Hernia

[Maggiemo19]

Has anyone had a hernia repaired while having chemo or just after last chemo? I have a very large one in the midriff area that is really starting to worry me. If you’ve had one repaired was it a day procedure and was it painful? Xx

[Lily-Anne]

I have a large parastomal hernia. Initially when they were going to repair it I had to be 12 weeks past chemo to reduce risk of infection

May not be the same for everyone but that was for keyhole

LA xx

[Eriksendi in reply to Lily-Anne]

Snap - I've developed one of them under my stoma!! They are talking about a possible reversal of the stoma but I'm so nervous and managing with the stoma at the moment. If they do reverse it, do you think they'll deal with the hernia at the same time?

[Lily-Anne in reply to Eriksendi]

They told me they’d do it all at the same time. I couldn’t have mine done in the end as had pet CT for surgery which showed live cancer spots elsewhere Ended up being treated for recurrence instead. I guess if I’d not had the hernia I wouldn’t know.

There’s a Facebook group called I’ve got a stoma and I’m not ashamed. I’d join that it’s got lots of info about reversal and hernias. Good luck with the op I would’ve loved to have had mine reversed although it’s 2.5 years now it still feels new lol

Xx

[LittleSan]

Hi,

I'd ask your surgeon as all hernias are different.

For my own story, I had a large hernia (which turned out to be several once they opened me up). My incision was right down the original scar plus a few cm more at the top. I was kept in 3 nights and the recovery was not a walk in the park. If you require such extensive surgery, I'd definitely say wait until after chemo.

For me, six years later, it's been worth having done and hernia has not reurned . Although, another consideration, was that if I'd needed further surgery for OC, it would have complicated things as apparently, I have a huge mesh all across my abdomen.

Hope you get answers from your team and get some relief from your hernia soon. X

[Maggiemo19 in reply to LittleSan]

Thank you very much LittleSan. What you had done sounds very scary. I will try and get to speak to OC this week. Xx

[Welshandproud]

Hi Maggiemo I also have a very large incisional hernia. It is ugly and gets bigger throughout the day but I've spoken to my team and to the surgeon who did the op . He said that repairing it is a big operation and that the chances of it working are really limited. Many just recur after surgery and the recovery period is significant. I am just having to get used to it. It is large and open mouthed so he feels that it is not going to become trapped or require emergency treatment

I've become quite creative in the clothing department to make it less obvious and I now see it as my battle scar.

The one advantage is that my consultant can examine deep down into it and was able to tell me that there was no change in my abdomen since November and that I can go away and live my life to the full for 3 months before my next appointment.

Talk to your team and take their advice but living with a hernia is ok albeit a bit unsightly xxxx

[Flamingobeef18]

I had a large operational hernia following my debulking surgery.

There were loops of intestines poking through it which caused intermittent acute obstructions which were very painful. I was 12 months post chemotherapy when it got bad but my oncologist was still wary of recommending surgery. It took for ever to get all the disciplines talking but eventually it was agreed to operate.

I was admitted via daycare but with the expectation that I would be kept in which I was. The post surgery was painful and recovery slow but no where near as bad as after my debulking surgery. Plus the benefits have been huge with my quality of life so much better. The pain has gone, I can eat a varied diet again and my hiatus hernia has also settled down. I remain on gastric meds but that is fine by me.

For me now 18 months on it was definitely the right choice.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Juliax

[Maggiemo19 in reply to Flamingobeef18]

Thank you Julia. X

[grammeejill]

Hi Maggie. My oncologist preaches to me about post debulking hernias. Apparently they are pretty common. I don't know if I have one, but there is an area to the right of my nonexistent belly button that hurts like hell when my cat jumps on my tummy. Doc presses on it and gives me another lecture like I am supposed to know how to prevent a hernia.

I would monitor your situation, and you and your Dr decide if it's imperative to have surgery.

[Katsmum]

Seems to be a common occurrence and I too have a hernia slightly above and right of my belly button! GP says as long as it doesn’t cause pain and can be reduced it is probably just fatty tissue and they don’t routinely repair them. It’s a bit unsightly but I tend to wear looser clothing now so it doesn’t show too much. I am trying to lose a bit of the weight I put on during first chemo to minimise the size but it’s not going too well so far!! I am happy to leave the hernia alone at present but if I have to have any more surgery for the cancer I would definite ask for a repair at the same time!!

I hope you get sorted soon and meanwhile take care

Love and hugs

Jane xx

[gina]

I had a hernia op with mesh repair about 6 months after chemo .

In hospital overnight .....they used my original cancer op scar It was a bit painful but not for long. Xx

[bamboo89]

I'm following this because I have an extremely large, iatragenic hernia at my midriff - started on the left just above the belly button, 8 weeks after the surgery, but now has got very large - large enough to fit a fist into apparently. I'm told it will need repair, but its too soon, at 12 weeks after debulking, so I've been referred for some sort of surgical support - there's even a waiting list for those, and I've been put on the waiting list for the hernia repair.

[Lizchips]

Hi, Maggie, yes after both my major surgeries I developed 5 herneas, about 8 months after chemo ended I had them fixed

[ssjmichael]

My mom was scheduled for a hernia repair surgery in February, but then her CA-125 shot up, and she had a recurrence, so she had to cancel surgery and go back on chemo.

Her last treatment is in June, so I'm not sure how long after she can have the surgery, but I imagine at least a couple months. Plus, if they put her on any maintenance after, then who knows.

It's a fairly big hernia, which I hear is better in regards to risks of strangulation, etc... Personally, as long as it isn't causing harm, I'd rather she not even have surgery, but she kind of hates looking at it lol.