Hernia after gallbladder removal?!

[Lalalouloulala]

Just after some advise please..

So I had my gallbladder removed end of nov last year. All good since then. However the last 5 days I’ve had pain in my belly above my belly button, and there’s a hard lump there. It’s not constant pain and it hurts more when I press it.

I had a CT scan, as was scared of a hernia, but that came back clear. Two doctors felt my stomach and could feel what I was feeling.. but basically said it can be normal following surgery and I could still be healing internally and it’s caused some thickening of scar tissue? But if it’s not gone in 3 months to go back..

Has anyone experienced this before? I’m so scared it’s a hernia and it’s somehow not picked up on the CT scan? Would anyone get another opinion even though I went to hospital and saw a surgeon and a doctor? I’m just so worried.. has anyone experienced this before?

I did start up a dance class recently, so maybe I’ve over done it?

Just looking for some experience with this sort of thing or reassurance 😞

Not me but my sil had a hernia after gallbladder surgery. It doesn't cause her any problems though and she still has it now. I would like to think think of there was a hernia there they would have discovered it and treated appropriately. I have a small lump abovey.belly button also but I do an cause m any pain and I'm fat too so probably not the same as you but apparently it's just a fatty tissue lump, if this helps.

@AnxiousEveryday thank you for the comment. I would like to think the CT would have picked up a hernia. They did say about a strangulated hernia but said the CT scan would confirm this and it came back clear. I’ve never felt for a lump until I started getting this pain so it may have been there before.. gosh it’s such a worry :(

CT would pick up a hernia!

@welshweasel thank you for the reassurance! I guess I shouldn’t be worrying if the doctors weren’t! Wonder what on earth it could be 😔

Just an update.. I phoned the hospital I had the actual gallbladder removal at and the nurse said to me it’s most likely a hernia and that it’ll just go away? She said as long as I’m not in pain it’s fine. I’m not in constant pain but it does hurt if I press it? And I’ve read online hernias don’t go away on their own… I feel like I can’t get any clear guidance and don’t know what to do!

Hernias can be very difficult to diagnose. I developed pain in a scar 10 years after an abdominal surgery. The pain was debilitating at times, and I could feel a small lump too. However scans didn’t reveal anything and I didn’t have the classic signs of a hernia (can’t remember the detail but pain when you cough or something like that).

The pain massively affected my quality of life and I was told to just live with it. In the end I was referred to a plastic surgeon who said he would reconstruct the scar. When he went in, he saw that I had a very small hernia. It wasn’t gall bladder surgery so might not be helpful, but I remember reading that hernias in women can be very hard to diagnose resulting in women suffering for years unnecessarily.

Btw I didn’t have pain every single day. Some days I was completely pain free, some days I struggled with even clothes rubbing against my skin.

the nurse diagnosed a hernia over the phone? And felt she was better at interpreting the CT than the radiologist that did the report? That’s a bit bold! (I’d have more faith in the people who’ve examined you and have some training in ct interpretation).

@Greybeardy good point.. pretty much straight away she said ‘oh yeah it’ll be a hernia, it’s fine though it’ll go away on its own it’s pretty normal’ I was like oh but the CT scan didn’t show anything? She said ‘yeah it’s pretty normal’ 🫣

was hoping that as they done the surgery only 2 months ago they might recommend a consultant looking at me like a follow up appointment to make sure it’s okay but that didn’t go anywhere.

Will have to just go back to my GP again. I’m so worried!

@CatchAButterfly Wow thank you so much for this.. I’m sorry you went through this! I feel this honestly will be the exact same case for me.
my gut it telling me it’s a hernia. Same as me no pain when coughing but hurts when clothes are tight against the area.

it’s sad as I felt my life was just getting back on track. I’m only 28, just started up dancing but now I feel I’ve had to stop that in case it makes things worse… wish I never had the removal done now and just managed. :(

thank you for your help and share of experience it’s much appreciated and hope your all sorted now!

@CatchAButterfly also, sorry.. was your hernia like a hard small lump? The doctor said it could be thickened scarring but I don’t understand why it’s caused me no issues until now. I’m convinced it’s a hernia :(

Omg! You’re just like me! The pain for me started when I was 29! And I just started dancing too! I was loving it and very much in good shape when the pain started and it was just too much that I had to stop. I gained weight as I could no longer work out or be very active, and I had the scar reconstruction surgery just before Covid, which was then followed by two children. So my figure and lifestyle never recovered.

It was a small hard lump. Not rock hard, but a very noticeable lump that you could only feel when pushing down. Smaller than a 5p coin. I went down both the NHS and private route and they both said they can’t see any sign of a hernia or any holes in the abdominal wall, and that sometimes pain just happens and I just need to learn to manage it. I just completely lucked out when another doctor referred me to a plastic surgeon and the plastic surgeon could see I was in pain so booked me in for the following week on the NHS (suspect that as a plastic surgeon, he doesn’t often deal with people in pain!).

If you google it, there’ll be a lot of studies on hernias being undiagnosed in women because women present differently.

I had similar at the umbilical port site. Raised the issue at my 12 week follow up. Surgeon had a good feel around and said it was internal stitches that had yet to dissolve and that it could take 6 months. He said that the more slender one is the more likely it is that they will be felt. I am not that slender by any means, but equally I am not overweight. The feeling did eventually stop.

@Cranarc thank you so much for this! So it could be stitching. Did they ever feel a little painful? Mine didn’t but I’ve been dancing the last 3 weeks and safe to say it’s started after my last dance session a week ago. Just going to take it easy and see how I go :(

the doctor did say it could be thickened stitching/internal healing x

@Lalalouloulala yes. Not usually painful but did feel a little burning at times. Enough to worry me until I saw the surgeon because I did not notice the feeling until a couple of months after surgery. So I thought my very gradual return to exercise may have been overdoing it. If you have been careful and not lifted heavy weights or done abdominal exercises I would think you are probably fine. But do take it easy and respect how you feel.

@Cranarc thank you for reassuring me - this does sound extremely similar to my situation! It’s not a constant pain, and I probably would say when it’s uncomfortable it’s more of a burning pain.
I’ve not lifted any weights (only my 2 year old) and I would say the dancing has made me use muscles I’m not use to using! However I’ve felt it more in my legs than anything.
fingers crossed I’m okay - will take it easy and keep an eye. Thank you again for sharing your experience I really do appreciate that!

Update.. when I lean back and look down, I do actually have a noticeable lump.
pain hasn’t improved been about a week now, just over maybe.

cant get a doctors appointment for 2 weeks.. my gut it telling me its a hernia. So im riddled with anxiety as it shouldn’t be hard and painful :(
thinking of going up the hospital again tomorrow or a walk in centre?!

Ring the GP in the morning. And insist to be seen. Ring 111 if you must and they will make you an appointment either with your own GP or somewhere else.

I guess you overdid it at dance, and your hernia has now ' popped '

Do not worry right now about a strangulated one, you will know if that happens !!!
easy to say I know esp if you are anxious.

but it should have shown on the scan - was the scan within the last 5 days ?

Many years ago I had a gall bladder operation, and yes a small hernia appeared later. It was removed.

Pretty sure another one happened within the last x years, never been a problem just a small bulge in the same area-ish as the previous one esp I overdid it i.e. carrying too many heavy shopping bags. No pain no discomfort.

Until December, I was told to do something different at work I immediately said that I have a hernia and that it would be aggravated.
Typical mentality of a large company it was ignored, I should have taken it further.

When I got out of my car a couple of hours later, it ' popped '.

Was now in pain, so I had a bath and I could feel when I laid on my front in the bath something moveable - about the size of a small plum.

Pain was off and on the next day, so the day after I phoned my Doctor's and told the receptionist this was a Friday and I got a Sunday app at a different Doctors practice - much to my surprise.

Doctor examined me and said she would refer me for a scan then an OP.
( Got a ' fit to work ' note explaining no lifting / carrying. )

Explained that the NHS waiting list here in Devon is approx a year for the OP and a month for the scan.
Xmas and New Year passed and the scan was late Jan.

Scan agreed I have a hernia. 2 weeks pass then I get a text confirming a hernia and asking if I wanted to be referred to the surgical team.

Hernia has increased from a small plum size to avocado size :( and I can cup my hand around it comfortably. Can easily be seen thru my clothing - depends on what I am wearing tho.

So I do need to phone the Doctor and let them know it has increased, and is now causing digestion problems.

Have Googled, of course :) and have informally let one of my managers know that I will be having an operation in the future and that I could be off work for up to 6 weeks ( to allow recovery time )