Not Good News after prostate biospy when MRI didn't look too bad

I agree, it really clear there is a swollen up area going up at an angle in the groin and it is sore. I can understand the Express Care doctor saying what she did as she knew I was going to urologist next day. She just assured me that it was not something that required an ER visit and be sure to followup with appointment next day.
But the urologist response was just not right! I know he was busy and behind from an emergency surgery and office full of patients, but still poor service. He suppose to be a good surgeon, but he is not a people person. Maybe that is why he is in a practice by himself and not in a group. There are not really many urology surgeons in Topeka, I think 4? Then not all of them will deal with cancer. The best one that everyone liked retired.

I made appt with PCP for 8/6/26, he can be difficult, but I can usually talk him into getting a test done.

It just seem reasonable to at least get a ultrasound. I may even make an appointment with his APRN, she likes me and I bet she would have more testing done if I asked. I might be able to see her Monday or Wednesday, those are only days she works as she has young child at home ans another one due in 2 months.

Sure wish I had doctors and staff like my wife did at KUMC for her breast cancer. I might add in Topeka, they were terrible and auguring among themselves (surgeon, radiologist and pathologist) what to do for her cancer and where it was located, that is why we went to KUMC.

@diverjer
An ultrasound is the cheapest and easiest compared to Ct scans and MRI’s. Ultrasounds are so common and commonly used right in a urologist office to see if your bladder is empty, but those ultrasound’s are set up with parameters for bladder urine readings. The point is their should be no reason not to get the groin ultrasound as it is so easy.

I agree, maybe I should have been more forceful. But I knew he was in a bad mood dressed up in his scrubs with lots of people waiting so I didn't do much arguing. All he kept talking about was the mesh was behind all that area swelling and not on the outside surface where swelling was? It was almost like, yeah there's something not right but it's not my problem from anything I did.

@diverjer Yeah, but how much swelling is on the OTHER side of the mesh causing all the pain??
My advice is to just leave this surgeon behind - he can no longer be of any use to you and you are wasting your time, OK?
You need testing - as the other members have suggested - and a good hernia surgeon to evaluate what’s going on. It could be a number of things but you won’t know anything constructive if you keep relying on the cancer surgeon for answers.
His whole job right now is to say ‘not my fault’ and to tell you what it’s NOT…not what it IS!!
Phil

@heavyphil
Great advice. Also prostate surgery is so intricate that most prostate surgeons who do considerable number of surgeries focus on that. Generally the all around surgeon does hernia repair, gallbladder, appendectomy. I recall my surgeon saying he would never repair a hernia at the same time and does not do that when doing prostate surgery. I would imagine the prostate surgeon likely does not do enough hernia surgeries to be as skilled as the general surgeon doing them regularly. Also I would think while the patient is recovering and then having issues in the abdomen do you really know then what is causing it, effects from the prostate surgery or hernia surgery.

While I'm sitting around the day thinking I remember about 5 years ago that surgeon said I had inguinal hernia and he could fix it real easy, at that time I told him no I've had it a long time it don't bother.
Anyway today I seen my PA-C, and she seemed to take things serious. She's had me do three different blood tests which all looked good. And also scheduled a sonogram to be done. Got all three blood tests back and they were all within normal, but the AST and ALT were high end of normal. I pressed the trend button and for years I was right in middle of green bar of normal or lower, starting May not long after surgery the last two test have claimed to just barely in normal green bar. That swollen area is about 2 inches below liver, but I doubt that is why ALT and Ast rising. But makes me wonder.
It was nice having someone actually take the swollen area seriously. Sometimes I wonder if the PA-C and APRN don't listen better than today's MDs?

It is a personal choice , but I did radical prostatectomy and am very happy with results. Some in my support group (local in Va) who had radiation have had problems with bowel pain.

If I were you I'd read the book "The Key to Prostate Cancer" by Dr Mark Scholz. They have chapters by various experts on every aspect and therapy for PC. Also go to the website PCRI.org (Prostate cancer research institute), and watch some of the videos. They have videos covering most things you need to know. Anybody who is in or near Southern California should get an appointment with Prostate Oncology Specialist clinic in Marina Del Rey.

Well they just don't know why that area is swollen up, blood test looked fine and the sonographic findings were fine. The guy seem to do a good job checking me out, he had 2 students there teaching them so he spent a lot of time looking around.
MPRESSION:

No sonographic findings to explain the patient's symptoms.

Electronically signed by Neal A Hall, MD
DT: 7/30/2026 11:42 AM
Narrative
EXAM: Ultrasound abdomen single organ

INDICATION: Right groin swelling, hx right inguinal hernia repair with mesh

TECHNIQUE: Real-time ultrasound of the right groin region was performed with permanent freeze-frame documentation.

COMPARISON: None

FINDINGS:

No visible hernia is present within the right inguinal region. Incidental small morphologically normal small lymph node is present.

I am still not happy that surgeon put mesh in there when I was fine with the inguinal hernia for last 40 years. But after going through things I signed, I found the following in small print. "unforeseen condition may be reveled that necessitate an extension of the initial procedure or a different procedure than that set forth above. " Even more small print that said a student may assist! All this was in small print where the actual procedure I wanted was in very large hand printed form.
Anyway they still don't know why I have swollen area that is a bit painful. One positive I finely got referral for pelvic therapy, but they can't see me until Aug 10 and that is for what sounds like an assessment only.

@diverjer So even lymphedema was ruled out? The lymph node is ‘normal’ but I am not sure that its presence (and size) rules out lymphedema. You should ask about this.
Phil
https://canceracademy.org/category/blog/