My new belly button…yeah, not so much, but it’s closer to this than before the umbilical hernia repair
I recently passed the 40th day since my open umbilical hernia repair with mesh surgery.
Thank you all for the comments and email about my first post: what to ask your doctor prior to an umbilical hernia repair. I’ve also posted a summary of my overall body reboot here: A Life Rebooted: Lessons Learned on a Journey to a Healthier Me.
For the benefit of the community, I’ve included a few of your messages below with your names redacted (please pop me an email if you’d rather I remove your messages altogether).
As I mentioned in my first post, I was very nervous about having this procedure done. Yes, my belly button was disfigured and slightly uncomfortable when touched, but really, was that such a big deal?
I was at the tail end of an intensive 3-month exercise program and was very much enjoying the unencumbered physical exertion: jumping jacks, ab crunches, push-ups, resistance training, stretching and yoga. A week prior to my scheduled surgery, I had cold feet.
That’s when I reached out to my doctor with a bunch of questions and wrote up the previous blog post. Today, I’m happy to say that the entire procedure and recovery went exceedingly well, better than I expected even. Throughout the day, I have no reminders of the surgery short of a nicer looking belly button.
I’ve had no lingering pain, no “tugging” that others reported and no restriction at all when exercising (even ab crunches). Here are some day-by-day details of my umbilical hernia recovery experience:
Umbilical Hernia Recovery Day 1: the procedure and the first day
I had to show up at the surgical center at 6:30 am. They were adamant that I not eat or drink past midnight the night prior and that I didn’t take any medications for 36 hours before the surgery. After a brief check-in (I had pre-registered online) I stripped out of my clothing and into a johnny.
I was briefed by nurses, the anesthesiologist, the resident who did the surgery and my primary surgeon. I had an IV inserted into to back of my left hand and some preliminary sedatives administered. I was concerned about the risks and recovery discomforts of undergoing general anesthesia so I asked my surgeon and anesthesiologist if they could do the procedure with local anesthesia plus IV sedation, which they did.
After being in the prep room for about 20 minutes, and maybe 5 minutes after getting the preliminary sedation, they wheeled me into the operating room. At that point I was already starting to lose touch with reality. They started me on the IV sedation and within a minute I was out. I have no recollection of the surgery at all and wonder why anyone would opt for general anesthesia over local.
After being wheeled into recovery, I was visited by my surgeons, given a vicodin, a muffin and some ginger ale. I was in recovery for a little more than an hour and was home by 11 am (you will need someone to drive you). At home, I lounged in bed and popped the prescribed pain meds. It was difficult getting in and out of bed for the first couple of days, but not impossible.
For the first day, I had a thin, clear plastic, 12″ by 12″ bandage over the area, probably to insure that no bad germs got anywhere near the hernia surgery site. I was told to take that off after one day.
Tip #1: Ask about local anesthesia instead of general. There seem to be fewer risks, no risk of throat irratation or chipped teeth from a required breathing tube, and in my experience, it is 100% effective.
Tip #2: Wear sweatpants and slip on shoes to make dressing after the surgery easier. Bending over won’t be easy for a few days.
Umbilical Hernia Recovery Days 1-3
I spent the first few days mostly in bed watching TV and using my laptop. I was definitely more comfortable lying down or leaning back than sitting upright but I could also move around much better than I anticipated. Getting in and out of bed was a little challenging since using my core was painful. I had to rely on my arms and legs to get up and down as much as possible.
For the first few days, I had to sleep on my back (I’m normally a side sleeper), but I was surprised at how well I slept even on the first night after surgery.
I was prescribed IC hydrocodon-acetaminophen (aka vicodin, for pain) and IC docusate sodium (a stool softener). I took both medications during the first few days to help manage the pain and get myself “regular” again.
At this point, I had about 7 small pieces of overlapping tape keeping the surgery incision closed. I was told to wash the area as normal but to keep these strips on until the follow-up appointment.
Tip #3: Without going into too much detail, know that prescription pain medications and surgery in general can disrupt your normal digestive “process”. In addition to my pain medications, I was also prescribed a stool softener and told to use a gentle laxative to help get things regular again. Based on my research, I had expected this and was snacking on prunes for the days leading up to the surgery. For me, things started to get back to normal on day two, but not consistently back to a regular schedule until about a week after surgery.
Umbilical Hernia Recovery Day 5
By day 5 I was feeling pretty good. I was moving around quite well and decided that I would attend a previously schedule birthday dinner out with friends. In hindsight, it was probably too soon for that as sitting upright in a chair for a couple hours put pressure on the area and was quite uncomfortable. I wouldn’t recommend going out to dinner until week two.
Umbilical Hernia Recovery Day 7
By the end of the first week, I was moving around normally and was no longer taking the pain meds. I had only slight pain when I actually touched the incision site, but in general I felt like I could do almost anything. At this point, my abdomen was still a bit swollen, which was only noticeable from a side view. Around this time, I pulled off the surgical tape because I was curious to see what the scar looked like.
Umbilical Hernia Recovery Day 14
By then end of week two, I felt almost completely back to normal. I still had some swelling under my belly button which made it look like it was when it was herniated. I had my two-week follow-up appointment with my surgeon and he assured me that the swelling would go away and I would, indeed, have an innie again (he was right, of course).
My surgeon gave me the all-clear to start working out again with the caveat that I not lift very heavy weights and not do intense ab crunches. On the next day, I started working out again with the Power 90 at-home routines I was doing for the three months prior to the surgery: resistance training, bodyweight exercises, low impact cardio, slightly higher impact cardio (jumping jacks), stretching and yoga.
Some of the exercises which engaged my core felt a little constricted, but that got better every day.
Umbilical Hernia Recovery Day 30+
After one month, all the swelling was gone, I had my innie back and I was completely healed. As I said in the opening, I have no daily reminders of the hernia or repair surgery. I have no pain, no pulling and no discomfort at all. It feels weird but nice to have no sensitivity when I touch the area and I’m still quite amazed when I see a normal looking belly button staring back at me in the mirror.
By day 30, I resumed all aspects of my workouts, including the “Ab Ripper” exercises which is 10 set (20 reps each) of 10 different abdominal exercises. My abs were very weak after taking a month off, after a week I was doing the 200 crunches again, just as I had been before the surgery.
My Umbilical Hernia Scar and Scar Management
The scar for my umbilical hernia repair is just below my belly button in a small 2 cm arc. It is quite small and to insure that it stays that way I started applying Mederma as soon as the surgical tape was off.
Soon after that I discovered silicone scar sheets which claim to be even more effective than Mederma and which I found to be more convenient since they stayed on all day and regained their stickiness if you gave them a rinse once in a while.
I’m not sure if either of these methods is working, but they are easy enough to do that I’ve decided to plug ahead with the silicone scar sheets.
In summary, I am very happy with my repaired belly button and recovery. I don’t have any tugging, pulling or pain like I read about in other online accounts. I am graduating from my first home boot camp program and starting up with the next level. Before the end of the year, we’ll take on the granddaddy of them all, P90X!
Below are a few messages from readers with a mixture of similar concerns and alternative outcomes …
Email #1:
Hi Mitch
You don’t know me but I came across your excellent hernia repair article via Google and was just wondering how it went for you.
I’m making arrangements for the same procedure myself and share the same preoperative concerns.
Like you, fitness plays a great part in my life and I’m apprehensive at the prospect of not being able to work out or any other permanent untoward side effects.
I’d be appreciative of any insights you may care to share.
Kind regards
Email #2:
Hey Mitch,
By now you should be 3 wks into your recovery. How are you feeling ? Did all go well to this point?Wanted to thank you for doing the legwork and asking your surgeon many of the questions that I had.I am also having open umbilical surgery, scheduled for 12/29/11, and the hernia is the same size.Also, its going to be my first surgery at at the age of 57.I found so much info on the web for laparoscopic surgery, not as much about open mesh. So I’m thankful you asked your surgeon these questions, because my surgeon offered both to me but said the open mesh would be a better repair and would have less of a chance of reoccurrence, and my decision based on that.But still we never went in any detail like you did, so I wanted to let you know that it helped convince me that I made the correct choice, now the rest is in the surgeons hands.Wishing you a painless and speedy full recovery !
Happy Holidays,
44 Responses to “My Pleasantly Uneventful Open Mesh Umbilical Hernia Recovery”
on January 17th, 2012 at 8:58 pm #
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Hi…I’m on day 3 of recovery from open, mesh umb hernia repair and was just looking for a blog from someone who went thru the same thing. All I kept finding were ads for lap. surgery so ur post hit the nail on the head for me. Anxious to get back to cycling and working out but no way want to push recovery. Having friends asking me to dinner and do stuff but feeling that maybe its too soon so I’m glad u mentioned that. Very good info … thx for taking the time to post. This is hurting more than I expected but I guess I was expecting to pretty much b bak to doing most normal activities by now. I think I’ll be resting for two weeks. Thx
I’m laying in bed on recovery day #2. Searching for the silicone strips my doctor suggested I buy on-line I ran across your blog. I had my surgery Friday afternoon and am hoping to feel well enough to sit at work Monday morning. You mentioned day #5 for you was hard to sit through dinner and now I’m a little anxious. I’m glad I ran across you blog to find out what others are going through.
I am on day four of my umbilical hernia repair. Similar situation, 36 years old and very active runner/triathlete. Thank you for your helpful information! I also had a hard time finding info. And then came upon your blog. Reading about your recovery & timelines on getting back to working out without pain has been great. Thank you.
Great Recovery,Mitch! I am a 49 year old woman,and have tried to exercise through this situation.I was mortified to find out that you should never exercise strenuously,with a hernia.Well, you can probably get away with it. I am concerned for mine, because the surgeon did not use mesh. I have to say, it feels better than in years,and will give everyone posting here a better quality of life.Best of luck to you all
Hi,
Thanks for the useful information – from Mitch and the other responses! I am also a 36 year old triathlete and had my open umbilical hernia surgery with mesh. I’m 20 days post surgery, still swollen & looking about 3 months pregnant. My repair/mesh was the size of my palm and I have NOT been given the okay to lift more than 5 lbs or return to regular exercise yet.
My physio gave me a routine 10 days post-op. Walking – engage the deep core abdominal muscles in intervals of 1-2 minutes, gradually increasing until you can hold your core in for the entire walk. Keep your shoulders back, neutral spine and don’t strain/fatigue the core too much. The routine will help strengthen the core and help the mesh form a tight/flat repair.
Hi Mitch, thanks for posting your experience. I’m 43 and pretty inactive, I had my mesh repair on 5/2. They gave me a Rx for percocet & I bought some Walgreen stool softener. I came out of surgery wearing an abdominal binder and they wanted me to wear it for the first week except during showers. The binder became uncomfortable after awhile due to stubble irritation. Slept OK on my back the first two nights then couldn’t sleep at all on the 3rd night; still not comfortable on my side even wearing the binder. Stopped taking pain meds about 28 hours after surgery. Today (5/9) is my first day back to work. I had to buy larger pants/shorts/belt to fit over the binder during the recovery period. Went to see The Avengers yesterday afternoon without a problem. THanks again for notes, I’m sure I’ll be revisiting to remind me how long this is expected to take.
Hi, I didn’t read where you said that you got the mesh or not? Did they install the Mesh? Thanks
@Karl, yes, I had the mesh and have had no complications at all from it
Hi, I’m planning on getting this surgery done soon, its been a hard thing to commit to. My hernia is from pregnancy and I needed a c-section. During the delivery of my son I began to bleed to death and had to have my uterus removed.. can ANY1 give me any pointers on specific things I should be aware of given my circumstance. I am 23 and have. Been an athlete all my life. Also I am seriously considering joining the army for intelligenceand I need to be able to make it through basic. Thank-you
Thanks for your insigts. I have the same kind of hernia as you did. I am concerned about coughing (and can’t seem to cough lightly)as I have sinuses and do cough most mornings and during the day at times.That would be pretty rough on the hernia repair. I hate the idea of mesh for the long term.
Thanks again!
I’m a 73 year male who has been concerned about a small hernia just above the navel. Over the past six months I have had to use my index finger to push it back in place increasingly often. Therefore, I reluctantly decided to have it repaired.
The first surgeon I saw told me he would do it laparoscopically under general anesthesia, neither of which appealed to me. This method, after being knocked out, paralyzed and intubated, entails inflating the belly with CO2 so the surgeons can see what they’re doing inside. I was told of a small possibility of damaging internal organs while they messed around in my abdominal cavity. None of this appealed to me.
I sought a second opinion from a highly experienced surgeon affiliated with another hospital nearby. He examined my hernia and said he could do an open procedure with sedation and local anesthesia. In cases like mine, he said, there is less than a 1% recurrence rate. “Why make three holes (as laparoscopy entails–and which he also is adept at) when you only need one? Why kill a flea with an elephant gun?” Obviously, I felt more comfortable with this approach.
I reported to the surgical center at 7:15 am on the appointed day. A friendly staff greeted me, took my history started an IV in my left forearm. I met the anesthesiologist and the surgical assistant both of very friendly, relaxed and professional. The surgeon walked in smiling and told me to give my wife a big kiss. Then we all walked together to the OR. I was wearing a johnny, non-slip socks and a sheet which had come loose and was attached only around my neck, flowing out behind me. “You look like a caped avenger,” one of the doctors joked. I lay down on the surgical table and the last thing I remember as the sedation cocktail the anesthesiologist administered via the IV setup, and the surgical assistant asking me to lift my legs so he could apply compression devices.
The next thing I remember was waking up and asking when they were going to start. The surgeon smiled. “You’re all done.” Then I noticed I was in a different room with no compression stockings and none of the lights and equipment I’d seen in the OR. I asked if he had used mesh, and he said no, not necessary.
My wife was there and told me the surgeon had sat down beside her in the waiting room about 20 minutes after she had left me before and tapped her shoulder. She thought he was going to ask her something. Instead, she was surprised when he said, “Well, that went well.” She couldn’t believe how quickly it had gong.
To cut to the chase, I was out of the facility at 9 am and home by 9:30. I felt very little pain and decided not to slide into bed, which I had prepared with a stockpile of books, my laptop and pain meds. I ate my normal breakfast, then went straight to my office.
I had business stuff to attend to on my computer and, except for meals, I worked there until my normal bedtime, around 11 pm. No discomfort, just tenderness and swelling in my belly area.
I slept well and awoke refreshed next morning.It had almost been a non-event.
Today is my third day post op and I have not had to use any pain meds. The stockpile of reading material by my bed was not used. I am up and about in my usual manner all day, standing, sitting and walking. I took the bandage off the next day and was surprised to find that the surgeon had cleverly hidden the incision by going in through my belly button.
The swelling and tenderness is subsiding rapidly. I see the surgeon for a follow-up next week, seven days after surgery and will congratulate him on a job well done.
The only restrictions he gave me, before surgery, was not to do anything for six weeks “that you couldn’t do in a tuxedo” which means dancing and dining is fine, but no heavy lifting, pulling or pushing. Since I am quite active doing outdoors chores, that will be the most difficult part for me.
In sum, so far this has been no big deal. No fuss, no muss, not much pain, no need for bed rest. As Mitch reported with his procedure, everything (thus far) has truly been uneventful.
Thanks for the website. I had a minor umbilical hernia procedure on April 26, 2012 and was well prepared thanks to your website. Post-surgery, I felt awesome and felt like nothing happened. That day I was walking the dog and walking around like nothing happened. Around 5PM it hit me and for the next 36 hours I was really feeling like crap. Felt like I got cleated in my belly and I was in a lot of pain. The constipation factor sucked and you were right to highlight that issue. I was back at work and for the next 10 days I was mobile and was dealing with pain that can best be described as a stinging on my stomach like a jellyfish sting and cramping like I had not eaten in 2 days. This was fairly consistent for the first two weeks and I mentioned it to my doctor at my 2 week follow up. He said it was normal and he gave me the green light to resume my activities (weights, hockey, running and cycling). I did so and the activity while at a lower intensity than normal, has helped me get back to close to normal. I still have pain but it is very manageable. Doctor mentioned the mesh adhesion is the key issue that I am dealing with and the healing time is 30-60 days. I am at full intensity one month post-surgery and the discomfort is becoming less and less noticeable. Looking back my advice is to err on the side of active recovery vs. passive. Good luck to all and thanks for the posting.
Hi Mitch,
Thank you for posting the interview with your surgeon and your detailed recovery. Presently, I am sitting in bed on day 4 from my umbilical hernia repair. And so far, my recovery is similiar to yours and I look forward to working out and running again. You are an inspiration.
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Mitch:
Thanks for posting this. It was very helpful. I had my surgery yesterday (June 28th) and felt absolutely wonderful when I got home. I was walking around, went up and down stairs and pretty much felt like nothing had happened. Then around 7pm last night all of the wonderful drugs they give you in the hospital began to wear off. Sleeping last night was difficult and today I feel like I was hit by a truck. I am hopeful that the next few days I will continue to feel better and better and hope to be back to work by next Thursday (July 5th).
hi mitch –
i just read both of your posts and thanks for sharing all the info. it was very informative and helpful to read. i am 42 and my doctor thinks i have a paraumbilical hernia – so it seems this surgery could be in my future. i am a pretty active road cyclist and in good shape – i share the concerns you had about recovery time and about general anesthia. i live in boston and would like to know the name of your doctor – he sounded responsive to your concerns. would you be open to sharing his name and contact info?
Thanks,
Rich
Thank you very much for this information, I find it very useful in my search for more information for my own situation.
Thanks everyone for posting. I am having mine done tomorrow, Thurdsday and hoping to be back at work (out patient Clinic healthcare provider job) by next Tuesday. Hope I make the right decision about going back to work so soon.
Hi Mitch
This was very informative, thanks! I just had my 2nd umbilical hernia repaired (and this time I thankfully had mesh put in). I am on 3 weeks recovery now and dying to get back to running, weights and sit ups. I will start running this week and maybe some light weights. Will wait on the sit ups. I wanted to ask you when you started back doing push ups?
Regards
Nicole
@Nicole: I started back on P90 (which includes push-ups, weights, stretching, etc) exactly two weeks after my surgery. I started ab exercises (crunches, sit-ups, leg lifts, etc) six weeks after the hernia operation.
Nicole,
Has the second repair been more difficult to recover from than the first? I am afraid I may have a recurrent umbilical hernia and I am really worried about the recovery/pain being worse. Did you have laproscopic or open methods?
Thanks!
Julie
I am on day 8 of my second repair.
The first time no mesh was used and I quickly blew the spot back open. (first week back in the gym)
The second and most recent surgery involved mesh and 8 incisions.
Could you please tell me how many incisions you had (large or small) and the about location?
I look like I was in a knife fight and am yet to talk to anyone that has been chopped up the way I have been this time around.
I have one pretty large one on my second abdominal muscle (1.5 to 2 inches)
with 2 more below it that look more like puncture wounds.
I then have another small one in the belly button and one more below the belly button that also looks like a puncture wound.
Then I have 4 more surrounding the belly button anchoring the mesh in place I am told.
I am very worried about what has been done and the 8X possibility of tearing one of the new incisions open and having to go through this a third time.
Thanks and I hope you’re still holding up well.
I can’t wait to get back to my normal active life!
-b
I am having umbilical hernia repair today. My hernia is very small, so my surgeon decided on NO mesh. I am an avid weight lifter and runner – so after reading about recurrence, I’m thinking I should do mesh! So what should I do….mesh or no mesh! I am very thin (99 lbs), can you see/feel the mesh thru your skin?
Hi Mitch – Thanks for the insight. Just met with my surgeon today about getting my umbilical hernia repaired. Started researching the Internet and your information appears more informative than what I have encountered on the surgeon and medical websites. I am older than you but in athletic shape and I stay active. I would like to lose a little around the waste before surgery. Surgeon did not recommend it one way or the other, but it seems to me the less fat the better. My surgery date is probably at least a month away. A P90X wanna be but I have yet to stick with it. I will be watching what I eat and at least running from now until surgery. My surgeon says it will be 4-6 weeks after surgery before he recommends I get back to very much physical activity. I have opted for the open method same as you but in my case the mesh may not be required. Will not know for sure until he gets in there. My surgeon did say a somewhat larger incision will be required than you stated your repair required.
Hello, there! Your blog gave me peace of mind and hope everything will turn out ok for me. I’m a very active person and will have this same surgery next month. I had to stop my Jiu Jitsu and conditioning training and being sedentary while I wait for my surgery day id killing me!
Had Laproscopic umbilical hernia repair on monday, its now friday. I had 4 treatments with the laser to help recovery which essentially is just heat on the surgery site. Feeling “ok”. Went for a 2 mile walk yesterday to get moving, that was alright, still sore as shit . Off the pain meds, sleeping on my back which is annoying but getting there day by day, will keep u posted in a few days
This has been really helpful reading. I had my umbilical hernia repaired 10 days ago (open surgery) and it took much longer than I expected to have pain free movement. Saw the doctor today who diagnosed a blood clot to the side of the repair. He didn’t seem too concerned and thought it would go in about 8 weeks. Very sore and tender though and causing bruising. Has anyone had anything similar?
Hi Mitch,
I am a 42 year old female who just went through my third hernia repair. I am fearful to do anything strenuous because of the percentage of recurrences. How did you get back to exercising so quickly? I can’t even life pans yet.
Hello. I am 33 years old and very active. I have been a fitness, figure and women’s bodybuilding competitor in the past. I now just work out to try and stay healthy and fit. I went in originally to have my hip looked at. Found out is is torn moderately. Trying to hold off on surgery for that. Then my shoulder hurt so bad about a month later I found out it was torn 270 degrees around. I had surgery on that about 6 weeks ago. The day I came home from my shoulder surgery I recognized a lump above my belly button. I would push on it and it will evaporate us seemed. My nurse said it was probably air pockets from my general anesthesia. Weeks went by and it was still there. It was sensitive to touch and felt like a dull pain. I went to see a surgeon for it and he said it was a hernia. Mine was a reduce able one since I could press on it and it would go away. It always came back though. I had open mesh hernia repair yesterday wih general anesthesia. I am a baby and have great fear of anesthesia. It’s the whole idea of not waking up! My Doc put in an inch of diameter of mesh shaped as a circle. He didn’t want to do it laparoscopically since mine was above my belly button. He would have had to make 3 incisions in places rather than just one. I am not sure if my shoulder surgery made my hernia pop out or if it was caused by my surgery. I do know I had never noticed a lump prior to it and I think I would have. I am in a significant amount of pain today and did take some pain meds. I was trying not to but it hurts when I move at all. An incline on recliner is pretty comfortable. I had alot of swelling in my arm from my IV last night also. That was scary. They had to try 3 times before they could get my IV properly inserted. My anesthesiologist did it great actually! I iced and elevated my arm and it has went down a great deal! I was worked about hematoma’s and so forth.. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories! It helps to read other people’s experiences and concerns! Goodluck to all of you and Wishes for a Happy, Healthy, No Surgery year ahead! Haha I look forward to getting back into my work outs and feeling great!
I had the laproscopic umbilical hernia repair and I didn’t realize that they could do an open procedure. I have a feeling that they didn’t want to do the local on me as my blood pressure crashes with any type of anesthesia. I also think my defect was larger than 2-3cm as it was an incisional hernia. I am also highly allergic to all pain killers and tried a new one and by day 2 had to cut my dose and start weaning off the pain meds so that by day 4 I was completely off of them. I still have swelling at week 2 and seeing it took 4 weeks for your swelling to go down I am hopeful that all of my swelling will be gone by 3-4 weeks post op.
Thanks for posting your story and Q&A I wish I would have found this before I had mine done.
I was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia today, something that didn’t surprise me at all. It is small and hardly noticeable when I am lying on my back. I am 66 years old and, I must admit, not in as good a shape as I should be. I am an avid golfer, 6 ft tall, 200 pounds. My stomach is larger than I like but I have been afraid to exercise because of the hernia. Anyone know when I can return to golf as before? After rotator cuff surgery and herniated disk back surgery, I am ready for some normal stuff again.
Thank you so much for your blog I am am a 24 year old female I am 5’4 125 pounds I had the surgery yesterday which was Friday and I was hoping to be able to do my normal household chores by Monday morning because I am a single mom do you think I will be able to do my household chores by Monday and also I have swelling over my whole belly is that normal
Your blog was a great preparation.
My experience was equally uneventful. (Incision ~4cm below the naval) My procedure was at 6PM, and as the surgeon is a friend, I was released at 10PM.
The first 72 hours were uncomfortable – had to sleep on my back. By day 4 I managed a 5 hour flight (hand luggage only) with minimal analgesic. I had a critical business presentation on Day 5. I’m now at day 10 – I get the odd “stitch” and it’s an effort to tie my shoes. I’m taking out the garbage comfortably
Thank you for posting all that you did … I appreciate the info as I will be having the same surgery in about 2 weeks. God Bless!
Thanks for posting all this info. It’s greatly appreciated as I’m trying to decide how I want my umbilical hernia surgery done (open or lap). I was originally thinking of going with the laparoscopic procedure with mesh because of the supposed shorter recovery period but I really don’t like the idea of all those anchors being inserted into my abdominal wall. I do however like the idea of a mesh to reinforce the area due to the fact that I lift weights regularly. Do you know which mesh product they used in your surgery and how it was attached?
Hello Mitch , I’m preparing for the surgery next week.. What really worries me is the scar afterwards and the fact that I won’t be able to exercise for more than a month! It’s quite amazing that you had no issues with either things which may not be the case for me
anyways hope it’ll work out fine …
@Pete: I do not know which mesh material was used, but I believe it was attached via sutures to my abdominal wall. Almost a year and a half later, I’ve had zero issues with the operation or the mesh. All I have is a small, shrinking scar directly under my now-normal looking belly button.
Had same procedure done 12 days ago.
Day #1 Surgery, came home, took pain pill (which I didn’t care for) and hung out in lawn chair out front
Day#2 Went to work (Friday), put in full day, desk job so no biggie. Little sore in belly but nothing big at all
Day#3-6, More of same, no lifting, little activity, mostly just hanging with family
Day#7, 4 mile run. Hardest part of run wasn’t belly and tension in ab etc. My hamstrings were wiped out from walking slightly hunched over for a week. Set out to run walk but wound up just running for 4 miles without stopping.
Day#8-10, rest
Day#11, first day doing a “work out”. I do cross fit so I just mocked up a workout that would be more conditioning and less weight/load. 1/2 Mile run, 40 air squats, 20 pushups and 10 dips. Did 4 rounds of each. Today, feel pretty good all around. Haven’t decided if I’m going to run or do some mock up CF stuff? I may take today off and run tomorrow just to play it safe.
If you need the surgery though, get it done, don’t wait it’s really a non event.
Just diagnosed with this after having my third baby, my last two pregnancies were pretty close together, I’ve been told this can be a cause. I was so happy to find this information a few days before my surgery, as I searched the Internet and was surprised about the lack of information, especially for active people concerned about being able to continue their lifestyle. My doctor also wants to know when deciding to do mesh or stitches, if I was done having kids or not. I guess mesh can get complicated if your stomach grows again with another pregnancy, but I think I’m going to insist on mesh, since we are done with the babies, and it sounds like it can really help prevent a recurrent hernia. Anyway, just wanted to thank you for posting this, and I’ve learned so much from all the responses as well.
Mitch, hope all is well. I am a 38yr old 6’1″ 230lb active dad. I found your info (story) very helpful. I found it as soon as I realized what my problem was. There is not enough knowledge out there on this topic. You put me at ease immediately, just the title of this article alone. I found out a few things, one, I was still normal. Two, I was not alone. Three, I was not going to be disformed. Four, I would be able to continue working out after procedure. I just had open repair surgery April 2nd (no mesh required). The doctor said it was a very small hernia at the top of my belly button. The doctor described the size as the same girth of a pencil. He told me 2 stiches during my visit pre-op. Today is day 7, I have no complaints so far. First day or two it was difficult to get up from laying down position. I did not take any pain meds the first 2 days. then I started to take a few advils (ibuprofin) as needed to help with swelling and slight discomfort, I hope I dont have any issues. I will leave another response further down the road on my recovery. Just wanted to thank you Mitch, and everyone else for sharing your experiences.
Dennis Brooklyn , NY
April 9th 2013
Hello Fellow Herniators,
My name is Arleigh. I’m a 26 year old male and I just went through surgery today. If you have been reluctant about getting the surgery done, dismiss your worries now. I was out of the hospital by 11am today, the operation only took 30 minutes. After the localized numbing wore off I was on a consistent ride of pain, about a 5 out of 10. I have a nice bottle of percocet which the doctor prescribed. I dont like being out of it during the day so I save the pain killing for night time. There is a bit of swelling, nothing frightening, it looks like what my belly looked like before I lost the 10lbs I did before the surgery. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email.
Sincerely,
Arleigh
Chappaqua, New York
I just had my surgery on Tuesday and feel ok, getting up from sitting is the hardest thing. However I have a sharp type pain on my left side only.. anyone experience this? I had an open mesh surgery.
Hi Mitch,
I just read your message. Thank you for your post. I am on day 6 of my post op. I had an umbilical hernia and ab separation repaired with mesh. Your article was the only one that sounded the same. Every other one said they had a tummy tuck. Mine was an incision above my belly button and down. It was a day surgery. That night I ended up back in the hospital bc I couldn’t pee so they had to put a foley in not fun. Needless to say they sent me home the next day. I have 2 small children (1&3yr old) it has been so hard not being able to lift them. I didnt realize I wouldn’t be able to pick him up for three months. My stomach is so bloated I still look like I am 5 months pregnant. My bellybutton blends in with my stomach. Will it go back in? I am so glad I read your article for a while I felt like I received a botched surgery.
Mitch,
I’m having my surgery tomorrow morning. My hernia is ventral incarcerated, about three inches Northeast of the belly button. I’m getting a similar “mesh” treatment.
Thanks a lot for the post – it inspired me to have the procedure done and has quelled most of my fears.
Efrem.