*** OFFICIAL INGUINAL HERNIA RECOVERY Thread ***

[mrlaurencenguye]

I had my surgery August last year...some strange pain is resurfacing around the site of repair since last week. I've been squatting a lot this summer; it's my favorite exercise. Am I really doomed to avoid squats and deadlifts?

[Phoenix989]

I had my surgery August last year...some strange pain is resurfacing around the site of repair since last week. I've been squatting a lot this summer; it's my favorite exercise. Am I really doomed to avoid squats and deadlifts?

I've of heard of guys being pain free for 5 years and then they get pain. If you're sure you're not going to re-injure it and it's just pain then I think you should be ok.
I'm probably going to give up squats in favour of leg presses, leg extensions and leg curls after I get mine sorted.
Not sure about deadlifts but I might have to give them up too. It's a shame because I really like them and they're a great exercise

[mrlaurencenguye]

I'm going back to my surgeon to get it checked out next week. Do you think the bench press is a lot safer than squats/deadlifts in this regard?

[Phoenix989]

Yes benching doesn't put as much pressure on the abdomen.

[benelou]

Heh. I ran across the other hernia thread via an internet search before seeing this one. Sorry. Re-posting here. Mods, feel free to delete my post in the other thread.

Right inguinal hernia surgery yesterday here (lower abdomen...no cutting on my junk...yay for that at least). I ran across this thread searching to see if the 7ish pounds I gained in one day was normal. (I've lost 90+ pounds in the last 8 months.) I've been doing a good bit of running and strength training, so the surgery and recovery is frustrating. I was training to do my first Half Marathon on October 20th and had run 13.1 or more about 5 times in training. I was also lifting 3-4 days per week (twice upper, 1-2 lower, depending on what I could take with all the running).

Anyway, surgery started at 10:00am yesterday, was home at 1pm. Doc did local numbing as well as the general anesthesia. It was a regular incision, mesh repair, glue on the incision. My right side all the way from just below the nipple line to mid right thigh was numb for most of the afternoon yesterday from the local numbing. I took the prescribed painkiller (HYDROCO/APAP, which is, I believe, vicodin) for the first time before bedtime last night just in case. Thankfully the wife got up when I went to the toilet the first time I needed to take a whizz after taking that stuff, around midnight. I either fell asleep standing up or got light-headed. I don't remember which. Anyway, she had to help me back to bed, not because of any pain, but because I could barely hold myself up. Same drill around 4am--got very light-headed. I'm not taking that crap again. I've been home a little over 24 hours as of this post. I'm in no pain when I lie in bed, have a little when I get up. Haven't taken a dump yet, but I'm hoping the 35g of fiber in my diet yesterday and 40g today will help move things along. Walking hurts a little; the process of standing up hurts a good bit. My doctor has said he thinks I can return to running in about 2 1/2 weeks, lifting lighter in 4-6. We'll see. I'll keep updating here, I suppose.

--Ben

[benelou]

...and now I just finished reading through the entire thread. This is a wealth of info and experiences. From reading, I guess I should add the following info:

--right side, 4ish-inch incision in lower abdomen, no pain or swelling in testicles. I don't think they had to go down there at all.
--I first noticed some minor pain while running. I was near the end of a long run and thought my new shorts were too tight.
--No more pain for a week. The following Sunday (which is my long run day, so one week later,) I did a 14-miler with no pain. However, later that afternoon I took my daughter to the pool in our neighborhood. I got out of the car and could hardly walk. I didn't feel a protrusion, but serious pain. However, it went away in maybe 30 seconds. We went on to the pool and had a good time. She jumped to me from the side several times and I caught her without any noticeable problems (she's 40ish pounds, 4 years old). But when we got home, I got out of the car and couldn't walk upstairs. It was obvious something was wrong. Went to the urgent care that day (August 18th). By the time I got there, the pain was gone, but from the descriptions I gave them they said it was a probable hernia and referred me to a surgeon. He told me that if it poked out and was hurting, I should try gently pushing it back in. Awesome. No more weight training from then until now. August 17th was my last lifting session.
--I had the exam with the surgeon on August 21st. He confirmed that I had a small hernia, but by then I was about 99.9% sure. Some fatty tissue poked out of my lower abdomen during my run on August 20th and I pushed it back in and kept going, per doctor's orders. The surgeon has done a marathon and actually told me that he'd be fine if I waited to do the surgery until after the October 20th half marathon I was scheduled to do. I thought about it, but really wanted to go ahead and get it done. I scheduled the surgery for yesterday, September 6th.

[benelou]

Oh...and specifically, thanks for the advice on the stool softener. The wife just ran to the store and got some for me.

[benelou]

Surgery Day (Friday): 185.1 lbs--ate two meals + 1 snack, ~1550 calories, 115p, 35fiber. Slept in the bed, on my back, under the influence of vicodin. I hate that stuff and will not take it again. Made me dizzy when I had to get up to take a whizz.
S-Day +1 (Saturday): 191.7 lbs--3 meals, ~1800 calories, 150p, 38fiber--Rough day. Impossible to stand up or walk without pain. The acts of standing up or getting back to sitting or lying down position brought a sharp pain in the incision area pretty much every time. No painkiller during the day. Did the old man walk to the toilet to pee every time I had to. No poop. Watched some college football in the recliner. Slept in bed again, on my back, a pillow under my right knee to prop up that side a bit. Took first stool softener at around 5:30pm. Took Tylenol PM before bedtime and that was plenty of painkiller for sleeping. Got a good night of sleep.
S-Day +2 (Sunday): 189.4 lbs--Big fiber breakfast (22g) around 6:30am. Pooped at around 9:00am. Two-turd poop. First one was a little tough coming out, but not painful (probably the fiber-only). The second was very easy, pretty clearly helped by the stool softener. n=1, but I still would agree with highly recommending that. Walked five laps around the inside of the house this morning. If I feel up to it, will do five around the outside before lunch, then 1/4 mile on the sidewalk before dinner.

[Phoenix989]

Surgery scheduled for end of October. After 6-8 weeks can I start lifting heavy weights or do I need to lift light for a few weeks before? I realise after such a long layoff I won't be as strong and don't want to push too hard at first but I'd like to get back to my previous size and strength as soon I safely can

[liangyu]

If you are sitting at 6 months, you probably feel like you may be ready to get back into these two exercises. In my case, I was fine. I started squating and deadlifting the bar. This was humiliating but entirely necessary. I slowly worked my way up. I has been exactly 8 months for me now and I have finally reached the point of deadlifting 315x8 just as I used to before my injury. There are times that I feel pressure in my abs and I stop... or sometimes I'll just do 225x8. These are just examples of my experiences.

I began squatting at 6 months with bar and then at 7 months 135 lbs, and now at 8 months, I can squat 185x5 with no issues. I am still working slow not rushing because I know it is not worth going through this again. I don't want to get another hernia.

[jzaik]

No one is mentioning the type of procedure, laproscopic or regular incision.

[benelou]

No one is mentioning the type of procedure, laproscopic or regular incision.

Not so sure about "no one" there.

Heh. I ran across the other hernia thread via an internet search before seeing this one. Sorry. Re-posting here. Mods, feel free to delete my post in the other thread.

Right inguinal hernia surgery yesterday here (lower abdomen...no cutting on my junk...yay for that at least). I ran across this thread searching to see if the 7ish pounds I gained in one day was normal. (I've lost 90+ pounds in the last 8 months.) I've been doing a good bit of running and strength training, so the surgery and recovery is frustrating. I was training to do my first Half Marathon on October 20th and had run 13.1 or more about 5 times in training. I was also lifting 3-4 days per week (twice upper, 1-2 lower, depending on what I could take with all the running).

Anyway, surgery started at 10:00am yesterday, was home at 1pm. Doc did local numbing as well as the general anesthesia. It was a regular incision, mesh repair, glue on the incision. My right side all the way from just below the nipple line to mid right thigh was numb for most of the afternoon yesterday from the local numbing. I took the prescribed painkiller (HYDROCO/APAP, which is, I believe, vicodin) for the first time before bedtime last night just in case. Thankfully the wife got up when I went to the toilet the first time I needed to take a whizz after taking that stuff, around midnight. I either fell asleep standing up or got light-headed. I don't remember which. Anyway, she had to help me back to bed, not because of any pain, but because I could barely hold myself up. Same drill around 4am--got very light-headed. I'm not taking that crap again. I've been home a little over 24 hours as of this post. I'm in no pain when I lie in bed, have a little when I get up. Haven't taken a dump yet, but I'm hoping the 35g of fiber in my diet yesterday and 40g today will help move things along. Walking hurts a little; the process of standing up hurts a good bit. My doctor has said he thinks I can return to running in about 2 1/2 weeks, lifting lighter in 4-6. We'll see. I'll keep updating here, I suppose.

--Ben

Anyway, I'm now 9 days removed from surgery and have been feeling pretty normal since around Day 3 or 4. The incision itself has been the only real issue since the first couple of days or so. Surgery was on a Friday; the act of standing, sitting, or lying down hurt for a short time until around Tuesday. I actually got three very strong cardio workouts (walking on the inclined treadmill) in on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 4-6 days after the surgery. Detail of those are here: fattofitat44.blogspot.com/2013/09/interesting-at-least-to-me-data-from-my.html . All were pain-free with no after-effects that I have been able to perceive. I've focused heavily on extremely clean eating with good protein intake during the recovery time, and I think that has paid off. The waistline is a little smaller than it was pre-surgery, even. Surgery was on the 6th, post-op evaluation is on the 24th. The doctor says if all is well I will be cleared for running and light lifting then. I think I'm going to return to lifting more slowly than that, maybe do bodyweight-only stuff for a couple of weeks then light lifting somewhere in the 4 to 6 week post-surgery range. We'll see.

[Ubiyca]

Ah ok, I got mine from deadlifts. Probably going to have a mental block about them when I get back

You did not get your hernia from deadlifting, you got it from genetics.

[Ubiyca]

I had my left inguinal hernia repaired with an open tension-free procedure done by a hernia specialist who only does hernia repair on Friday September 13th. I had it done while I was pretty much completely awake (they gave me a very weak sedative) and local anesthetic (they same they use to freeze your mouth at the dentist). It was perfectly fine. You really don't need to be put under for this. I felt no pain just some tugging and pulling. It was cool to hear the doc talk to some med students about what he's doing and why, etc, as he was operating on me. I had 2 small pieces of mesh inserted in my left side. One for a small hernia and the other to cover my weak inguinal ring so I don't develop another hernia there in 10-20 yrs.

It's 2 days post-op now. I feel pretty good. Only took 1 codeine pill for pain on the 1st night after surgery to make sure I slept okay, and that was all I have needed so far. Going to see the doc tomorrow (3 days post-op) to get half of the staples taken out.

Doctor claims, go back to light sports after 10 days, and weights after 3 weeks, and lift ANYTHING, after 4 weeks, no problem, as long as I go back gradually. This is a guy who has done more than 10,000 hernia repairs, and has pretty much dedicated his life to hernia repair.


We'll see what happens..

[Ubiyca]

Is it better to have laparoscopic surgery than open surgery?

What matters most, is what your surgeon is more comfortable with, and better trained in.

Also, keep in kind, with lapro (although this is true for every method as well but even more so with lapro) it's especially important the surgeon you choose has A LOT of experience doing hernia repair because otherwise the recurrence rate is rather high (10%)

[Ubiyca]

How is everyone doing??? let's get some updates going guys...

[Ubiyca]

Anyone have trouble lifting their leg of the side they had hernia repaired on? Feels really weird. I can lift it, just not too much. changing pants and shoes and stuff is a bit tricky.

[benelou]

Update:

Surgery was 9/6 (two weeks ago today). I've gotten in 9 incline treadmill walks, all with average heart rates of 140 and up (all but one 147 or higher,) and 30+ minutes, so I don't think I'll lose anything at all aerobically--might even gain some. I don't typically get heart rates like I'm getting now from my normal cardio routine.

As for strength training, I'm supposed to wait until my 9/24 follow-up appointment. I couldn't. I've been completely pain free since 9/14 (8 days after the surgery). I have slowly started doing pushups this week. I'm up to 4 sets of 12, no pain.

[pawelcunt22]

tfw doc just diagnosed hernia

[Ubiyca]

Update:

Surgery was 9/6 (two weeks ago today). I've gotten in 9 incline treadmill walks, all with average heart rates of 140 and up (all but one 147 or higher,) and 30+ minutes, so I don't think I'll lose anything at all aerobically--might even gain some. I don't typically get heart rates like I'm getting now from my normal cardio routine.

As for strength training, I'm supposed to wait until my 9/24 follow-up appointment. I couldn't. I've been completely pain free since 9/14 (8 days after the surgery). I have slowly started doing pushups this week. I'm up to 4 sets of 12, no pain.

Wow, very nice recovery.

Lapro or Open surgery?

[dreamshock]

Hello guys, i have gone through the all posts of this thread and im really really scared that i will be never able to lift again.I was doin fitness for year and half, so happy and fit, too bad i have hernia on both sides.Tommorow is my open surgery, hope i will recovery as soon as possible and be able to lift again, this feels like its my dream to lift again.I really hope to do so, i see everyone here is dedicated, so am I but i dont know.I really hope from the bottom of my heart to be able to lift again atleast at 80% power.The doc says ill beable to lift in 2 months but my father had hernia too and he says he never lifted again, so i dont know what to think.Anyway im gonna post how i feel and how i recover to share my experience with you guys.Need to lift so much

[Milanesio]

it's my place , i like it , thanks for your share, i learn much here

[Ubiyca]

Hello guys, i have gone through the all posts of this thread and im really really scared that i will be never able to lift again.I was doin fitness for year and half, so happy and fit, too bad i have hernia on both sides.Tommorow is my open surgery, hope i will recovery as soon as possible and be able to lift again, this feels like its my dream to lift again.I really hope to do so, i see everyone here is dedicated, so am I but i dont know.I really hope from the bottom of my heart to be able to lift again atleast at 80% power.The doc says ill beable to lift in 2 months but my father had hernia too and he says he never lifted again, so i dont know what to think.Anyway im gonna post how i feel and how i recover to share my experience with you guys.Need to lift so much

Hi.

I'm 9days post surgery for a left inguinal hernia with mesh (open surgery). I have a veryy small hernia on the right side too but I will wait awhile til it becomes bigger to repair, if it ever does get bigger.

I haven't started lifting yet but I can tell you.. you will be back to lifting weights soon. even more than you lifted before. just give it time.

My doc said after 1 month (4 weeks) you can do whatever you want, as long as you start slow and build your way back up gradually.

The longest recovery timeline I've seen for going all out with heavy weight is 8 weeks, so 2 months, max.

There are doctors who say go back to all regular activity and athletics (weight lifting) after surgery whenever you feel ready !

There are different schools of thought here, so it is a bit confusing.

Here's what strength coach Mark Rippetoe said regarding his bilateral open hernia surgery:

"Once the mesh is in, it incorporates into the abdominal floor within a few days and the hernia itself is gone. Rehab from the operation is essentially rehab from the surgery itself, and it took me 11 days to get back to pulling (no squats as I had a knee that was getting fixed a couple of weeks later), and I deadlifted 225 x 1 x 50 reps @30 seconds apart that day, no pain. Back to essentially normal training in 2 weeks."

Also, here is what a doctor had to say about hernia surgery:

"I have performed over 200 tension-free hernia repairs using the Perfix plug technique popularized by Ira Rutkow. I do them under local anesthesia and sedation.

I instruct patients to return to full activities, including athletics, lifting, etc. whenever they feel like it.

The reported long term recurrence rate is 1-2%. My recurrence rate appears similar, but I haven't studied this exhaustively. I have never seen a recurrence related to lifting. Early recurrences are technical failures. Longer term recurrences are likely to be related to the genetics that caused the original hernia."

[Phoenix989]

Still have about a month to go until surgery. I was bored and did a light weight workout the other day. Bench 20kg, barbell curls 20kg, pulldowns 25kg, and db rows with 15kg. Felt ok during the workout but hurt a whole lot after. Had this burning sensation in my crotch. I'm hoping the surgery will eliminate the pain. If it doesn't at least I can go back to training.

[benelou]

Wow, very nice recovery.

Lapro or Open surgery?

Open surgery. Before and after surgery, I've been eating very, very cleanly, so I suspect that helped. I had my follow-up appointment today. He cleared me for running immediately, and said I can start doing 15-rep lifts starting next week, then give it 2-3 more weeks before doing low-rep stuff. He said minor pain after working out is fine..just ice it and take ibuprofen. He's around my age and a runner/lifter, so I suspect he tends to be a bit more aggressive on getting back into it than some.

[Ubiyca]

Open surgery. Before and after surgery, I've been eating very, very cleanly, so I suspect that helped. I had my follow-up appointment today. He cleared me for running immediately, and said I can start doing 15-rep lifts starting next week, then give it 2-3 more weeks before doing low-rep stuff. He said minor pain after working out is fine..just ice it and take ibuprofen. He's around my age and a runner/lifter, so I suspect he tends to be a bit more aggressive on getting back into it than some.

Nice dude.

I'm 11 days out now and I feel much muuuuch better after walking A LOT the past few days.

I'm gonna wait 3 weeks to start working out very lightly with 5-10lb dumbbells, and ramp it up week after week.

BTW have you noticed erections are a little bit weaker than before at all?

[dreamshock]

Hi.

I'm 9days post surgery for a left inguinal hernia with mesh (open surgery). I have a veryy small hernia on the right side too but I will wait awhile til it becomes bigger to repair, if it ever does get bigger.

I haven't started lifting yet but I can tell you.. you will be back to lifting weights soon. even more than you lifted before. just give it time.

My doc said after 1 month (4 weeks) you can do whatever you want, as long as you start slow and build your way back up gradually.

The longest recovery timeline I've seen for going all out with heavy weight is 8 weeks, so 2 months, max.

There are doctors who say go back to all regular activity and athletics (weight lifting) after surgery whenever you feel ready !

There are different schools of thought here, so it is a bit confusing.

Here's what strength coach Mark Rippetoe said regarding his bilateral open hernia surgery:

"Once the mesh is in, it incorporates into the abdominal floor within a few days and the hernia itself is gone. Rehab from the operation is essentially rehab from the surgery itself, and it took me 11 days to get back to pulling (no squats as I had a knee that was getting fixed a couple of weeks later), and I deadlifted 225 x 1 x 50 reps @30 seconds apart that day, no pain. Back to essentially normal training in 2 weeks."

Also, here is what a doctor had to say about hernia surgery:

"I have performed over 200 tension-free hernia repairs using the Perfix plug technique popularized by Ira Rutkow. I do them under local anesthesia and sedation.

I instruct patients to return to full activities, including athletics, lifting, etc. whenever they feel like it.

The reported long term recurrence rate is 1-2%. My recurrence rate appears similar, but I haven't studied this exhaustively. I have never seen a recurrence related to lifting. Early recurrences are technical failures. Longer term recurrences are likely to be related to the genetics that caused the original hernia."

Hi buddy! Thanks for answering me so fast, you give me hope.I had my open surgery with mesh on Tuesday 24 September and it was..... the worst day of my life, never ever felt so much pain, i couldnt even stand hah.The next day Wednesday 25 September, i could barely stand and barely walk, it was hard but i could do it.Today Thusrday 26 September im at home, walking around with pain in my abdomens and still resting ^^ I asked my doc when i can go back to fitness, he said 3 months (i was like wtf) but from what i see you guys say 2 months i believe more you than him cause you know how i feel with such desire to heavy lift.He said i can run in 10 days tho.To be honest i see that my hernia is removed now, i only feel pain from the surgery and sometimes at my testicles.I really hope i can go back in lifting as soon as possible! Im looking forward for my rest. Thanks for sharing guys, ill keep on sharing too, i think we should keep on helping ourselves (The fitness addicted guys) because i doubt other people can understand us

[Ubiyca]

Hi buddy! Thanks for answering me so fast, you give me hope.I had my open surgery with mesh on Tuesday 24 September and it was..... the worst day of my life, never ever felt so much pain, i couldnt even stand hah.The next day Wednesday 25 September, i could barely stand and barely walk, it was hard but i could do it.Today Thusrday 26 September im at home, walking around with pain in my abdomens and still resting ^^ I asked my doc when i can go back to fitness, he said 3 months (i was like wtf) but from what i see you guys say 2 months i believe more you than him cause you know how i feel with such desire to heavy lift.He said i can run in 10 days tho.To be honest i see that my hernia is removed now, i only feel pain from the surgery and sometimes at my testicles.I really hope i can go back in lifting as soon as possible! Im looking forward for my rest. Thanks for sharing guys, ill keep on sharing too, i think we should keep on helping ourselves (The fitness addicted guys) because i doubt other people can understand us

You stayed in the hospital 2 days after surgery?

Dude... like I said.. my doc who is a hernia specialist says 10 days.. return to light sports... 3 weeks, start lifting light.. after 4 weeks.. lift whatever the hell you want, but start slow and work your way up...

I've seen other stuff saying.. wait 6 to 8 weeks to go heavy heavy. Never read 3 months anywhere and I've researched this exhaustively.

There are other schools of thought, some surgeons believe the mesh takes a few days to integrate into the abdominal floor and once that is done, the recovery from the surgery is just recovery from the operation and cutting.

I really doubt it will take you 3 months. Is your surgeon a hernia specialist or general surgeon/MD?

By the way, I'm on day 13, I can walk normally no prob, walking doesn't hurt at all anymore and stuff, balls aren't aching at all, etc. Sitting, standing, etc, is all good too pretty much. Don't worry about anything you will be fine in a little while.

Some weird things I'm noticing is, I don't really have an urge to pee like before, as if it doesn't feel the same when my bladder is full.. it just hurts a bit rather than the normal feeling... but this should come back in time. Erections don't feel as strong either yet... but most likely due to inflammation, etc.

[dreamshock]

You stayed in the hospital 2 days after surgery?

Dude... like I said.. my doc who is a hernia specialist says 10 days.. return to light sports... 3 weeks, start lifting light.. after 4 weeks.. lift whatever the hell you want, but start slow and work your way up...

I've seen other stuff saying.. wait 6 to 8 weeks to go heavy heavy. Never read 3 months anywhere and I've researched this exhaustively.

There are other schools of thought, some surgeons believe the mesh takes a few days to integrate into the abdominal floor and once that is done, the recovery from the surgery is just recovery from the operation and cutting.

I really doubt it will take you 3 months. Is your surgeon a hernia specialist or general surgeon/MD?

By the way, I'm on day 13, I can walk normally no prob, walking doesn't hurt at all anymore and stuff, balls aren't aching at all, etc. Sitting, standing, etc, is all good too pretty much. Don't worry about anything you will be fine in a little while.

Some weird things I'm noticing is, I don't really have an urge to pee like before, as if it doesn't feel the same when my bladder is full.. it just hurts a bit rather than the normal feeling... but this should come back in time. Erections don't feel as strong either yet... but most likely due to inflammation, etc.

Ye i think you are right, im mostly feeling pain from the surgery than from the hernia, cause the circle i had from hernia is removed on the both sides.This is day 3 here post from surgery, im mostly feeling pain from the cutting and sometimes aching in the balls and in the leg but i think it should be ok very soon.I am walking really better than yesterday I think my surgeon was general surgeon but he is very good, maybe the best in my city, but he has no idea of fitness (hah).The thing is i went to 3 doctors before this one and they said 2 months is ok for fitness. So i believe ill be fine in 2 months.Really looking forward to start lifting again!

[Ubiyca]

Ye i think you are right, im mostly feeling pain from the surgery than from the hernia, cause the circle i had from hernia is removed on the both sides.This is day 3 here post from surgery, im mostly feeling pain from the cutting and sometimes aching in the balls and in the leg but i think it should be ok very soon.I am walking really better than yesterday I think my surgeon was general surgeon but he is very good, maybe the best in my city, but he has no idea of fitness (hah).The thing is i went to 3 doctors before this one and they said 2 months is ok for fitness. So i believe ill be fine in 2 months.Really looking forward to start lifting again!

Glad you're feeling better man.

I'm 14 days post surgery and I feel absolutely perfect to walk.

It's like I never had surgery.

Crazy...

I have one concern though...

I have a slight lump/bump, it's easier to feel it than see it per se, but it's a definite bump similar to the old hernia bump..... hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

**EDIT** nevermind... found this:

3-4 days after double lap hernia surgery a small bulge developed where largest hernia was have no pain no redness at all is that normal ?
Normal & Expected

The space where the hernia was will often fill up with fluid after surgery--we call this a seroma. It can often look & feel just like a hernia but it won't "yo-yo" in-and-out. Your body will slowly absorb this over the next few weeks-to-months. I ask my patients to return to see me 4-6 months after surgery for one last hernia exam since that fluid can interfere with the exam, as well.