The recovery time after complete mesh removal surgery is usually around four to six weeks.
It can take up to four to six weeks to recover from hernia mesh removal surgery. The procedure can be quite tiring on your body so it's important that you take time to rest so you can heal properly. You may find that even the most simple of tasks are tricky for you to carry out while you're recovering.
After the surgeon removes the mesh, you'll likely have gauze placed in your vagina to help prevent bleeding. You may go home that day or stay overnight. Afterward, you can take medication for pain, and vaginal estrogen can help with healing. You may notice some spotting or light bleeding after your operation.
Patients need to be aware that despite removal of the mesh at least one in three women will experience ongoing pain and only about one in three will have complete resolution of the pain.
The mesh removal procedure involves the surgical removal of the mesh implant from your abdominal wall. During the procedure, healthy tissue may also be carefully removed, as well as any parts of your abdominal organs that the mesh implant may have become stuck to.
However, the removal of mesh is a complex an intricate procedure that carries additional risk. Mesh removal will usually require the rebuilding of the abdominal wall. This is typically performed with a plastic surgeon in addition to the general surgeon.
Reports of 90 – 99% success rates are common. Mesh repairs, in many cases, offer a smaller chance of hernia recurrence rate than non-mesh repairs.
Many women suffer a mesh removal nightmare when things have gone wrong and they're unable to access proper help and support to aid their recovery or manage their symptoms. In some cases, mesh removal surgery simply won't work as the devices are intended to be permanent.
Conclusions: Laparoscopic mesh removal is a feasible, safe, and effective option in selected patients with chronic groin pain after endoscopic hernia repair in the hands of an experienced surgeon.
If a hernia comes back in the same area of the previous hernia, the mesh may need to be replaced or a new one placed. If hernia mesh is removed for complications such as chronic pain, then typically another mesh is not placed at that time.
Signs of hernia mesh infection include:
Burning sensation. Chills or rigors (feeling cold while shivering and sweating) Fatigue. Fever.
Symptoms of mesh erosion into the bladder/urethra include painful voiding, urinary frequency, urgency, hematuria, recurrent urinary tract infection, urinary calculi and urinary fistula.
About Recovery from Mesh Removal Surgery
We'll send you and your caretaker home with post-surgical expectations, but expect recovery to take about 4 to 6 weeks. You will usually be able to carry on with light activities a couple of weeks after surgery and more normal or heavy activities after 6 weeks.
It is also important to note that these attachment methods are also used in other types of surgeries. The mesh needs to remain in place until tissue integration is complete. Complete integration usually happens around 2-3 weeks after surgery [10].
Surgical hernia repair is commonly achieved by the implantation of low-weight, large-pore polypropylene mesh (PP) material (13, 14). Mesh-induced inflammatory responses may lead to postoperative complications and inflammation (15, 16).
Pain and other hernia mesh complications may occur right after hernia mesh surgery or years later. Patients have reported pain in the stomach, abdomen, groin, leg and testicles. Hernia mesh pain symptoms include a burning sensation at the surgery site, inflammation or swelling, and tingling.
Mesh rejection occurs when the body tries to expel the implanted foreign material. People who had their hernia repaired with synthetic mesh experience rejection at rates ranging from 5% to 30%. Inflammation and scarring around the implant site can cause mesh rejection.
Laparoscopic surgery can be performed with or without surgical mesh. Open Repair - The surgeon makes an incision near the hernia and the weak muscle area is repaired. Open repair can be done with or without surgical mesh. Open repair that uses sutures without mesh is referred to as primary closure.
Research is mixed on how long a mesh hernia repair will last. A 2022 study followed 100 patients for ten years after a ventral abdominal hernia repair. No recurrence was recorded after three years, while about 10% had a recurrence after roughly eight years.
Bowel perforation and bowel obstruction are major symptoms of hernia mesh failure. With these side effects, a patient will likely experience nausea, vomiting, and the inability to pass stool.
It is possible that the repair is still intact and bulging of the mesh causes swelling. Bulging can be the result of an insufficient surgical technique. The problem is more frequently seen after repair of large defects, especially when mesh are used to bridge the defects, and more frequent after laparoscopic repair,,.
After hernia mesh surgery, most patients can go home the same day. Full recovery may take four to six weeks. Elderly patients who undergo laparoscopic surgery may recover sooner. Patients should perform only necessary functions right after surgery, but can resume light activity after a few weeks.
On average, the surgery takes about an hour to an hour and a half. Most patients who have mesh removed require general anesthesia, and some will require a hospital stay of at least one day. Recovery may take several weeks or months, depending on the extent of the surgery.
At first you may need to rest in bed with your upper body raised on pillows. This helps you breathe easier and may help lessen post-surgery hernia pain.