Hernia surgery post prostatectomy

Posted by richardB @richardblackman, Mar 6 3:23pm

Anyone have experience with hernia surgery post prostatectomy? Evidently, the normally "routine" abdominal hernia surgery is much more complicated for those who have had prostate surgery. If nothing else, a renewed chance of new side effects (incontinence & ED). My primary doc believes I will need the surgery and it looks like not many hernia surgeons have experience with post prostatectomy patients.

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I had a Prostatectomy in 2006. Since then I had 4 hernias. And sever bladder leakage leading me to get the male sling which slowed the leakage down. If I were to do it all over again ,with the advances in radiation, I think I would choose radiation treatments. Just my personal opinion. God Bless.

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I have an inguinal hernia at the belly button after my robotic prostatectomy in September 2022. While my PSA has been < .01 for the first year I have now gone .04 being detectable and am going to my urologist next week. I understand that if the PSA keeps going up I will be headed to radiation, I had several positive margins during the surgery. I still have incontinence issues ( had some problems prior to surgery but am much worse with added stress incontinence). I am of the impression that my urologist was going to suggest an AUS but I am not sure I want surgery in the pelvic area because I have pudendal nerve hypersensitivity. I have had a nerve block which has helped the sitting pain that occurred after the prostatectomy but the penal and perinium pain which I had before surgery is still present causing urinary frequency and urge incontinence.
The question I have is should I be trying to get surgery prior to radiation or should I just wait and see?

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I had robotic Prostatechtomy in early 2017 & was fortunate enough that the scar tissue wasn't significant enough that my surgeon couldn't perform a double hernia repair. I will say, he commented it was more difficult than what my Urologist had told him it would be! Luckily I didn't have the abdominal procedure. Good luck my friend!

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@pamperme

I have an inguinal hernia at the belly button after my robotic prostatectomy in September 2022. While my PSA has been < .01 for the first year I have now gone .04 being detectable and am going to my urologist next week. I understand that if the PSA keeps going up I will be headed to radiation, I had several positive margins during the surgery. I still have incontinence issues ( had some problems prior to surgery but am much worse with added stress incontinence). I am of the impression that my urologist was going to suggest an AUS but I am not sure I want surgery in the pelvic area because I have pudendal nerve hypersensitivity. I have had a nerve block which has helped the sitting pain that occurred after the prostatectomy but the penal and perinium pain which I had before surgery is still present causing urinary frequency and urge incontinence.
The question I have is should I be trying to get surgery prior to radiation or should I just wait and see?

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Seems to me there is no obviously correct answer to your question, "Should I repair my umbilical hernia now?" On the one hand you do not yet know when or even if you might need pelvic radiation. On the other, unless the hernia is impacting your life, e.g., pain, preventing activities you want to do, risking entrapment of bowel, there may be no reason to rush into surgery.

This is when a conversation with a neutral medical provider, your primary care/family practice doctor, might help you think through the question. Surgeons wanna cut, oncologists wanna treat/"cure" cancer. FPs *should* be concerned with the holistic you.

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@batsam10

I believe I have settled on Prostatectomy for my cancer but after reading all of your stories, I am concerned that a hernia may be caused by the Protatectomy. Is this true? Nowhere in my research about Prostatectomy did it mention risk of a hernia.

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Good question. I have a bulge where the camera port was for my laproscopic surgery. Doesn’t bother but wasn’t there prior to surgery.

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I agree completely with you, I prefer to push things out to see what happens and if it does not bother me to leave it alone. Two weeks ago I had a CT scan and they found a large minimally complex hepatic cyst ((13cmx12cmc12cm). While I was told it was not likely to be cancerous and nothing worrisome I questioned whether it should be removed because my daughter felt I should question it. I am now being sent to a surgeon at the beginning of April to discuss it and my daughter talked to her gastroenterologist and she said anything larger than 5 cm should be removed.
My highest priority on my list is to get sleep, the urinary frequency gets me up every 45 to 60 minutes. I feel so much better when I get sleep. As you say the best thing is to discuss this with my PCP which I intend to do, he is very good. The surgeon will probably say I have to have the cyst removed, my urologist will probably say I should have an AUS put in (because of my ongoing nerve issues in the pelvic area and the intense pain it can cause I will not go for it, I will endure the incontinence) and the oncologist will monitor my PSA. All I want to do is get clear of doctors and enjoy my grandchildren. Wishing everyone happiness always.

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