Incisional Hernia

Well, I seem to have sprung an incisional hernia.  I noticed it last week, but have been in denial.  Finally, after my husband insisted, I called my surgeon.  I'm going in next Tuesday.  Hoping it can wait a couple of weeks as I need to go visit my mother next Friday for a week.  (She's not doing well and lives 1000 miles away).

Has anyone ever had an incisional hernia?  If so, was it an "urgent" issue?  Or could you put it off a while?  I see a lot of hernia's, So I am 99% sure this is what I have. I know there is a risk of incarceration, bowel obstruction, and/or strangulation.  If any of these happen, I'd need immediate surgery.  But at this point it seems to be a "reducible" hernia, meaning when I lie down, the tissue goes back into the abdomen.

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who's experienced this.  My RNY was open due to prior abdomen surgeries in the past.

I had open RNY and developed a LARGE incisional hernia, and even though it was painful when I did certain things, and if I was positioned partially reclined, it looked like an alien was about to burst forth from my belly, I waited over 6 months to have it repaired.  I was hoping to combine the hernia repair with skin removal (but it didn't work that way).  According to my surgeon, incisional hernias from RNY are unlikely to result in intestinal strangulation, etc., so in the vast majority of cases, they can be repaired whenever convenient.

Lora

I had mine repaired in Dec. I could of waited but my deductible had been met last year with everything else so I opted to do it before Jan. 1. Mine also disappeared when laying down and my spanx held it in. I read not to use them online but the doc said if I was more comfortable no reason not to.

I had one and waited about three months to get it fixed and was able to get an panny operation at the same time.

 

I had a large one for months and didn't even know it. I had no pain from it. I was actually meeting with a plastic surgeon to discuss revising my open Bariatric scar. As soon as he looked at me he said you have a large hernia that we need to get fixed ASAP. S he fixed it for me and now I have a nice small scar. I wouldn't wait too long. I wouldn't want to risk having an emergency and relying on the surgeon on call or worse yet being out of the area and needing to go to a strange hospital.

I just had one repaired this weekend.  Mine was causing outrageous pain so I wanted it done asap but the doctor said that it was okay to wait and that he sees lots of people who have unknowlingly had them for months.  i think the risk in waiting is mostly that the pain could get worse.  But if curling into a fetal position and laying on your left side helps them that is probably what it is.

the other thing is that is has been a really easy recovery, I am three days out and moving around fine, happy I have Vicoden if needed but not bad at all.  I agree with the other poster, it would be terrible to be out of town and have it get worse and then have to rely on a different surgeon.

Thanks for all of the good advice.  I'd like to put it off a while, but will leave it to my Surgeon's discretion :)