Surgeon Questions Inguinal Hernia

I have pain in the inguinal hernia surgery wound. Is re-surgery necessary?

I underwent an inguinal hernia surgery three years back. I still the feel the pain in the part where the surgery was done. I am even unable to sleep on to the side where the surgery was done. Will a re-surgery be able to make the situation better?

13 Answers

You have to be worked up properly. This can be nerve injury.
You need to see a surgeon to examine you and organize investigations for a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made and if it's a recurrence of hernia, indeed, you will need surgical treatment.
First, a local anaesthesia can clarify that. If the pain is resolved, a surgery with cutting of the three nerves can be done. For further information, see our website www.mivendoklinik.de
Go back to your surgeon and explain this. Maybe there is a slight injury to a nerve and this is could explain your pain.
Need to get a CT scan prior to making any decisions
You need to discuss this with your surgeon. Chronic postoperative pain could signify nerve entrapment, recurrent hernia, or osteitis pubis. Sometimes surgery is required, and other conditions can be managed with medications and physical therapy. Complications from possible mesh placement should also be considered. Good luck!

Joseph E. Ronaghan, MD, FACS, FICS
Probably, but you should be seen by a surgeon. I usually do an ileoinguinal nerve block in clinic to get an idea if it will help. You could also have another hernia.

Steven B. Goldin
That is actually not that uncommon, occurring in almost 10% of people. The nerve is probably entrapped in scar tissue. How long has it been?

A neurectomy will leave you with some numbness in the inguinal area and maybe even on your scrotum, but will usually get rid of pain. Wait for at least 6 months, but sometimes goes away after a year.
it depends to the kind of your previous operation ... open or laparoscopic, with or without mesh
There are several reasons to develop pain at the site of a previous inguinal hernia repair. Do you have a bulge? A recurrence of your hernia can cause pain.

Nerve entrapment due to the mesh placed at the time of your repair can also cause persistent pain. That may respond to oral medications, injections by a pain specialist, and rarely, surgery to remove the nerve that provides sensation to the skin along where your incision is.

Persistent pain occurs in a small percentage of patients. It is most common in patients who had significant pain prior to their surgery.

I would discuss your symptoms with the surgeon who performed your operation.
The cause of the pain has to be determined before
A lot of the time we listen to everyone who does not know what they are talking about. The only thing I can tell you is it sounds like you need a second opinion. I will tell you this. I would not let more time pass by before I would see a Doctor about what is going on.
It is possible that you have developed inguinal nerve entrapment due to adhesions or some other reasons. If there is no recurrence of tiny hernia, you can get a nerve block as a temporary relief and get post injection assessment by your surgeon.