Question:
I am going to have a large hernia repaired laporoscopically on November 16. I wanted

to have a panni done then too, but my P.S. wanted the hernia repaired & healed before he would touch me. My question is how much pain & how long will it take me to heal from the hernia operation? Also, just having a panni will my tummy be somewhat flat? Thanks :)    — booboo (posted on October 24, 2004)

October 24, 2004
I would talk to the surgeon about what specifically he does with the hernia repair.When I had mine repaired, I ASSUMED he would be fixing the muscle defect when he placed the mesh, and I was wrong. He placed the mesh, secured it in place etc, and left the muscle defect open, and I had to get it fixed when I had my abdominalplasty/lower body lift. apparently this is standard practice.
   — **willow**

October 24, 2004
i have had both done seperately. The orignal plan was to do both at the same time but that didnt work out once i was on the or table. I had a very large hernia not from wls but from having my appendix out years earlier. Not all hernias can have the muscle repaired- the size and location determine when and how that can be done. Despite having a huge mesh only, accross the left lower half of my abdomen, when i had the panni done i ended up with a very flat abdomen. As far as the two procedures, they both had their own unique recovery issues. the hernia which was a lap procedure was more painful and required me to take more pain meds than the panni did. the panni however, kept me some what bent over for about 2-3 weeks and kept me from working for a longer peroid of time. I wish you the best , and listen to the surgeons -- usually there is a reason for what they recomend -- ASK.
   — dorothy S.

October 24, 2004
Hi, I had abdominalplasty, hernia repair and a breast lift a week ago today and am of course, still recovering. I was told that with all that I had done at once, it would be about 3 weeks before I begin to feel normal to do normal things. It seems to me that the hernia repair was the least of what I had done so, in my mind it shouldn't take you to long to recover from hernia repair. My tummy is still bound well, my whole body lol but, from what I can see through all my bandages my tummy appears to be very flat. Which in deed feels very weird. I have never had a flat tummy. I don't know if, there is a difference between a panni and a abdominalplasty. I do know that he tightened by abdominal walls as well. It appears that my skin on my thights was also pulled up. I had planned on later going back and having my thighs done but, not now. I can deal with what I have left rather than going through all this again. I am done with surgeries. So, good luck to you and your recoveries.
   — ncgal

October 24, 2004
A hernia is a tear within the muscle and abdominal wall that allows the inner organs (bowel, usually) to protrude. To repair this, the surgeon MUST fix the muscle, with the mesh etc. In re: Willow's posting, the original repair was MALPRACTICE w/out fixing or reconstructing that muscle. To the comment re: hernia repair and panni or TT, well to say "one before the other" is the surgeons way of saying, I want you to pay more for the next procedure!! The costs are lower with the combo because of O.R. time and anesthesia etc. Find another MORE COMPETENT surgeon to do this. I had a massive hernia (sternum to navel) repaired with a TT (not just the panni) on JUly 23, and would have not wanted 2 surgeries rather than the one. I had a gen surg do the hernia repair, with muscle reconstruction, double mesh etc, and then my P.S stepped in to do the TT. THe PS made a hip to hip cut, and hernia repair made through that site. Good luck to you.
   — zena X.

October 25, 2004
If I had to do it over again, I would have had my plastic surgeon do the hernia repair, he is board certified in general surgery and plastic surgery. Many surgeons only secure the mesh and do not fix the muscle, as the general surgeon did in my case. Apparently they don't get reimbursed for the muscle repair, installing the mesh is considered adequate. Maybe not what I wanted or expected, but medically adequate. Live and learn.
   — **willow**

October 25, 2004
I have posted many times here regarding doing both hernia repair and TT/panni at the same time...the other posters are correct. You should seek a surgeon qualified to do both. One operation, one incision, one recovery, one down-time, one exposure to anestehsia, one risk of infection, blood clots, etc, and reduced expense. Its a "no-brainer!"
   — DrL