Hi,I am Dr. Subhankar Chakraborty (Gastroenterologist). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
Suggest Treatment For Fluid Filling In Stomach After Hernia Repair
i had a tripple hernia repair in my mid stomach a year and a month ago and i am still having a fluid build up and my stomach is so full of fluid right now that it is the size of a huge grapefruit it was repaired with mesh and now i am just frustrated seeking a second opinion.
It sounds as if you developed a fluid collection which can be a sterile (non infected) seroma versus hematoma. These can be common after hernia repair, anytime we fix hernias there is a potential space which remains from where the hernia was present. any potential space in the body will be filled with fluid. Surgeons do their best to avoid this as obviously it causes patients concern and frustration as in your case, but at times it is unavoidable. These fluid collections typically resolve on their own but can take weeks, months, and sometimes upwards of a year. Since you are past a year , at this point you could have imaging such as an ultra sound or CT scan and consider drainage. The problem becomes that you had mesh repair, which is standard of care for lowest incidence of hernia recurrence, but sticking a needle into the fluid to attempt to drain it can introduce bacteria and cause infection in that space. If the space and therefore mesh become infected it will require removal of the mesh and you will be back to square one in addition to having infection. Hope this helps
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Suggest Treatment For Fluid Filling In Stomach After Hernia Repair
It sounds as if you developed a fluid collection which can be a sterile (non infected) seroma versus hematoma. These can be common after hernia repair, anytime we fix hernias there is a potential space which remains from where the hernia was present. any potential space in the body will be filled with fluid. Surgeons do their best to avoid this as obviously it causes patients concern and frustration as in your case, but at times it is unavoidable. These fluid collections typically resolve on their own but can take weeks, months, and sometimes upwards of a year. Since you are past a year , at this point you could have imaging such as an ultra sound or CT scan and consider drainage. The problem becomes that you had mesh repair, which is standard of care for lowest incidence of hernia recurrence, but sticking a needle into the fluid to attempt to drain it can introduce bacteria and cause infection in that space. If the space and therefore mesh become infected it will require removal of the mesh and you will be back to square one in addition to having infection. Hope this helps