Being told about risks of an ininigual hernia operation.

[HappydaysArehere]

Just that, I have a hernia which bothers me intermittently andI have been offered an operation. However, I have been warned of risks after my assessments and this is reiterated when he writes to my doctor. My other choice was just to do nothing and wait and see. One of the risks mentioned was chronic pain 10%. I thought hernia ops were pretty straight forward. I have said I wanted it done. I am nearly 80 but pretty okay. Has anyone else had dire warnings about hernia ops in the groin? The op isn’t at the NHS but in a well thought of hospital which has been used by family and friends as it is paid for on the basis of use in case of long NHS waiting lists Wondering if this is why I am getting these warnings.

Seems about right though doesn’t it?No surgery (or it’s associated anaesthetic) is without risk and those risks have to be weighed against those associated with not having surgery. It’s not really a ‘dire warning’... it just helps you to make an informed decision about whether to proceed or not. Hope it goes smoothly.

What did they say the risks are?
It’s hard to comment without knowing because you may have some specific risk factors which others don’t

*Ellasmummy” The risks are bleeding, infection, thromboembolic events and chronic pain. There was nothing related to my health and when I mentioned age he said it wasn’t a consideration. I am not sure if they now have to spell it out although my dh had no such warnings when he had his done a few years ago. I thought it was a common straight forward op so had a decision to make. My father experienced a strangulated hernia and his life was in real danger so that coloured my decision and also the prospect of it getting bigger if left.

My BIL who is mid to late 70s had an inguinal hernia done last year , he could barely walk before due to the pain and he is fine now .

I had an inguinal hernia repair last year and they didn’t mention those risks to me. They said it was a very minor procedure and would be very straightforward. Obviously all ops carry risk but I’m not sure why it was so emphasised to you

They have to tell you enough to allow you to make an informed decision. Generally, that means any risks greater than 1% or any risks which are very serious, but less common.

They have to tell you that 1 in 10 patients suffer chronic pain, because most patients are opting for hernia surgery to alleviate pain. Also, 1 in 10 is a big proportion of patients, relatively.

They have to tell you about the risk of bleeding because bleeding can range from very minor bleeding to life-threatening haemorrhage. For most patients, any bleeding will be stopped quickly, but not every patient.

Any surgery under general anesthesia has some risk, and any surgical procedure carries some risk of infection.

If you hear all of the risks (most of them were given as risks for my Dd's tooth extraction, too!) then decide that you want to proceed, that's great. But if they don't tell you and then you suffer a complication, you could make a formal complaint and say that you wouldn't have had the surgery if you knew about the risk.

I had an inguinal and femoral hernia repair about 7 years ago done privately (DH has private health care through his employer). It was done with mesh and I have had numerous health issues which I believe are linked to the surgery.

I am sorry about that MrsMoastyToasty. Hope you are not suffering at the moment. I wish you well.

They probably should have mentioned the risk of recurrence, and numbness around the scar as well, been a while since i've done an inguinal hernia though.

What Lougle says is bang-on. Any risk that you consider common enough to mention, or, may be subjectively important to that particular patient need to be mentioned.

I understand that mesh is used in some hernia repair which has led to chronic pain for some patients. I am not a clinician though so someone else may be able to give you more detail / info!

@MrsMidgeMaisel

I understand that mesh is used in some hernia repair which has led to chronic pain for some patients. I am not a clinician though so someone else may be able to give you more detail / info!

Both mesh and non-mesh hernia repairs may be associated with chronic pain. Mesh repairs have a lower risk of recurrence though iirc.