Question:
Why do I keep getting Hernias?

I am almost 3 years out and I have had multiple hernias. In 2002 I had hernia repair for 4 hernias. Did everything I was suppossed to postop so they wouldn't come back even had mesh. Within 6 months I had 1 back. I went to a surgeon in February and he found 3. The one by the top of my incision was the size of an orange. So he repaired them and added more mesh (in March), I have now already found a little one smack dab in the middle of all this. I am getting tired of this. Anyone else having alot of hernia problems?    — DENISE B. (posted on April 13, 2004)

April 13, 2004
My surgeon says 30% of opens get incisional hernias, some sadly multiple times. This is a result of the muscle wall being cut in open surgeries. Avoiding this is a major advantage to LAP surgery where the hernia rate is near zero. Wish I could offer you some better advice, follow your docs orders to the letter
   — bob-haller

April 13, 2004
Assuming you exercise I would add abs training.
   — mrsmyranow

April 14, 2004
Hi. The open technique is a risk for hernias. Up to 50% of all mesh hernia repairs can fail over time, depending on patient factors (weight, diabetes, smoking, chronic cough, constipation, pregnancy, etc) Mesh does not move and is not flexible. It is sewn to juscles that move,a nd eventually works it's way loose. Its not the surgeon or the patient's fault. It's just the way the abdominal muscle system works. We take over 23,000 breaths a day..that's a lot of back-and-forth movement on the repair. Plus other normal movements and stresses. Using the patient's own muscle tissue (a flap) can offer a more natural, living, healing repair that lasts. It also avoids the complications of mesh. We developed the technique for trauma patients who had huge hernias ater being too sick at the original injuries to close.
   — DrL

April 15, 2004
Hi, I am sorry you are having problems with hernias. My husband is like you only worse. His whole abdomen is huge hernias. I think some people are more prone to them, there must be some weakness in the abdominal tissue, muscles or omentum or something. Surgery to fix them is no fun though is it? Good luck.
   — catleth