Fullington perform (for inguinal, umbilical, and small incisional hernias) is about 2 weeks. Many patients feel well enough to perform normal daily activities – including driving and return to work – after only a couple of days, but we restrict patient activity for 2 weeks to allow for adequate healing.
Of course, they should not be doing any strenuous exercise, but all patients after a hernia operation, be it laparoscopic hernia surgery or open, should be encouraged to get out of bed as much as possible and move around. Absolute bed rest is no longer recommended for hernia operations.
You should also be able to return to work after 1 or 2 weeks, although you may need more time off if your job involves manual labour. Gentle exercise, such as walking, can help the healing process, but you should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activities for about 4 to 6 weeks.
Walking: Do it. It increases circulation, which speeds healing, but doesn't strain the abdomen. Eating: A diet high in fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables, along with drinking lots of fluids, will help avoid constipation (which can be caused by pain medication and inactivity) and the strain that goes with it.
There are no medical or physical restrictions on activity after surgery. That means it is OK to walk, climb stairs, lift, have sexual intercourse, mow the lawn, or exercise as long as it doesn't hurt. In fact, returning to normal activity as soon as possible will most likely enhance your recovery.
Sitting: for several days after surgery sitting may be uncomfortable. You may have to get up and move around and change positions periodically. Stairs: no limitations. Lifting: for the first week lifting is limited to 20 pounds.
Avoid lifting more than 10 pounds for four weeks and excessive bending or twisting for one to two weeks following surgery. This is to allow healing of the incisions, specifically the fascia (the strongest layer of the abdomen wall) and to decrease the risk of your hernia coming back.
You must not eat breads, crackers, biscuits, chunky meats such as steaks and dry meals such as cold cuts. You can now start eating soft food such as well cooked pasta, minced meat, flaked fish, well cooked rice, pulses and vegetables with plenty of sauce.
After surgery to repair a hernia, you're likely to have pain for a few days. You may also feel tired and have less energy than normal. This is common. You should start to feel better after a few days.
Normally, you should refrain from driving for at least 1 week after a hernia repair operation. You should be free from the distracting effect of pain or the sedative or other effects of any pain relief medication you are taking.
Try to avoid vigorous coughing if your repair was done with the open method. Coughing may strain your incision. For a couple of weeks, when you need to cough or sneeze, splint your incision. This means putting pressure over your incision with your hands, a rolled up blanket, or a pillow.
Patients are counseled that they will likely lose 10–15 pounds during the first 4–6 weeks after surgery before the nadir of weight loss (2).
You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fibre supplement every day.
Soreness and pain upon movement and during sleep are common during the first few weeks of recovery. To prevent further injury and trauma to the hernia repair site, avoid sleeping flat on the sides and back.
The best sleeping position after umbilical hernia surgery is to sleep flat on your back with your head on a small pillow. This prevents too much pressure on the incision site and allows for comfortable breathing during sleep. You want your abdominal muscles to be relaxed, and sleeping on your back makes this easy.
People who have a mesh plug used to repair their hernias often feel the mesh plug. While it's not always painful, some chronic pain issues are likely due to the shape and location of the mesh plug.
VOIDING / URINATING
Occasionally, after surgery, your bladder may become too full with urine, and urinary retention can develop. This may manifest as either: 1) inability to void, 2) frequent voiding, or 3) frequent voiding of small amounts of urine.
During the repair of an inguinal hernia, sutures or tacks are generally used to secure the prosthetic mesh in place. In TAPP repairs the peritoneum is closed using sutures or tacks.
One of the main benefits of a little bit of walking after hernia surgery is because it helps increase circulation and promote blood flow throughout your body. By increasing the blood flow and circulation throughout your body, the damaged tissue and muscles around your repaired hernia will benefit from this movement.
Male patients will be advised to wear compression shorts or tight fitting boxer briefs for a few days following the repair of their inguinal hernia to help reduce the amount of swelling after surgery. There are no special brands recommended or required, as long as they are tighter fitting.
Repairing a hernia is major surgery. And like so many other types of surgery, hernia repairs have gotten much better for patients over the years, says Leon Clarke, MD, a general surgeon at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.
Nerve injury, entrapment, or reaction to mesh and scar may be the cause of severe pain syndromes. Proper nerve handling at the time of initial hernia repair is crucial to decrease the incidence of chronic pain.
With both surgery types, you may feel pain or soreness for the first 72 hours post-op. You can often manage it with over-the-counter drugs, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen if your hernia was small or in the groin. Most people have less pain after minimally invasive hernia surgery versus open.