Any tips on how to train after an inguinal hernia (mesh) surgery?
I had it on both sides and an abdominal when I went for surgery. It takes a while to get back to normal, but my doc told me lift as much as you want. I asked him if I had restrictions on the types of exercises and he said no. You have to give it time to heal. In my experience, it hurts from time to time but its not re-injured. It feels like it is though but it goes away.
I deadlift every week with mine. I’m up to 450 currently. Hernia repairs dont usually bother me. I think what happens is your intestine wants to push against that mesh and it gets a little sore there. But it doesnt cause a tear so you’re good.
Good luck. Hope you’re doing ok.
How far out post op are you? Give it a solid 6-8 weeks before you go crazy. I had one done on the right side when I was 18, now 10 years later I still never notice it.
P-DOG,
its the same as any serious surgery or injury.
LET IT HEAL!!!
God, guys think if they miss a week they will drop to 90 lbs and not be able to curl a 5 lb db.
i hope to hell you didn’t already ask your doc
and when he said give it 6-to-8 weeks (or more)
you came on here hoping for someone to say:
“You can start squating heavy again in 3 days no problem”
Ask your doc, if you don’t trust his/her opinion…why did you let him cut on you?
If you think he’s a non-lifter and could careless, then go to a sportsmedicine clinic and ask an expert.
For what its worth, had surgery at 22, i’m 52 now. i assume the surgery today is alot less invasive. For me, i took 4 weeks off, just walking. Then started easy jogging, and body weight exercises, real sissy like. After two months i started lifting real ez-like and then went back into the gym, i boxed back then and easied back into it. Since then i have powerlifted and am currently trying my hand at olympic lifting and haven’t used a belt in over 5 years.
Once you get back into things, if you do ANYTHING that gives you the slightest pain at the site of the surgery. STOP. None of that “oh i’m sore there cause i haven’t lifted heavy in a while” It ain’t the same as your chest being sore the day after benching. If you do something to make the site of the surgery sore. STOP.
good luck
lb
Had inguinal hernia on left side when i was 20, I’m now 30 and have been power lifting for 2yrs. My advice is to let it heal for 6-8 weeks before lifting again. The reason is because its weak, so let it heal. Once you start lifting again, slowly build up your weight over a 3 month period, and eat clean foods while healing as it helps heal you faster.
Also get yourself a good solid belt, use it for all your max lifts (anything over 85% to begin with). I use mine only for max lifts, as you have to build your core up but it wont be as strong as everywhere else for a while. As LBramble says, if you feel any pain there STOP, thats good advice. That all being said, it has never held me back in the training and strength department, it has made me think about doing things correctly as in good form in the gym and lifting things correctly outside of the gym.
It takes time to heal properly but it won’t hold you back in the long run, as long as your smart about your recovery you will be smashing weights in no time mate.
P-DOG,
Have you had the surgery yet? I’m guessing not, because after mine (both sides) the LAST thing I wanted to do was lift anything heavy. I remember walking like an old man afterward, and any movement involving my core musculature (like sitting up, or twisting) was painful. A year or two down the road, though… I never gave it a second thought.
Anyway, I’m with the ‘let it heal’ crowd. Give it 6-8 weeks, and when you aren’t noticing any pangs anymore (when you laugh, move quickly, etc.) do what rambodian says.
By the way, my doc told me that after fully healing, that area would be stronger with the mesh than it was before, but you have to let it fully heal.
Well finding this thread is rather apropos…
I had a ventral hernia repaired several years ago which has since failed…
Along with finding an inguinal hernia along the way.
So I will get two repaired here at the end of September.
Doc said the ventral will take 2-3 hours to repair (maybe a 6 inch square patch).
The inguinal would have been an outpatient surgery.
I was lifting within 3 weeks on the first repair, plan on taking a little longer this time around.
I just want this repair to hold.
2Busy,
i’m not sure if this fits your situation but more than 20 years since my hernia i still remember my doctor telling me to make sure i let it heal. His description was as follows:
he said: this repair is like taking a 2x4 that has been cut in half and glueing the two pieces back together.
Then he said: if you tear it again, it will be like taking a piece of plywood, smashing it in half with a sledge hammer and then trying to glue it back together.
i never forgot that, took my sweet time in post surgery recovery, and the few times that i have tweeked it i made damn sure i stopped whatever i was doing and gave it a few days off.
lb
[quote]LBramble wrote:
2Busy,
i’m not sure if this fits your situation but more than 20 years since my hernia i still remember my doctor telling me to make sure i let it heal. His description was as follows:
he said: this repair is like taking a 2x4 that has been cut in half and glueing the two pieces back together.
Then he said: if you tear it again, it will be like taking a piece of plywood, smashing it in half with a sledge hammer and then trying to glue it back together.
i never forgot that, took my sweet time in post surgery recovery, and the few times that i have tweeked it i made damn sure i stopped whatever i was doing and gave it a few days off.
lb
[/quote]
Thanks for the advice. The new surgeon looked up the notes from the previous surgery and said the new repair would hold.
I’m reading up on the Ethicon mesh profiles and going to ask more questions.
I had an umbilical hernia repair at the end of June. When they were in there, the surgeon also stitched up the split in my abs. I had diastasis recti from pregnancy.
My doc gave me the go ahead to start lifting after 6-8 weeks but I read several places that it takes 3 months for internal sutures in the muscular wall to reach their maximum strength. I’ve been back in the gym and am doing all my lifts, but I’m going to wait three months to do any direct ab work (crunches or leg raises) or do any maximum effort lifting.
I hope that helps. I think 6-8 weeks is sort of a minimum for healing, but your internal scar tissue may take 3 months to be as strong as it’s going to be.