what to do about botched surgery?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
T

troytime

Golden Member
Jan 3, 2006
1,996
1
0
I've had this abdomenal hernia for about 5 years.
This year i've lost a bunch of weight and have been getting into shape; however the hernia started getting really irritated (specially after racquetball).

So i decide to get it fixed.

I came out of surgery thursday afternoon feeling good (well, i was stoned off my tits from the vicodin)
I couldn't move for a few days, but over the weekend i work up the steam to pull the bandages off my abs.

A couple days go by where i can't even wear a shirt...but today was all good so i poked around down there where the hernia was.
Surprise surprise...i can still feel the bulge of it...its still there. I get to looking around and the incision (6 inches long) is about 5 inches BELOW the hernia!?!?

The surgeon told my family that the hernia was only the size of the tip of his pinky, but yet in our consultations he poked around and determined that the hernia was well over an inch long.

What do i do? I took a week off of work to get this thing done...now here i am, can't tie my own shoes, can't get off the crapper without help...and my hernia is still there.

:(
 
T

thelanx

Diamond Member
Jul 3, 2000
3,299
0
0
There might be a reason the incision is below the hernia, maybe to get around some tough muscle. Where was the hernia? About the size thing and the bulge, that might be a problem. I'd say get it checked again, by another doctor, maybe at another hospital. Might want to get a lawyer involved as he could start cataloguing the evidence.
 
L

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
Get a second opinion first, and see whether it has been botched. If it has, then get a lawyer.

Here's some words of wisdom that may help: Chuck Norris puts the laughter in manslaughter...
 
MrDudeMan

MrDudeMan

Lifer
Jan 15, 2001
15,069
94
91
take action. right now. it doesnt even matter what your first step is but you need to do something.
 
Zim Hosein

Zim Hosein

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Super Moderator
Nov 27, 1999
65,407
407
126
Originally posted by: troytime
I've had this abdomenal hernia for about 5 years.
This year i've lost a bunch of weight and have been getting into shape; however the hernia started getting really irritated (specially after racquetball).

So i decide to get it fixed.

I came out of surgery thursday afternoon feeling good (well, i was stoned off my tits from the vicodin)
I couldn't move for a few days, but over the weekend i work up the steam to pull the bandages off my abs.

A couple days go by where i can't even wear a shirt...but today was all good so i poked around down there where the hernia was.
Surprise surprise...i can still feel the bulge of it...its still there. I get to looking around and the incision (6 inches long) is about 5 inches BELOW the hernia!?!?

The surgeon told my family that the hernia was only the size of the tip of his pinky, but yet in our consultations he poked around and determined that the hernia was well over an inch long.

What do i do? I took a week off of work to get this thing done...now here i am, can't tie my own shoes, can't get off the crapper without help...and my hernia is still there.:(
Click to expand...

troytime, why didn't you let the surgeon who did the operation take off the wrap and see how the recovery was going? :confused:
 
1sikbITCH

1sikbITCH

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
4,194
574
126
I had an abdominal hernia. By the time I finally got insurance and could have it fixed, it looked like half a tennis ball was sticking out of my belly button. The surgeon said he'd never seen a bigger one. He had all the student doctors come in and check it out during the surgery.

Anyhow the incision was directly overtop of the hernia (a centimeter from my belly button), and he sewed a big 5 inch patch over the tear in my stomach wall. It's been a couple years and the tennis ball never returned.

While it's odd to me that your incision is so far from the hernia itself, if the doctor cut you open, he had to have repaired some sort of tear in your stomach lining somewhere. Otherwise what did he do once he cut your belly open? Just cut you open, and then start sewing you back up, with 3 or 4 nurses and an anesthesiologist standing right there?

My doctor made me lie in bed for 5 days without even moving except to get to the bathroom and back. I even had to take laxatives so I wouldn't strain when crapping. Maybe you popped your stitches.

Edit - I will say this though. My incision was only about an inch long. A six inch incision, 5 inches below the hernia, does seem crazy, and a second opinion is definately in order.
 
A

aidanjm

Lifer
Aug 9, 2004
12,411
2
0
Originally posted by: troytime
I've had this abdomenal hernia for about 5 years.
This year i've lost a bunch of weight and have been getting into shape; however the hernia started getting really irritated (specially after racquetball).

So i decide to get it fixed.

I came out of surgery thursday afternoon feeling good (well, i was stoned off my tits from the vicodin)
I couldn't move for a few days, but over the weekend i work up the steam to pull the bandages off my abs.

A couple days go by where i can't even wear a shirt...but today was all good so i poked around down there where the hernia was.
Surprise surprise...i can still feel the bulge of it...its still there. I get to looking around and the incision (6 inches long) is about 5 inches BELOW the hernia!?!?

The surgeon told my family that the hernia was only the size of the tip of his pinky, but yet in our consultations he poked around and determined that the hernia was well over an inch long.

What do i do? I took a week off of work to get this thing done...now here i am, can't tie my own shoes, can't get off the crapper without help...and my hernia is still there.

:(
Click to expand...

can you schedule an apointment with the surgeon and ask him/ her what's up? or maybe get a second opinion from a different doctor?
 
W

Whisper

Diamond Member
Feb 25, 2000
5,394
2
81
I have a somewhat large scar from a hernia operation I underwent when I was maybe a few weeks/months old. It's faded/shrunk somewhat over time, but it's a good 4 or so inches long. Maybe it depends on the type or location of the hernia.

Then again, my surgery was a good 25 years ago or so; I'd be willing to be things have changed since then. Ask the doc what's up, and if you don't like his answer, ask another doc what's up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom