Complications After Hernia Surgery | Inguinal Hernia Repair Complications
Hernioplasty surgery or herniorrhaphy is done to correct or repair Hernia. Complications after hernia surgery have been observed in many instances. Pain in the abdomen, infection, chronic pain, intestinal obstruction, recurrence of the hernia, adhesions, mesh complications, and bowel perforation are the common problems after hernia surgery.
A hernia is a defect that happens when an organ, tissue, or part of the intestine pushes through weakened muscles or protrudes through an opening. You can feel a bulge under your skin where the hernial content has pushed through weakened muscles.
Watch This Video — Hernia Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Types of Hernia
- Inguinal Hernia
- Umbilical Hernia
- Femoral Hernia
- Hiatus Hernia
- Incisional Hernia
Risk Factors of developing problems after hernia surgery
- Obesity
- Older Age
- Chronic diseases like abdominal tuberculosis
- The tendency of recurrent hernias
- Chronic Smoker
- Emergency Hernia Surgery
- Femoral Hernia
What are the Common Problems After Hernia Surgery?
You can develop certain complications and problems even when you go for elective hernia repair surgery. However, the risk of developing surgical complications is higher if you are having an emergency hernioplasty. Around 27 percent of people develop complications after emergency hernia surgery whereas, 15 percent of people have complications after elective hernia surgery.
Fever After Hernia Surgery
It’s a very common complication or a symptom of post-surgery infection. Ideally, there should be no fever after hernia surgery but if you are running with fever after hernia surgery this is a clear indication of infection which is not localized and spread into your blood. If the infection is not treated in time can lead to many other complications like sepsis and organ failures too.
Pain Abdomen
Initial pain after surgery is normal in some people. It takes up to 72 hours to subside but if prolonged, can be a problem. Post herniorrhaphy neuralgia has become more prominent in young adults.
Pain in the abdomen after hernia surgery is caused by injury to your skin, muscles, or nerves because of a surgical incision that is normal.
But if it doesn’t diminish with time, then it can be a cause of concern. The cause of acute or severe pain in the abdomen after hernia surgery can be due to infection, internal bleeding, rejection of mesh, intestinal obstruction, and internal injury during surgery.
The long-term causes of pain can be chronic infection, migration of mesh, or mesh adhesions.
Surgical Site Infection
Generally, surgical site infection (SSI) doesn’t happen if antiseptic precautions are taken during surgery. But it can happen if antiseptic practices are compromised during changes in dressing.
Surgical site infection is a localized infection and can be treated easily with oral or intravenous antibiotics and antiseptic dressings over the wound.
If the infection is deep-seated around the mess, it is really harder to treat. The patient may need surgery again to remove the mesh and intravenous antibiotic treatment.
Common symptoms of infection are fever, pain in the abdomen, inflammation, and other flu-like symptoms.
Mesh Adhesions to Adjacent Organs or Adhesions after Hernia Surgery
Chronic pain or long-term pain can be the first sign of mesh adhesions. Hernia mesh can develop adhesions to adjacent organs which leads to pain. If the adhesion is between the intestine and repair of the hernia site with mesh, it can lead to a life-threatening condition.
However, hernia mesh manufacturers have developed different types of coated materials to avoid adhesion. You should choose a good-quality mesh for hernia repair surgery otherwise it can lead to what causes incarceration of the colon after inguinal hernia surgery or after any other ventral hernia surgery.
Discuss with your doctor to use good quality mesh to reduce the complications of adhesions after hernia surgery.
Intestinal Obstruction after Hernia Surgery
Mesh or mesh adhesions can cause intestinal obstruction which leads to perforation of the intestine. Intestinal or bowel obstruction and intestinal perforation are dangerous conditions.
These are emergency medical conditions and need immediate treatment or surgical intervention.
Symptoms of intestinal obstruction are nausea, vomiting, severe pain abdomen, inability to pass stool or gas, and distension of the abdomen.
Rejection of Hernia Mesh
It depends on your immune response, the material used in hernia surgical mesh is rejected by your body’s immune response system.
Symptoms of mesh rejection are extreme swelling at the surgical site, redness around the surgical wound, tenderness, pain, and flu-like symptoms.
Migration of Hernia Mesh
Hernia mesh can detach after surgery even in the first week of surgery. There can be a risk of migration of mesh through the abdomen. The risk of migration of mesh is more in laparoscopic hernia surgery.
Migration of mesh can lead to adhesions, fistulas, abscess, intestinal obstruction, and perforation which can lead to life-threatening conditions.
Symptoms of mesh migration include fever with chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weight loss, and swelling due to infection.
Recurrence of Hernia after Hernia Mesh Surgery
Hernia recurrence used to be very common when done without mesh hernia surgeries which are now reduced by using mesh. There is no guarantee against recurrence but the mesh can cause long-term risks as discussed above.
Common Symptoms of Hernia Mesh Failure
- Pain and stiffness in the abdomen
- Nausea, Vomiting, and Flu-like symptoms
- High-Grade Fever, Fever after hernia surgery
- Excessive pain and swelling
- Redness on incision and drainage from the incision
- Difficulty in urinating
- Difficulty in passing stool and Gas
If you observe any symptoms of hernia mesh failure. Please do not delay seeing your doctor. Any delay in the treatment of mesh failure can lead to life-threatening complications like septicemia, multiorgan failure, and even death. But early intervention can save your life.
