Question:
Anyone else have to have mesh removed because it is infected after hernia surgery?

I am 2 years post op RNY and had hernia repaired a year ago. Since Thanksgiving, I have had an opening that has been draining and will not heal. Surgeon thinks that either the gor-tex mesh is infected or a suture has not held. I go in for surgery on June 11th. He says it is "exploratory laparoscopy excision of mesh with Alloderm repair and Hernia repair". I have researched Alloderm and it is basically freeze dried human skin that will be used in place of the synthetic gor-tex mesh. I'm really nervous about having to go back for surgery, but he says I have to because it is not going to heal on its own. Anyone else had experience with this? If so, what was your recovery time? How long were you in hospital? He says I may have to remove the mesh and then let infection heal and then go back again for the mesh to be replaced months down the road. Hopefully he can remove and replace in one surgery. Also, I am going to PS to see if I can maybe get TT done at same time, but I'm afraid I won't get insurance approval that fast. Suggestions appreciated.    — cfstevens (posted on May 26, 2004)

May 26, 2004
I know of a guy that had a hernia repair and then had trouble with the mesh. He had it removed and is doing well now so it appears that this can happen.
   — GrannyLaLa

May 26, 2004
i haven't had exactly the same situation but i know how you feel. I had a hernia repair from my appendectomy prior to wls. gor-tex mesh was placed at that time. i had wls almost 2 yrs ago and then had tt with exploritory surg to fix my hernia that reoccured last november. they could not fix my hernia because the old mesh was all bunched up and would not be such a simple procedure to remove the old and put in new while doing the tt at the same time. the surgeons decided to do the tt only and now i am going to have the old mesh removed and new mesh placed laproscopicaly next thursday.although this turned out to be two seperate procedures, the doctors feel the recovery time will be much less than if i had both done last november. I only plan on being out for a week and doctor says if all goes well i should be fine after 3-4 days. but of course still no heavy lifting for 6-8 weeks. I'm optomistic. Good luck to you.by the way with just the tt i was fine after a few days, but still had trouble standing up strait for 2-3 weeeks .
   — dorothy S.

July 7, 2005
I have been fighting a staph infection for close to a year from the mesh. It actually came though the stomach and was an open wound..six weeks of iv antibiotics and have finally signed the consent forms for repair surgery. Then dr sends me to a plastic surgeon and wants to use the component separation method of abdominal reconstruction. they use your own abdominal muscles to create a wall to hold the hernia in place..no mesh..hopefully no infection but at the cost of $9000 out of my pocket due to no part. member for the plastic surgery out of the only hosp my surgeon uses. Am in process of trying to get a out of network approval to pay portion of this but was informed if there is a dr with certain miles will have to switch to them..don't want this. I totally trust my reg surgeon to remove the mesh since he got me though the pulmony embolissm, kidney failure and internal bleeding 7 transfusion required, fixed the hernia and did sort of tummy tuck. any suggestions on appealing to the insurance company with situations appreciated.
   — Louise W.

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