Dr. Brown is Anti-Mesh Hernia Repair

A Real-World Example from the Hernia Repair Specialist

I recently examined a 16-year-old male soccer player with a small indirect inguinal hernia. His mother asked me to see him because the first surgeon he saw advised him to have hernia repair with mesh. She was concerned about the hazards of mesh.

The young athlete’s hernia was small and would require only a few sutures to repair. I told his mother that I agreed with her that mesh should not be used. (I have found that mothers are always right.) I explained that mesh has a significant risk for chronic pain, especially for a young man who is still growing. In addition, if he did have trouble after the mesh repair, the mesh is difficult to remove.  I also explained that the risk for a recurrent hernia is almost zero with a suture repair.

I called the first surgeon at his mother’s request. That surgeon was kind enough to talk with me. He said that he would like to do a non-mesh hernia repair, but that during his surgical training he did not learn how to perform the procedure. Therefore, he did not feel comfortable offering that operation to his patients. 

This is an unfortunate, but common, situation. Most of the younger surgeons have not been trained in how to repair hernias without mesh. They are not familiar with the anatomy, nor the various techniques. Thus, most patients are never given the option for a one of the classic suture repairs.

I think this is terrible situation when patients are suffering from complications due to mesh, simply because their surgeons have not had training in non-mesh repair. It’s even more unfortunate that many patients are unaware that non-mesh hernia repairs are an option. Never has getting a second opinion and doing your research been more important than it is when it comes to hernia repair.

Learn more about Dr. Brown’s approach to hernia repair without mesh. Contact Dr. Brown today.