Surgery for umbilical hernia gone awry

D

Daniel Johnson

New member
I am a 41 year old male that recently had surgery to correct an umbilical hernia that I had all my life. My hernia was never life threatening as I was told it could become, but as I got older it became more than just an "outy" it had gotten larger to the point where I was getting self conscience about it, so I decided to have it fixed. I had done allot of research about umbilical hernia's and learned that there were two common procedures to repair it, the first was to simply suture the hernia shut and the second procedure was to apply a mesh material over the opening. The mesh procedure is 95% effective while the "tension" procedure has a 50% reoccurrence rate. I had discussed this with my surgeon and he said that if the hernia was small then he would just simply suture it closed - and that's what he did.

Six months later NOW GUESS WHAT? The hernia has ripped open and is worse now than it ever was before! I am in constant pain and I can barely move around or bend over. It feels like my stomach muscles have been severed and my guts are just being held in by my skin.

Now what? Do I ask to have the surgery again? This operation cost me about $10,000 and I have no more money to pay for more surgery. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks
 
Wow that is a scary story. I would talk to the surgeon who did it, and have him fix it or take his butt to court. I am suprized he did not use the mesh, since that seems to be the norm these days. I myself just had incisional hernia repair with mesh and am still in pain (3 weeks post-op) but I know you are probably feeling worse. No health insurance? I would get a lawyer and see what you could do to get this fixed..Good luck.
 
Also, some states have very effective health care advocacy units. In Connecticut, it is in the Attorney-General's office. Someplace like that might have suggestions/help/etc.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for your advice. I'm definitely going to have to do something, I can't live life like this. I don't want the same doctor to perform more surgery on me though. I'm sure he's a descent surgeon, and I have no animosity, but I feel he did not have the experience to fix my hernia properly (obviously).
 
Well i'm having a umbilical hernia repair surgery next tuesday. I'm only 28 yrs. old and i'm very scared to have this surgery. But my doctor said that he was going to use the mesh procedure.
 
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