How Can You Tell If the Hernia Mesh Is Working or Not Working?

It may be a difficult endeavor to find out if your hernia mesh is working or not. Once the hernia mesh is implanted into your body, it is meant to stay there for life. The job that the hernia mesh is meant to fulfill, is that it is supposed to bring together tissue in the abdomen around the hernia, to facilitate a hernia repair. But if you are experiencing pain or complications related to your hernia repair surgery, there may be an indication that the hernia mesh is not functioning properly as it should be working. If you develop an infection or other complication, then your hernia mesh may not be “working” as it is supposed to be performing, and that may be a long range problem for you after the hernia mesh surgical procedure is completed.

Patients with an Adverse Reaction to the Hernia Mesh Surgery May Experience Mesh Implant Illness Symptoms

Many patients undergo a hernia mesh repair surgical procedure, and experience postoperative complications after the insertion of the hernia mesh. This can result in the issue of chronic pain for the patient, which follows the person for the rest of his, her or their lives. If a person has a systemic bodily reaction to the implantation of the hernia mesh materials, it can result in an inflammatory bodily response to receiving a mesh implant in a hernia repair surgery. Studies show that there are a group of people who are more likely than others to be a “high responder” to getting a complication to receiving a hernia mash. This can result in an immune response to the mesh, which can be inflammatory, and even become a disease called Shoenfeld’s Syndrome. The problem with Shoenfeld’s Syndrome is that it can have an issue with a reaction that happens with any type of implant, but it is also common with hernia repair surgeries and organ prolapse surgical procedures.¹

Using Intraperitoneal Onlay Mesh Is a Minimal Invasive Way to Repair Hernias, Which May Help Prevent Complications from a Hernia Surgery

One way to possibly prevent complications after a hernia surgery, is for the surgeon to use intraperitoneal onlay mesh or IPOM. This laparoscopic procedure uses an implantation of the hernia mesh into the abdomen of the patient, using laparoscopic technology. The repairs to the hernia take place within the walls of the person’s abdomen. It is critical that the mesh is placed correctly in this procedure, because if the mesh is improperly placed, there can be a higher risk of complications for the patient after the surgical procedure. The complications of a hernia mesh operation that has gone wrong can include: intestinal obstructions, infections, and adhesion of the mesh to other vital organs in the person’s body.² Many surgeons will use a contraposition and alignment mesh fixation during the surgical procedure to repair a hernia.² This procedure works to identify and pre-marks where the mesh is meant to be implanted. In this way it helps to prevent issues with the implantation of the mesh into the person’s body on the day of the surgery. If this was not done properly, you may have a claim for negligence against the surgeon who performed your surgical procedure to repair the hernia on your body. It can be difficult to know what to do and who to call when this type of hernia surgery goes wrong, but you can call us today and we can review your case with you right now.

If you have questions or problems with your hernia mesh, you can feel free to call us today at the Law Offices of Gary K. Walch. We will talk to you, and you can speak to us now at 866-INJURY2 or 866-465-8792.

References

• ¹Fadaee, N., Huynh, D., Khanmohammed, Z., Mazer, L., Capati, I., & Towfigh, S. (2023). Patients With Systemic Reaction to Their Hernia Mesh: An Introduction to Mesh Implant Illness. Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery, 2, 10983.
• ²Ma, N., Tang, D., Tang, F. X., Huang, E. M., Ma, T., Yang, W. S., Liu, C. X., Huang, H. N., Chen, S., & Zhou, T. C. (2022). Application of a New Mesh Fixation Method in Laparoscopic Incisional Hernia Repair. Journal of visualized experiments: JoVE, (190), 10.3791/64916. https://doi.org/10.3791/64916

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