Postby JudeD59 » Wed Sep 23, 2015 3:20 pm
I've had two incisional hernia repairs for large hernias. Neither of mine were laparoscopic, so yours might be very different. With my first, they used cadaver skin and with the second, they used pig skin. What I remember most about the recovery is feeling like I had either done a couple hundred ab crunches or been punched repeatedly. The muscles in the whole ab area were very, very tender for awhile. When I woke up after the first one, they had put an abdominal binder on me but they had cinched it too tight. I vomited several times before we realized it was the binder. Once it was loosened, I was fine. So if you feel like you can't take a deep breath or start vomiting, loosen the binder a bit. It makes a huge difference.
I had two drains after the first one and they remained in for 6 weeks. I only had one drain after the second and I think it was in for 4 weeks. They are a pain in the neck, but manageable. You can buy gauze drain sponges to go around the tubing and use a lanyard to hold them while you shower. A safety pin will hold them to your clothing so they don't hang down and pull. They need to be emptied regularly and the contents measured. Once the daily output reaches a low enough level, they will remove them. They cut the suture holding the tubing in place and give a quick tug and it's out. It's a quick sharp pain, but not that bad. A scab will form over the opening and mine always took weeks to finally heal, then I was left with a very small round scar. Some surgeons don't use drains, but I think it's good to not have all that fluid floating around in your abdomen. I was happy to have it out.
My first one was so large that I was cut from hipbone to hipbone, so it was quite a long time for full recovery. The second was from belly button to a couple of inches above my crouch. Neither surgery was as difficult for me to recover from as my LAR has been. I'd say that the incision itself stopped bothering me after about two or three weeks, but the drains were annoying, especially when they were tugged accidentally. Even after the drains were removed, the area inside where they had been continued to be achy for a week or so. I had one drain after the LAR and it was the same-soreness internally near the drain site for about a week.
This is my fifth surgery--total abdominal hysterectomy, hernia, emergency bowel resection, hernia, and now LAR and I would say the hernia surgeries were the easiest for me to recover from. With the hysterectomy and the resections, organs are being cut and sewn back together so there is a lot of internal stitches to heal. The hernia surgery is just a patch sewn to your muscles, so it is more muscle pain. Since it isn't your organs being messed with, you don't have to deal with bowel problems once they wake up and your appetite won't be as affected. Just remember to take it easy, don't lift or strain at all, and allow it to fully heal. If you try to jump back into normal life too soon, you'll end up with another hernia. Walking upright and straight helps the healing and holding a pillow over your stomach when you laugh, cough, or sneeze helps, too.
Good luck and if you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Judy
56 yrs old, wife, mother to 4 daughters
RC Stage II T3N0M0 DX April 2, 2015
6 cm. mid-rectum-CEA 121
Xeloda and radiation finished 06/15/15- CEA 242
CEA right before surgery 81
LAR performed 8/12/15 Temporary ileostomy
CEA 10-21-15 1.6
PET scan 11-4-15 All clear
Port installed 11/11/15
Folfox started 11/18/15
Folfox stopped due to bad reaction
Reversal 2/17/16
CEA 2/3/16 1.7
CEA 3/31/16 1.3
CT Scan 4/12/16 All Clear
Port removed 4/21/16
CEA 5/24/17 1.4
situation, I'd think.
