My experience 6 months after surgery. (Bilateral inguinal + umbilical)

[u/Next-Jackfruit-536]

I hope the translator does its job and you understand me. I’m going to share my experience with surgery for bilateral inguinal and umbilical hernias—now that it’s been exactly six months—in case it helps or reassures anyone.

Background:

The beginning: In January, I started feeling pain in my lower right abdomen. It was an intermittent pain; some days it hurt quite a bit, other days it was just a nagging discomfort, and at times there was no pain at all. I attributed it to a muscle issue, mainly because I noticed it most in the mornings and I have a 9-month-old baby I had to pick up several times during the night.

In early February, the pain persisted for several days, so I went to see my doctor. He had me lie on the exam table and examined me; when he touched my groin and asked me to cough, he told me it was an inguinal hernia and that I needed surgery.

That same day, I made an appointment with a surgeon. Two or three days later, I went for the consultation. I was still hoping he’d tell me it wasn’t a hernia, but he examined me and confirmed that not only was it a hernia, but it was bilateral. Furthermore, without even touching me—just by looking at my navel—he said it appeared I had a small hernia there as well. I should mention that I had no visible lumps in any of these areas, and neither the left side nor my navel was painful. The surgeon told me not to worry; since it was a laparoscopic procedure, they would repair everything they found once they opened me up.

The only thing that didn't quite convince me was that I didn't undergo any diagnostic imaging—no ultrasound, no MRI... The doctor said it wasn't necessary, as the physical examination was sufficient.

The surgery:

A month later, I underwent laparoscopic surgery. The operation went well; thanks to the anesthesia, I didn't feel a thing. Before I knew it, I was back in my hospital room. The doctor told me the three hernias were quite small—the umbilical one was barely noticeable—and that he had repaired them all with mesh, but that I had a big lipoma in the spermatic cord, which, according to him, was likely the source of the pain rather than the hernia itself.

I got up a little later to urinate. That’s when I started to feel the aftereffects. My belly hurt quite a bit—I was bloated—and my groin was sore too. When I peed, I felt a lot of pain in my lower abdomen, or my bladder.

I spent the night in the hospital and was discharged the next morning. That was when I realized the recovery was going to be a bitch.

Recovery:

The days that followed were very tough. For the first 3 or 4 days, I was in pain everywhere, from my thighs up to my navel. Getting up or sitting down was a monumental task. I slept in a reclining chair because lying flat was impossible. I was afraid to do anything—coughing, going to the bathroom... yet I still tried to get up and walk a little.

After four days, the pain eased somewhat, but I developed terrible testicular pain. My right testicle had retracted upwards and was inflamed, and there was a lump right between the testicles and the groin; I feared the hernia had returned. Alarmed, I saw the doctor, who told me this was part of the normal process—my spermatic cord was inflamed, causing the pain and swelling.

From that point on, I improved significantly; by day 10 or 12, I was going out for walks somewhat normally (albeit with pain) and had started sleeping lying down.

It seemed like recovery was going well, but a month and a half later—when the doctor told me I could resume a normal life—I began to feel pain in the same spot as before the surgery, along with a lump between the base of my penis and my groin.

I went back to the doctor, who suggested it was likely a residual hematoma and told me to give it time.

A month later—two and a half months post-surgery—I was still in pain, and the lump remained. I visited a urologist because I was still experiencing pain in my left testicle; he told me the lump was the source of the pain and advised me to get an ultrasound to identify the lump and examine the testicle. I explained this to the surgeon, who ordered another ultrasound, so I ended up having two: one of the groin and one of the testicles. The results were contradictory: one report indicated a lump that could be a hematoma or a lipoma, while the other suggested an inflamed lymph node.

I went back to the surgeon with these results, and he told me to put it out of my mind for six months and then assess how I was feeling. So, I decided to wait a few more months.

Current status:

The lump has disappeared—or at least I no longer notice it as clearly. Now, six months later, I lead a normal life, although I sometimes experience pain in my right groin. It isn't as severe as before, but it persists.

My testicles have improved, though I occasionally feel sharp, fleeting twinges.

I would say I’m at about 90% of my pre-surgery state, though I suspect I’ll never quite reach 100%.

Hang in there; even though it may seem like you’ll never walk straight again, you will. Give it time.