Inguinal Hernia Repair & Flexibility

[shihengman]

Hello All, I’ve seen a couple of threads regarding inguinal hernia repair but nothing discussing flexibility after the repair.
Has anyone here had the repair down and lost flexibility?
I’ve practiced martial arts (Shaolin Kung fu primarily) for over two decades and am currently very flexible - full side splits both sides, very low middle split. Many of the the kicks we do are very dynamic (I have to be careful not to graze my face with straight flex kicks) and require a lot of flexibility, much less deep stances in practice or active and static forms/practice.
If anyone has the same practice, has gone through this surgery, and has any insight or knowledge on the lose of flexibility, I’d appreciate hearing from you. Thanks for your time

 

[seasoned]

Hello All, I’ve seen a couple of threads regarding inguinal hernia repair but nothing discussing flexibility after the repair.
Has anyone here had the repair down and lost flexibility?
I’ve practiced martial arts (Shaolin Kung fu primarily) for over two decades and am currently very flexible - full side splits both sides, very low middle split. Many of the the kicks we do are very dynamic (I have to be careful not to graze my face with straight flex kicks) and require a lot of flexibility, much less deep stances in practice or active and static forms/practice.
If anyone has the same practice, has gone through this surgery, and has any insight or knowledge on the lose of flexibility, I’d appreciate hearing from you. Thanks for your time

First off, welcome to MT. We have a very open group of members always willing to help. We hope you enjoy your stay with us.

Martial Talk
Staff

 

[shihengman]

Hello All, I’ve seen a couple of threads regarding inguinal hernia repair but nothing discussing flexibility after the repair.
Has anyone here had the repair down and lost flexibility?
I’ve practiced martial arts (Shaolin Kung fu primarily) for over two decades and am currently very flexible - full side splits both sides, very low middle split. Many of the the kicks we do are very dynamic (I have to be careful not to graze my face with straight flex kicks) and require a lot of flexibility, much less deep stances in practice or active and static forms/practice.
If anyone has the same practice, has gone through this surgery, and has any insight or knowledge on the lose of flexibility, I’d appreciate hearing from you. Thanks for your time

Well, I found the answer on my own. I’m posting it so maybe it can be useful to others facing this surgery and the uncertainty of it. The mesh inserted during a laparoscopic procedure is applied to the inside of the abdominal wall. It has no connection to the muscles and will not affect flexibility in the least. Just respect the time it takes to heal after surgery.

 

[dvcochran]

Well, I found the answer on my own. I’m posting it so maybe it can be useful to others facing this surgery and the uncertainty of it. The mesh inserted during a laparoscopic procedure is applied to the inside of the abdominal wall. It has no connection to the muscles and will not affect flexibility in the least. Just respect the time it takes to heal after surgery.

Where things get dicey is when muscles flex through normal and especially astringent motions. A repaired rupture can happen again. I saw this in my mother. She was a very active country girl who was always outside doing something on the farm. I lost count but she had at least 6 abdominal ruptures. Had the mesh surgery 3 times, which was major. Literally moving all of her guts out of the way to facilitate the repair. Twice she had issue with tissue growing into the mesh, pulling when she would move causing her severe pain.
***I AM NOT AN EXPERT*** Take to your physicians. I say that in plurality because you need more than just a surgeon's opinion. They have only one answer for most everything.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Well, I found the answer on my own. I’m posting it so maybe it can be useful to others facing this surgery and the uncertainty of it. The mesh inserted during a laparoscopic procedure is applied to the inside of the abdominal wall. It has no connection to the muscles and will not affect flexibility in the least. Just respect the time it takes to heal after surgery.

Not all surgeons use mesh. Very few perform laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. The inguinal hernia that is repaired with open technique rather than laparoscopically has better outcomes. There can be problems with mesh, and laparoscopic surgery is associated with adhesions that may require additional surgery for lysis. Please don’t take my word for it. Do your research on the procedure and your prospective surgeons previous outcomes. Good luck!

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Where things get dicey is when muscles flex through normal and especially astringent motions. A repaired rupture can happen again. I saw this in my mother. She was a very active country girl who was always outside doing something on the farm. I lost count but she had at least 6 abdominal ruptures. Had the mesh surgery 3 times, which was major. Literally moving all of her guts out of the way to facilitate the repair. Twice she had issue with tissue growing into the mesh, pulling when she would move causing her severe pain.
***I AM NOT AN EXPERT*** Take to your physicians. I say that in plurality because you need more than just a surgeon's opinion. They have only one answer for most everything.

The answer to everything, is to cut.

 

[shihengman]

Where things get dicey is when muscles flex through normal and especially astringent motions. A repaired rupture can happen again. I saw this in my mother. She was a very active country girl who was always outside doing something on the farm. I lost count but she had at least 6 abdominal ruptures. Had the mesh surgery 3 times, which was major. Literally moving all of her guts out of the way to facilitate the repair. Twice she had issue with tissue growing into the mesh, pulling when she would move causing her severe pain.
***I AM NOT AN EXPERT*** Take to your physicians. I say that in plurality because you need more than just a surgeon's opinion. They have only one answer for most everything.

I sympathize with what she went through. I was highly concerned about mesh…the while thing really. It seems that these procedures in particular have taken a big leap in results (or lack of complications) only since about 2017 when the last of the compromised mesh was recalled. I went laparoscopic, which minimally invasive and uses mesh. I had the surgery on Wednesday (11/24/21), hoping for the best. Off pain meds by Thursday eve. Dealing with some fluctuating groin pain but up and mobile. I will say that the doctors I saw did give me super explicit instructions. They said ‘don’t go to the gym and do squats..’ What they should have said is ‘Do not squat. Period.’ I made the uninformed choice to try and squatted down to pick something light up off the ground last night and that really hasn’t felt good. Hoping nothing is damaged from something so ‘small.’ We shall see.

 

[dvcochran]

I sympathize with what she went through. I was highly concerned about mesh…the while thing really. It seems that these procedures in particular have taken a big leap in results (or lack of complications) only since about 2017 when the last of the compromised mesh was recalled. I went laparoscopic, which minimally invasive and uses mesh. I had the surgery on Wednesday (11/24/21), hoping for the best. Off pain meds by Thursday eve. Dealing with some fluctuating groin pain but up and mobile. I will say that the doctors I saw did give me super explicit instructions. They said ‘don’t go to the gym and do squats..’ What they should have said is ‘Do not squat. Period.’ I made the uninformed choice to try and squatted down to pick something light up off the ground last night and that really hasn’t felt good. Hoping nothing is damaged from something so ‘small.’ We shall see.

Great to hear that thing's are going well. Prayers for continued progress.
NO SQUAT'S !!!

 

[shihengman]

Not all surgeons use mesh. Very few perform laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. The inguinal hernia that is repaired with open technique rather than laparoscopically has better outcomes. There can be problems with mesh, and laparoscopic surgery is associated with adhesions that may require additional surgery for lysis. Please don’t take my word for it. Do your research on the procedure and your prospective surgeons previous outcomes. Good luck!

Thank you your reply. I do understand that it is a longer recovery for the direct cut, but I have also heard you are more than twice as likely to have a recurrence of hernia by the method you speak of. Curious how you came to this theory. Thanks!

 

[shihengman]

Great to hear that thing's are going well. Prayers for continued progress.
NO SQUAT'S !!!

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Thank you your reply. I do understand that it is a longer recovery for the direct cut, but I have also heard you are more than twice as likely to have a recurrence of hernia by the method you speak of. Curious how you came to this theory. Thanks!

it isn’t my theory, there is a study. I can’t seem to find it now, I will look for it And try to post it later. I have assisted in hundreds of various hernia repairs with many different surgeons during my career. Recurrence has been rare in any case, and is usually associated with noncompliance on the part of the patient. No squatting or lifting please!

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Thank you your reply. I do understand that it is a longer recovery for the direct cut, but I have also heard you are more than twice as likely to have a recurrence of hernia by the method you speak of. Curious how you came to this theory. Thanks!

The study I am referring to was published in the national library of medicine was published in 2019 and had close to 4000 subjects. They found there was no difference in recurrence between the two methods. The laparoscopic patients had less pain both acute and chronic, post surgery. You are past this so the point is moot. Best Wishes for your recovery.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Not all surgeons use mesh. Very few perform laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. The inguinal hernia that is repaired with open technique rather than laparoscopically has better outcomes. There can be problems with mesh, and laparoscopic surgery is associated with adhesions that may require additional surgery for lysis. Please don’t take my word for it. Do your research on the procedure and your prospective surgeons previous outcomes. Good luck!

The reason I said this is because of adhesions, which wouldn’t occur with an open procedure. You can likely find a study that refutes any other study. Medicine is nearly as controversial in method as martial arts is. The egos involved in surgery also bear resemblance to some of the ones in martial arts.

 

[shihengman]

The reason I said this is because of adhesions, which wouldn’t occur with an open procedure. You can likely find a study that refutes any other study. Medicine is nearly as controversial in method as martial arts is. The egos involved in surgery also bear resemblance to some of the ones in martial arts.

Thanks for the info Wing, and solid point on egos in medicine to martial arts...really any specialized field. Unfortunately I wasn't offered the 'open technique' and I'm moving out of the country in 6 weeks, so was going for the quickest results. I have terrible insurance, and it took 7 months alone to get a solid answer on what was going on... I did not like the idea of foreign objects but once I reviewed the scare behind it, I realized a lot of the horrors are old news. Anyway, thank you for the info. It's important to share.
Re: your no squatting point. I could slap myself, but I thought picking up an empty bowl would be fine. ...It hurts still 18 hours later. It's really frustrating that there weren't more specific instructions from the surgeon or assistants as I stated in a different reply. Yesterday was only 3 days post surgery...again, I'm hoping an empty quick squat didn't cause damage, but I will send an update after a few more weeks.
TO ANYONE READING: DO NOT for at least two weeks SQUAT, BEND OVER (aside from getting into a sitting position, or into bed), TWIST, or RUN... So ridiculous that this is not more explicit from the people doing the repairs.
Wing, thanks again for your comments. It's appreciated by me, and hopefully helpful to others.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Thanks for the info Wing, and solid point on egos in medicine to martial arts...really any specialized field. Unfortunately I wasn't offered the 'open technique' and I'm moving out of the country in 6 weeks, so was going for the quickest results. I have terrible insurance, and it took 7 months alone to get a solid answer on what was going on... I did not like the idea of foreign objects but once I reviewed the scare behind it, I realized a lot of the horrors are old news. Anyway, thank you for the info. It's important to share.
Re: your no squatting point. I could slap myself, but I thought picking up an empty bowl would be fine. ...It hurts still 18 hours later. It's really frustrating that there weren't more specific instructions from the surgeon or assistants as I stated in a different reply. Yesterday was only 3 days post surgery...again, I'm hoping an empty quick squat didn't cause damage, but I will send an update after a few more weeks.
TO ANYONE READING: DO NOT for at least two weeks SQUAT, BEND OVER (aside from getting into a sitting position, or into bed), TWIST, or RUN... So ridiculous that this is not more explicit from the people doing the repairs.
Wing, thanks again for your comments. It's appreciated by me, and hopefully helpful to others.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Thanks for the info Wing, and solid point on egos in medicine to martial arts...really any specialized field. Unfortunately I wasn't offered the 'open technique' and I'm moving out of the country in 6 weeks, so was going for the quickest results. I have terrible insurance, and it took 7 months alone to get a solid answer on what was going on... I did not like the idea of foreign objects but once I reviewed the scare behind it, I realized a lot of the horrors are old news. Anyway, thank you for the info. It's important to share.
Re: your no squatting point. I could slap myself, but I thought picking up an empty bowl would be fine. ...It hurts still 18 hours later. It's really frustrating that there weren't more specific instructions from the surgeon or assistants as I stated in a different reply. Yesterday was only 3 days post surgery...again, I'm hoping an empty quick squat didn't cause damage, but I will send an update after a few more weeks.
TO ANYONE READING: DO NOT for at least two weeks SQUAT, BEND OVER (aside from getting into a sitting position, or into bed), TWIST, or RUN... So ridiculous that this is not more explicit from the people doing the repairs.
Wing, thanks again for your comments. It's appreciated by me, and hopefully helpful to others.

Glad to help. Good luck!