Is swelling afterward hernia surgery normal?

September 24, 2022

Updated on Apr 9, 2022

Boston Hernia team evaluates CT scan.

Swelling after inguinal hernia surgery or umbilical hernia surgery is quite mutual. Most 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 beginning phases of healing, the trunk produces extra fluid that helps with the healing procedure. 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 after a sprained ankle). When this swelling sits in ane area for a few days, it oft turns hard and can feel like a firm lump. Swelling can be quite dissimilar, 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 almost the navel that forms several days after surgery. Similar swelling occurs afterwards epigastric and open incisional hernia surgery. Swelling after inguinal hernia surgery often occurs where the incision is likewise as below, often extending to the groin and even the scrotum and testicles. Because gravity pulls downwardly on the normal fluid that the body creates, many people experience like their testicles are swollen and sore after hernia surgery. Since normal swelling after hernia surgery is part of the healing procedure, the torso can take three to six months to become rid of the swelling. In patients with very large inguinal hernia that extend down to the scrotum, sometimes the swelling may be in that location for longer than six months.

Sometimes, a few drops of claret can alter the color of the skin to black and bluish subsequently surgery. Similar 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 blood down to the penis and scrotum, often times turning them black and blueish. Blackness and bluish discoloration is normal after hernia surgery and volition resolve much faster than the swelling after hernia surgery. Blackness and blueish discoloration will oftentimes plough into xanthous discoloration and fade earlier virtually people's appointment after surgery.

Many people detect swelling after hernia surgery and wonder if that swelling is normal or not. In the paragraphs above, we described why people become swelling and that information technology is usually because of normal healing. What people oftentimes 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 notice that the hard lump does not come up in and out of their belly, as a hernia would. Typically at that place is balmy pain or discomfort where the swelling is, but there is a pattern of improvement in the days and weeks post-obit surgery.

Sometimes the swelling is soft and does non seem to get away afterward surgery. Again, this is nigh probable due to the torso'due south normal fluid pooling in the infinite the hernia used to be. If this swelling persists longer than three to vi months later surgery, it should be re-evaluated by the surgical team to determine if hernia has recurred. Unfortunately, ten-rays, CT scans and MRI'southward are often non sensitive enough immediately after surgery to tell the difference between the body's normal fluid and a possible problem. Time is the merely thing that helps tell us if at that place is a trouble or not in these situations.

While almost swelling afterward hernia surgery is normal, information technology 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 ane% of the time, swelling is normal in the other 99% of the fourth dimension. Pain or swelling that continues to worsen subsequently hernia surgery, or pain and swelling accompanied by scarlet discoloration of the skin are signs of infection and require attending by the surgical team. Many surgeons work in teams made up of medical assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, doc assistants or other surgeons. Infection are uncommon and abnormal after hernia surgery, then information technology is important to see a medical provider if whatever of the symptoms of infection are present.

Dr. Michael Reinhorn is a specialist in inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia. He started his practice every bit a full 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 preperitoneal and Shouldice techniques. Together with their physician assistant squad, they perform approximately 800 hernia surgeries every year. Both surgeons offer a tailored approach for each patient, taking into business relationship individual patient factors to decide if surgery is recommended or not, what type of repair (open up, laparoscopic, mesh, not-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 diverse hernia societies, studying our ain 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 Full general Brigham Infirmary, nosotros offer care at ambulatory surgery centers in Waltham, MA and Derry, NH.

Check out 7  questions to ask before having inguinal hernia surgery