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Incisional hernia after transplant: Anyone else?
Transplants | Last Active: Oct 28, 2023 | Replies (173)Comment receiving replies
I have been thinking about all of you in this discussion about experiences with tremors, Tacrolimus, mouth sores, anticipated hernia surgery. I hope that this messages finds you making progress in dealing with your unpleasant conditions and finding solutions.
@jackie421blfdgurl, Is your surgery still going to happen as scheduled? What have you learned about the procedure that will help reduce your previous fears and concerns?
@athenalee, How are you and the tacrolimus (or substitute) getting along? Have you learned whether the tacrolimus was the culprit in your situation?
@terry14, Did you get to meet with the doctor and find out anything about your possible surgery for hernia? Will the surgical team be in communication with your transplant team?
I don't know if I ever shared this, but a month after my 1st annual evaluation, where everything checked out perfectly, I needed a hernia surgery. In my situation, my bile duct connection to my small intestine found small space and got kinked. This forced some bacteria backwards into my liver/blood stream causing sepsis. Fortunately my local hospital identified the bacteria and the correct antibiotic was administered. My local hospital communicated with my Mayo doctors while I was in the hospital here. When I was out of danger, and ready to travel, my husband and I went to Mayo where they were able to diagnose the problem (as described above). My surgery was nonemergency, and it was my transplant surgeon who performed the surgery. That was 11 years ago.
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Hi Rosemary, thanks for asking. I am wait listed for robotic hernia repair by a general surgeon chosen by my Transplant Team. Because of Covid the wait time here for non-urgent surgery is longer than usual. The surgeon said he really hopes he's successful wth the robotic repair because it would be so much safer and less risk for infection, etc. but the CT is showing a lot of scar tissue and he warned he may have to finish by doing an open repair.
I'm on Sirolimus which is known to impair wound healing so the surgeon is worried I'll have further difficulties healing after a repair. I can't take Tacrolimus so it doesn't leave my team many options, but I trust they will make the best decision for me.
I just hope in the meantime, the hernia doesn't incarcerate and become strangulated requiring emergency surgery because it would likely mean further repairs down the road. I say that because the umbilical hernia pops out all the time and I have to push it back in. I recently purchased a belt to support so fingers crossed that all continues to go well while waiting 🙂
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Thank you for thinking of us Rosemary. I’ve been able to reduce Tacrolimus from 8 mg to 6 mg/day, with an increase of Mycophenolate to 4,000 mg/day. Both my transplant doctor and neurologist I saw do not believe my tremors are due to Tacrolimus.
My neuropathy symptoms now include numbness in both legs and feet, tingling and stiffness in my hands, moderate to high pain in my back, other muscle and joint pain, fatigue. I tested positive for Sjogren’s, which can be ancillary to PBC, and I just saw a PA in Rheumatology. I’m also seeing a hematologist this month as I’ve got some other weird indicators in my blood.
Certainly not what I was expecting after nearly dying a couple times due to liver disease and being blessed with a transplant. On the plus side, my hair stopped falling out!