Is swelling after hernia surgery normal?

September 24, 2022

Updated on April 9, 2022

Boston Hernia team evaluates CT scan.

Swelling after inguinal hernia surgery or umbilical hernia surgery is quite common. Virtually of the time, swelling after hernia surgery is normal and not a sign of a problem. The most common reason for swelling is the body's normal response to surgery.

In the showtime phases of healing, the body produces actress fluid that helps with the healing process. This fluid brings nutrients and cells that can help tissues repair themselves, and appears as swelling at the site where there was an injury to the tissues (similar to swelling afterwards a sprained ankle). When this swelling sits in one area for a few days, it often turns difficult and can feel like a house lump. Swelling can exist quite different, depending on the hernia that was repaired, and the approach used.

For example, in umbilical hernias, typically the incision and the hernia are very close to each other, and many patients will feel a hard lump near the omphalos that forms several days after surgery. Similar swelling occurs subsequently epigastric and open incisional hernia surgery. Swelling later on inguinal hernia surgery often occurs where the incision is as well as below, often extending to the groin and even the scrotum and testicles. Because gravity pulls downward on the normal fluid that the body creates, many people feel like their testicles are bloated and sore afterwards hernia surgery. Since normal swelling afterward hernia surgery is function of the healing process, the body tin accept iii to six months to become rid of the swelling. In patients with very big inguinal hernia that extend down to the scrotum, sometimes the swelling may be there for longer than six months.

Sometimes, a few drops of claret tin alter the colour of the peel to black and blue after surgery. Like to swelling, this can occur around the incision, as well as lower downwards in the groin in inguinal hernia surgery. Gravity can pull the drops of claret down to the penis and scrotum, oft times turning them black and blue. Black and blueish discoloration is normal subsequently hernia surgery and will resolve much faster than the swelling after hernia surgery. Black and blueish discoloration will oftentimes plough into yellowish discoloration and fade before almost people's appointment after surgery.

Many people notice swelling afterward hernia surgery and wonder if that swelling is normal or not. In the paragraphs in a higher place, nosotros described why people get swelling and that it is usually considering of normal healing. What people oft describe is a difficult lump under the incision that feels similar a marble. Many people are concerned that their hernia has returned. They are often reassured when they observe that the difficult lump does non come up in and out of their abdomen, as a hernia would. Typically there is mild pain or discomfort where the swelling is, but in that location is a pattern of improvement in the days and weeks following surgery.

Sometimes the swelling is soft and does not seem to become away after surgery. Once more, this is well-nigh likely due to the body's normal fluid pooling in the space the hernia used to be. If this swelling persists longer than three to six months later on surgery, it should be re-evaluated by the surgical squad to determine if hernia has recurred. Unfortunately, x-rays, CT scans and MRI'due south are often non sensitive enough immediately after surgery to tell the difference betwixt the body's normal fluid and a possible problem. Fourth dimension is the just thing that helps tell us if in that location is a trouble or not in these situations.

While nearly swelling after hernia surgery is normal, it tin rarely exist an indicator of a complication, including infection and hernia recurrence. Swelling after hernia surgery is rarely sign of infection. Since infection from hernia surgery occurs less than 1% of the time, swelling is normal in the other 99% of the time. Pain or swelling that continues to worsen after hernia surgery, or pain and swelling accompanied by red discoloration of the pare are signs of infection and require attention by the surgical squad. Many surgeons work in teams made upwards of medical administration, nurses, nurse practitioners, doc administration or other surgeons. Infection are uncommon and aberrant afterwards hernia surgery, and then it is of import to run across a medical provider if any of the symptoms of infection are present.

Dr. Michael Reinhorn is a specialist in inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia. He started his practise as a general surgeon in 2001, and in 2022 he transitioned to focus on the care of hernia patients. In 2022, he co-founded Boston Hernia, an ambulatory surgery practice focused exclusively on hernia surgery. In 2022, Dr. Nora Fullington was recruited from her piece of work as a general surgeon, where she performed hundreds of laparoscopic hernia repairs, to Boston Hernia where she was intensively trained by Dr. Reinhorn in the open up preperitoneal and Shouldice techniques. Together with their physician assistant squad, they perform approximately 800 hernia surgeries every twelvemonth. Both surgeons offering a tailored approach for each patient, taking into account individual patient factors to make up one's mind if surgery is recommended or non, what blazon of repair (open, laparoscopic, mesh, non-mesh) is best, and what type of anesthesia is safest. At Boston Hernia, our focus is on each individual patient and continuously improving our own surgical techniques and outcomes. We do this by participating in various hernia societies, studying our own outcomes through a national database, and publishing our data to influence the care of hernia patients nationally and internationally. Boston Hernia is an affiliate practice of the Mass General Brigham system. In add-on to operating at Newton-Wellesley Hospital , a Mass General Brigham Hospital, we offer intendance at ambulatory surgery centers in Waltham, MA and Derry, NH.

Check out 7  questions to ask before having inguinal hernia surgery