Has anybody had abdominal wall reconstruction surgery?

[The Orchid]

I went in on Sept 11th for a routine ventral hernia repair and woke up six hours later to find out that the entire plan changed when my surgeon opened me up. A month later, I left the hospital and am still dealing with the post surgical complications. It's been a nightmare and I have to admit, I feel very alone in this.

There's no layman information on this surgery on the Internet and I feel like a freak. My entire abdominal wall is made of mesh now. Some things feel weird and I would give anything to find somebody who has had this procedure so I could find out how they experience it.

 

[mickeyboat]

Well, I can't identify with your particular situation, but my FIL had multiple abdominal surgeries years ago and his abdominal wall was repaired with mesh. He actually had a "zipper" in it for a little while so they could do future surgeries easily.

He still has issues (not sure if they are because of the mesh or not) such as intestinal lesions and blockages. Although he weighs next to nothing, his stomach looks large.

I am sorry for what you have been through and hope you feel better, soon.

 

[The Orchid]

Mickeyboat, thanks for replying. It sounds like your FIL has had a really hard time! Poor guy, I can't imagine a "zipper" in my abdomen. How does that even happen? Holy cow!

 

[npmommie]

I went in on Sept 11th for a routine ventral hernia repair and woke up six hours later to find out that the entire plan changed when my surgeon opened me up. A month later, I left the hospital and am still dealing with the post surgical complications. It's been a nightmare and I have to admit, I feel very alone in this.

There's no layman information on this surgery on the Internet and I feel like a freak. My entire abdominal wall is made of mesh now. Some things feel weird and I would give anything to find somebody who has had this procedure so I could find out how they experience it.

what kind of complications did you experience to end up in the hospital for a month? Infection?
How long has it been since you came out of the hospital?

 

[Inigo]

I went in on Sept 11th for a routine ventral hernia repair and woke up six hours later to find out that the entire plan changed when my surgeon opened me up. A month later, I left the hospital and am still dealing with the post surgical complications. It's been a nightmare and I have to admit, I feel very alone in this.

There's no layman information on this surgery on the Internet and I feel like a freak. My entire abdominal wall is made of mesh now. Some things feel weird and I would give anything to find somebody who has had this procedure so I could find out how they experience it.

I need abdominal wall reconstruction with separation of components! I have found pictures of the surgery by googling, but no information from anyone who has gone through it or a doctor who has done the surgery several times. (I don't want to be his/her first!)

I've had three abdominal surgeries to remove small intestine, and each time, they cut in the same spot. I scar badly anyway, and after three times, the incision did not heal right. I have a hernia that is about 8 inches long and 3 inches or so wide down the midline around my navel. If it were fixed, I'd be several sizes smaller in pants and wouldn't hurt as much. As it is, I wear compression garments every day to hold in the area.

According to the several surgeons I've talked to, it's really too big for mesh to be completely successful in fixing, so they say I need the full she-bang surgery. I just haven't found a doctor with experience yet, at least not around here.

If I hear any personal stories, I'll let you know, and you do the same, OK?

 

[Liberty Belle]

My mother did and probably will have to again before too long. It's been a long time, though, since she had it done. I'm thinking it was at least 10 years ago.

 

[kldmom2000]

My surgeon did have to do some reconstructive surgery with mesh after he removed a soft-ball sized endometrioma from my abdomen last year. I previously had 2 c-sections and the endometrioma grew on the scar internally. My surgeon had to go in above the "bikini" scar and take it out but also had to repair the muscle with mesh when he was done.... my recovery took as long as a c-section but I felt amazing about 4 months post-operatively since the endometrioma was causing me so much pain for years until it was finally diagnosed. I don't think mine was as sizable a repair as yours???? I hope you recover soon!!!! (((HUGS)))

 

[The Orchid]

what kind of complications did you experience to end up in the hospital for a month? Infection?
How long has it been since you came out of the hospital?

Yeah, I ended up with an infection because I take steroid medications for autoimmune disease. My surgeon had to open up the wound. Freaked me out to begin with but I'm used to it now. I left the hospital on October 7th. I still have an open wound that is packed in bleach soaked gauze three times a day (it doesn't hurt, I have no feeling there at all). It's much, much smaller than it was and I think a couple more weeks and it'll be gone. Other than that, I have healed very well and my surgeon has said I can still make my trip to Disneyland in two weeks. That is all I have been able to think about throughout this whole mess. Can't. Miss. Disneyland! I woke up from surgery, found out that my minor surgery turned into a God awful mess and my first words....will I still be able to go to Disneyland? Man, I'm serious, I really, really, really need Disneyland after this ordeal. I had never been away from my daughter so long and we NEED this trip!

 

[The Orchid]

I need abdominal wall reconstruction with separation of components! I have found pictures of the surgery by googling, but no information from anyone who has gone through it or a doctor who has done the surgery several times. (I don't want to be his/her first!)

I've had three abdominal surgeries to remove small intestine, and each time, they cut in the same spot. I scar badly anyway, and after three times, the incision did not heal right. I have a hernia that is about 8 inches long and 3 inches or so wide down the midline around my navel. If it were fixed, I'd be several sizes smaller in pants and wouldn't hurt as much. As it is, I wear compression garments every day to hold in the area.

According to the several surgeons I've talked to, it's really too big for mesh to be completely successful in fixing, so they say I need the full she-bang surgery. I just haven't found a doctor with experience yet, at least not around here.

If I hear any personal stories, I'll let you know, and you do the same, OK?

I think I landed in this situation for similar reasons you have...too many abdominal surgeries in the same place. I ended up with hernias, lots of them. That was so uncomfortable! Omg, I hated that feeling like gravity was pulling my guts to the ground.

I want to tell you that when I woke up from surgery, I felt great! I had no pain at the incision cite because the nerves were cut and only minor soreness at the sides where the mesh was attached. I didn't even use my morphine pump for six hours after the surgery. And omg did I feel better...right away. As soon as they stood me up for a walk, I was delighted that I no longer felt that "hernia" weirdness that I lived with for so long. I just wanted to tell you...it really wasn't a bad surgery. My surgeon and nurses kept telling me how big of a surgery it was. Well, you couldn't prove it by the way I felt afterward! Even when the infection set in, I felt fantastic. No pain. That's why it was so incredibly hard being in the hospital for so long...I just didn't feel sick!

But I can imagine your desire to find a surgeon who has done this. It is extremely major surgery. My surgeon is excellent, but unfortunately you live a couple thousand miles away. I suggest that you call around to surgeons in neighboring counties and see if anybody has experience with this. Isn't it weird to need a surgery that is so uncommon? That's why I started this thread...here I am ten weeks post op and suddenly I realize that I feel very alone in the recovery. There's no info on the Internet. If you get a c section, you can find info. If you get a hysterectomy, there's tons of info. But this? Nothing!

Feel free to PM me if you ever want to talk. I defintely know how you are feeling!

 

[The Orchid]

My mother did and probably will have to again before too long. It's been a long time, though, since she had it done. I'm thinking it was at least 10 years ago.

OMG! Why does she have to do it again? THAT is scary. Do you know if it is possible to herniate through the mesh? I know that it can tear where it is connected around the perimeter, but I'm curious to know if it can directly break through the mesh. That's my fear because I have a hard spot near my belly button (on the incision) that I am scared is a hernia that came through the mesh. I know I'm just paranoid as hell because this whole thing has been crazy. It's probably just scar tissue. But I am curious to know if it is possible.

I hope your mom does well with her next surgery. It must suck for her to have to do this again!

 

[The Orchid]

My surgeon did have to do some reconstructive surgery with mesh after he removed a soft-ball sized endometrioma from my abdomen last year. I previously had 2 c-sections and the endometrioma grew on the scar internally. My surgeon had to go in above the "bikini" scar and take it out but also had to repair the muscle with mesh when he was done.... my recovery took as long as a c-section but I felt amazing about 4 months post-operatively since the endometrioma was causing me so much pain for years until it was finally diagnosed. I don't think mine was as sizable a repair as yours???? I hope you recover soon!!!! (((HUGS)))

Wow! I bet you do feel better! It's amazing how fast you do feel the relief after such a surgery. I'm glad you have had so much success with your surgery and thanks for sharing with me. I really have needed to talk to somebody about this and it only occurred to me today to start a thread here. I feel better from hearing everybody's stories.

My mesh area is huge. It goes from my pelvic region to a few inches below my breasts and to my sides. My entire front is made of mesh. I feel a little like a circus freak.

 

[Liberty Belle]

OMG! Why does she have to do it again? THAT is scary. Do you know if it is possible to herniate through the mesh? I know that it can tear where it is connected around the perimeter, but I'm curious to know if it can directly break through the mesh. That's my fear because I have a hard spot near my belly button (on the incision) that I am scared is a hernia that came through the mesh. I know I'm just paranoid as hell because this whole thing has been crazy. It's probably just scar tissue. But I am curious to know if it is possible.

I hope your mom does well with her next surgery. It must suck for her to have to do this again!

I'm really not sure, but you can see that one side of her stomach is larger than the other and she says it feels funny again (I guess that's the hernia feeling you were talking about ). She's had no problems (other than the pulling), so she hasn't talked to her doctor about it. I know she doesn't really want to go through the surgery again. She's allergic to the tape they used and she became infected - it wasn't fun or pretty.

She's overweight and I'm sure that isn't helping.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Wow! I bet you do feel better! It's amazing how fast you do feel the relief after such a surgery. I'm glad you have had so much success with your surgery and thanks for sharing with me. I really have needed to talk to somebody about this and it only occurred to me today to start a thread here. I feel better from hearing everybody's stories.

My mesh area is huge. It goes from my pelvic region to a few inches below my breasts and to my sides. My entire front is made of mesh. I feel a little like a circus freak.

Wow. That sounds major. I'm so happy you feel so good already! Medicine is just amazing!

 

[The Orchid]

I'm really not sure, but you can see that one side of her stomach is larger than the other and she says it feels funny again (I guess that's the hernia feeling you were talking about ). She's had no problems (other than the pulling), so she hasn't talked to her doctor about it. I know she doesn't really want to go through the surgery again. She's allergic to the tape they used and she became infected - it wasn't fun or pretty.

She's overweight and I'm sure that isn't helping.

OMG! I can't say enough bad things about that tape! With my open wound, I've needed to tape bandages on three times a day...for ten weeks. My skin is a royal mess.

My surgeon stressed the importance of not gaining weight after this surgery. I don't think she was worried about re-herniating, but she said that some weird thing can happen. I'll have to ask her to explain that to me. It's all kinda confusing, but maybe that is what is happening to your mom.

She should go see her surgeon, she may find that it's not herniated again. I am thinking it can't herniate through the mesh, though I wish I knew for sure. If it "just" tore along the side, perhaps it would be a much simpler repair, perhaps something that can be done laproscopically even. I hope she doesn't have to go through all that again.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Oh I hear you loud and clear. I have had my 4th abdominal surgery and 2 hernia repairs this year. I started the year off with 3 cancer surgeries and almost dying and ending up in a coma. (you could search my previous posts to see that story). Then in March I got a bowel obstruction, so I had about 6 inches of my bowel resected. That wound never healed from my belly button. Then I had to have the radiation, then the surgeon finally decided to debride the wound in the or as we were packing it since march and it never healed. Then in July he decided to take out my old 10 year old gortex graft and clean out the infection which he felt was not caused by the previous surgery but one that sticks to gortex?? He said it was a mess in there and then put in a biological alloderm graft. That took a long while to heal the way he wanted it to. At lst he was thinking of putting a wound vac machine on me. I looked that up on the internet and said no way!!! My wound was only in my belly button, not big anyway. My dh packed it twice a day. 300 bandage changes. Then in Oct. he saw the hernia was coming back in my abdominal wall even though the cat scan showed the graft was intact, so I just have had 3 1/2 hours of laprascopic surgery and I now am the proud owner of mesh the size of a basketball the surgeon told dh. I have about 8 marks on my stomach area. I can feel some stitches from 2 of them. I am still in pain. I try not to take the percocet. I think this mesh was suppose to be proceed by ethicon. I dont know if that is what I ended up with though, I forgot to ask him. And maybe that hard lump you feel is a seroma? My dr. said I am now subject to them at anytime, its just a side effect of the surgery. I hope you feel better and enjoy your trip. My dh and I are going to DW in Dec. and I am going to let him push me in a wheelchair alot of the time. There is no way I am ruining what the surgeon just did. I dont want to go through this again etc. Best of luck to you.

 

[The Orchid]

Oh I hear you loud and clear. I have had my 4th abdominal surgery and 2 hernia repairs this year. I started the year off with 3 cancer surgeries and almost dying and ending up in a coma. (you could search my previous posts to see that story). Then in March I got a bowel obstruction, so I had about 6 inches of my bowel resected. That wound never healed from my belly button. Then I had to have the radiation, then the surgeon finally decided to debride the wound in the or as we were packing it since march and it never healed. Then in July he decided to take out my old 10 year old gortex graft and clean out the infection which he felt was not caused by the previous surgery but one that sticks to gortex?? He said it was a mess in there and then put in a biological alloderm graft. That took a long while to heal the way he wanted it to. At lst he was thinking of putting a wound vac machine on me. I looked that up on the internet and said no way!!! My wound was only in my belly button, not big anyway. My dh packed it twice a day. 300 bandage changes. Then in Oct. he saw the hernia was coming back in my abdominal wall even though the cat scan showed the graft was intact, so I just have had 3 1/2 hours of laprascopic surgery and I now am the proud owner of mesh the size of a basketball the surgeon told dh. I have about 8 marks on my stomach area. I can feel some stitches from 2 of them. I am still in pain. I try not to take the percocet. I think this mesh was suppose to be proceed by ethicon. I dont know if that is what I ended up with though, I forgot to ask him. And maybe that hard lump you feel is a seroma? My dr. said I am now subject to them at anytime, its just a side effect of the surgery. I hope you feel better and enjoy your trip. My dh and I are going to DW in Dec. and I am going to let him push me in a wheelchair alot of the time. There is no way I am ruining what the surgeon just did. I dont want to go through this again etc. Best of luck to you.

OMG! You sure have taken a few trips to hell and back. I cannot even imagine. Wow, you are brave. I hope the mesh repair fixes your problems. It's supposed to be good stuff!

Do you plan to ride stuff at Disneyland? At this point, I am planning to. My surgeon says it's ok, but it seems amazing to me that I can ride stuff 12 weeks post op. I think I'll use a bit of common sense and stay off roller coasters. And my partner is encouraging me to use an ECV though I am a bit embarrassed at the thought. I think I will because I still feel very tried and drained from everything.

You could be right! I looked up a seroma. I had no idea what that was. But I have had some problems with retaining fluids. I had the drains in for a long time and when she took them out, there was till some clear fluid. And last time when she pressed on my tummy, some fluid came out of the wound (which is why she didn't close it), so OMG, I think you just told me what my problem is! I really, truly think you are spot on. You know, it seemed unlikely that a person could get a hernia through that mesh, but after having one small ventral hernia repair go bad, I am paranoid. I am TIRED of hernia problems!

Thank you for sharing your story. I hope the mesh fixes your problems. Please feel free to keep in touch. I would love to know how you are doing! And have fanstastic time at Disney! If you're at all like me, that trip probably helped you get through all this!

 

[starann]

At lst he was thinking of putting a wound vac machine on me. I looked that up on the internet and said no way!!! My wound was only in my belly button, not big anyway. My dh packed it twice a day. 300 bandage changes.

WOW, you were through a LOT! I am a visiting nurse and I must say, the wound VACs are a WONDERFUL thing! It may sound freaky, but they do wonders to help a patient heal (and heal faster). I hope you never have to think of wound anything again, but if you do, know the VACs are wonderful!

 

[The Orchid]

WOW, you were through a LOT! I am a visiting nurse and I must say, the wound VACs are a WONDERFUL thing! It may sound freaky, but they do wonders to help a patient heal (and heal faster). I hope you never have to think of wound anything again, but if you do, know the VACs are wonderful!

My doctor talked about the wound vac thing too, but it sounded scary to me, so I opted for the bleach soaked gauze three times a day! Does it hurt at all???? I'd like to know just in case this happens again someday. My wound is closing up a lot now, it was three inches deep and about 4.5 inches long for a while. I couldn't even look at it when it was that big, but now it's much, much smaller, very shallow (like an inch) and closing up faster by the day.

My question (if you come back to this thread!) is would the wound vac have healed that wound much faster? Would the effects of healing faster been worth any discomfort???? I've had this since Sept 20th and I figure it'll be closed in another two or three weeks. Had I opted for the wound vac, would it have sped things up?

 

[attygray]

I recently heard of the term "abdominal wall reconstructiove surgery"

I was referred by a va doctor to a Cleveland University Doctor regarding my huge herniated abdomen . as large as a watermellon. I was shot in the abdomen 1n 1978 when in U.S. MARINES. I have approx 7 abdominal surgeries while recovering, 3 more after, including 2 hernia repairs. My last doctor in 1997 said there was a complete absence of muscle tissue on my right side and the tissue was like swiss cheese. don't come back again.

now here i am again. does anybody know if they can transplant muscle or am I stuck? Abdominal Wall reconstructive surgery was recommended, but will not happen for a few months. any ideas to research?

 

[LovableGluttons]

Dr. John Lomonaco in Houston is a plastic surgeon who has experience doing these.


and he responds to emails and is very sweet!


He's also the plastic surgeon on the TV show Big Medicine