernia surgery after a prostatectomy. What kind of surgery did you have? What was your recovery like? How long were you on pain meds? I'm a professor at a college and I'm writing my syllabi right now and I want to know how many classes I'll have to cancel. Should I plan on being out a week? More? Less? I'd appreciate any insights this community has! A little side note, I had a CT scan in 2016 prior to the surgery. My surgeon looked at that and he says he can see the hernias in the scan.

Edit: I just noticed Kauaiboy's related post below. I'll leave this here because i have slightly different questions.

Post Edited (fiddlecanoe) : 1/27/2021 3:58:31 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/27/2021 4:16 PM (GMT -7)
You probably saw my link then. I had robot assisted laparoscopic surgery and it was easy on me, little more difficult for the doctor due to RALP and ART effects. He did right side and checked left side, 1.5 hours. Felt fine when I got home and just pounded Ibuprofen for a couple of days/nights.

open surgery has a more difficult recovery and more incisional pain. I would not do open surgery if the objective was to get back to work quickly. I was walking miles a week later so it would be possible to be do some things but 8 hours of anything would have been too much. The ports were healed up at 2 weeks and it is just a matter of not lifting anything or straining while the healing finishes up. I am at 5-6 weeks and could do about anything now other than sit-ups. Have to build the core back up it appears.

Hope this helps a bit. I would plan on a couple of weeks off for sure and maybe do half days for a few weeks. Lots of standing would be tough but computer work is easy.
Posted 1/28/2021 6:49 PM (GMT -7)
I’ve had three inguinal hernia repairs over the years (two open and one laparoscopic). Laparoscopic was after DaVinci prostatectomy. Laparoscopic was a quicker recovery. With open surgery, you might want to take a week off work, and 3 months before you do any lifting.

Got my first hernia while training for a marathon, second one while training for triathlons, third one I was lifting more than I should have been. Also had an Incisional hernia, at the navel, after the prostatectomy. No problems in the last 10 years ..... but I just walk, golf, swim, and play pickleball now.
Posted 1/28/2021 6:54 PM (GMT -7)
open incisional hernia repair

Same day surgery
8 inch incision
1 week of recliner time
pain meds:just lots of motrin.
Abdominal band for 8 weeks.
Posted 1/29/2021 7:12 AM (GMT -7)
Thanks! Based on your advice I've decided to cancel a week of classes. Now I have to figure out how to get a recliner for a week.
Posted 1/29/2021 7:45 AM (GMT -7)
I had an inguinal hernia as a result of my RALP. I was in terrible pain before the surgery. It was open surgery, repaired with mesh. Due to the short-term effects of the anesthesia, I remember very little of the whole experience, despite it being only two years ago. I do recall the recuperation being worse (and longer) than when I had my RALP. Be sure to take plenty of time off of work, if possible, and plan to take it easy for at least two months. Good luck and I wish you a speedy recovery.
Posted 1/29/2021 8:43 AM (GMT -7)

fiddlecanoe said...
Thanks! Based on your advice I've decided to cancel a week of classes. Now I have to figure out how to get a recliner for a week.

Fiddle, easy to rent one. Get the kind that not only reclines, but also pushes you forward when you want to get up.
Just Google for where to rent
Posted 1/30/2021 10:43 AM (GMT -7)
Avoid all jokes/comedies for at least the first week. You can not afford to laugh hard. I think I still see the bite mark in my hand that got me to stop laughing. The crying after didn't feel good either. I took a week off work and the first week back was not a picnic.
Posted 2/1/2021 6:54 PM (GMT -7)
Unless you have a great resistance to pain and heal extremely fast, forget about working for at least 2 weeks.

I had an open hernia repair with a mesh put in and I found the pain level post-op way higher than when I had my prostate removed (also open surgery). They only gave me over the counter paracetamol and ibuprofin - it was tough the first few days in particular. I struggled with coping with the pain for the first 3 days in particular and counted the time until I could take the pills .... and they didn't help much.

To give you an idea the first few nights I found it difficult to just get into bed ! I stood there and wondered, how do I do this. I struggled to bend/crouch to roll into the bed. It does improve fast, but forget about work for at least 10 days and probably longer. I couldn't walk 100m until after a week.

We're all different, but I'd advise plan on resting 100% for 2 weeks.
Posted 2/21/2021 7:38 AM (GMT -7)
Hello Team HW:

It's six days since my "bilateral inguinal hernia repair with mesh" surgery, and I thought this would be a good time to update the group on how it has been. The anesthesiologist explained in advance that it would not be a total anesthesia, but "deep sedation" with local pain killers. They use a "medium sedation" for a colonoscopy, he said. Before rolling me into the OR they put something into my saline drip, and I was out before I got to the OR.

The surgery lasted about an hour, I'm told. When I woke up back in my room, I was woozy and in some pain, but not a lot. I was much more woozy and much more in pain after my RALP. The abdominal pain was generally much worse for the RALP. After prostatectomy, sitting up was agony; not so for my hernia repair. I spent the next few days watching TV and reading, laying down on the sofa. I could walk around a bit, but I was very tired, as after the RALP. I never experienced the total exhaustion I did after RALP. I've mostly used Naproxen and tylenol for pain. The first night I took some oxycodone, but that was a mistake. It was not any more effective at pain relief than the naproxen, and I couldn't sleep. I stayed up all night reading instead of sleeping.

The 4th and 5th days post-surgery I felt much more energetic in the AM, but got tired in the PM. Today I feel almost normal except for some very mild abdominal pain. I'll resume teaching classes tomorrow, the one-week anniversary of the surgery. Fortunately I'll be teaching remotely, so it will be much easier than standing in front of the class.

It's strange to think of all the work I've had done on this limited part of my body. Immediately between the two hernia incisions is one of the tattoo dots they used to aim my radiation. Scattered around my abdomen are the scars of the RALP. I hope I'm done!
Posted 2/21/2021 8:00 AM (GMT -7)
I'm glad your recovery is going well.

Djin
Posted 2/24/2021 6:42 PM (GMT -7)

fiddlecanoe said...
It's strange to think of all the work I've had done on this limited part of my body. Immediately between the two hernia incisions is one of the tattoo dots they used to aim my radiation. Scattered around my abdomen are the scars of the RALP. I hope I'm done!

That is funny, I feel exactly the same way. I look at my now odd looking belly button, the scars from the RALP. the still healing hernia repair incision, the radiation tats, and I think to myself I have indeed been altered! smile

Glad you bounced back quickly.
Posted 2/24/2021 7:53 PM (GMT -7)
I had robot assisted hernia repair so I have 3 port hole marks above the belly button, an old umbilical hernia scar right below my belly button, and a number of RALP port hole marks below the belly button. 3 tattoos from ART are also still there. I, as well, look at my lower stomach with awe and amazement that I could have done all this to myself in the last few years. I used to think my Dad’a old appendix surgery scar was scary when I was young....
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