Hernia

cessnajockey454

cessnajockey454

Well-Known Member
A few years ago, during a 3rd class flight physical, the doctor told me I had a hernia but, if it wasn't bothering me, it wasn't a problem - I got my physical and went my way. This year, I got a second class physical without any mention of it.

Well, in the last few days, it's began to hurt and there is a slight bulge in the area where the first doctor told me it was - can I just walk into the emergency room and have it fixed on Friday and go back to flying on Monday or is there another process for this?
 
You need to see a General Surgeon to get it fixed. The surgery is an outpatient procedure. You will be a little sore for 3-4 days so I would not plan on unloading cargo or going on long trips for the first week.

Hernias are a defect in the abdominal wall that allow the bowel to slide through the opening. If the bowel get stuck in the hernia, it can have its blood supply compromised resulting in dead bowel (not a good deal). It is best to have these fixed when they are small -- easier for the surgeon and easier on you.

The primary location for hernias is the inguinal canal where the spermatic cord exits the abdomen and goes into the scrotum. This leaves a potentially weak spot that can expand if stressed too much. During surgery, the surgeon tries to make the "inguinal ring" as snug as it was naturally without becoming too tight thus compromising the blood supply to the testicle.

You can fly as soon as your surgeon says you are released to do so. No need to get anything from the FAA. Just report it on the next flight physical.
 
Are there instances of Umbilical Hernia in adulthood? This last time I was sick and coughing alot, I could feel pressure in the navel. I pressed on that area and I felt something kind of push back into place. I haven't felt anything since then, but I was wondering if I should be concerned.
 
Well, apparently, my hernia magically cured itself - the doctor at the walk-in clinic says I don't have a hernia. He doesn't know what the bulge is but prescribed something to make the swelling go down (Anaprox, I think). He stuck his finger up one side of my scrotum and it didn't hurt at all but when he stuck his finger up the other side, the side that i'm having some pain on, it hurt like hell - and it hurt even more while he swirled and poked his finger around...said he was having trouble finding something. He seemed to think the pain was normal - maybe so.

Meanwhile, it hurts like hell about where, according to the chart on the wall, my ovaries would be if I were female...kind of hurts when I move with a burning sensation around and to the side. Maybe I'm growing some ovaries!!!

By the way...I'm Cessnajockey454...just used another computer to post...I must have signed up twice somewhere along the way.
 
My advice, seek a second opinion and not from an urgent care or walk-in clinic. See someone that is an expert in this - a general surgeon.

Seriously, it should not continue to hurt after a hernia exam.:insane:
 
Thanks doc...it is, according to the surgeon, a hernia...it took him all of about 5 seconds, after a dropped my pants, to diagnose it.

The visit was quick and to the point - ..."you got a hernia, I can fix it when you have about three (3) weeks to spare, call me when you're ready to get it fixed and, no, it won't affect your flying unless it starts to hurt again..."
 
Get it fixed while it is small. The procedure and recovery time is much better that way. You can go back to flying as soon as the surgeon medically releases you - probably somewhere between 7 and 14 days after teh surgery (unless you unload your own freight of course:) ).

Good luck.
 
Bill had an inguinal (pardon the slaughtering of the spelling, if you think I spelled that bad, you ought to hear my try to pronounce it!) hernia in 2000. The doc (actually an urgent care guy) took one look at him and said "I see you have a hernia"!

His surgery was simple & quick, and the recovery time was minimal, all things considered. He had a hard time going from a sitting to standing position for a day or two, and I had to space out his painkillers to keep 'ahead' of the pain. He never really was in bad pain afterwards, and is fine now. Occasionally he'll feel a bit of a twinge at the repair site, but nothing major.

One thing both the surgeon and the urgent care doc both said is that hernias do not go away on their own. Once they exist, they must be repaired.
 
I had dual inguinal hernias repaired. It hurt like hell. I couldn't even button my pants all the way for like 2 weeks. Didn't even leave bed for like 10 days. Maybe since I had both sides done it hurt more. But it did hurt. I would give yourself a solid two weeks to recover. If your better sooner great, you can go back to work. But do yourself a favor and try to get two weeks set aside if you can.

P N H
 
I had my right ingunial hernia repaired about 16 months ago. I also had my AME point it out during a first class physical and I lived with it for a couple of years and a couple of new 1st class physicals. I finally got it fixed when it started causing pressure whenever I was sitting.

The surgery was no big deal and I was quite sore for two or three days. After that I was able to do most of my normal activities, but I didn't return to flying until I was able to jog three miles without discomfort (about two weeks).

The repair was a laproscopic, mesh reinforced procedure that has resulted in no pain or side effects. I'm as good as new, except for three small scars just below my bellybutton. If you do research online, beware of the 'hernia support sites'. I think that every person who ever had a problem posts on them. When I posted a positive repair experience on one of the sites, I was accused of being a sugical advertiser and my post was yanked. :mad: They are quite biased toward the negative experiences.

Good luck and get well!
 
I've been watching the T.V. commercials too..."If you've had a hernia repair with such and such product, please call the law offices of XXX"...

I don't know what products or methods the surgeon is going to use on me and I have no idea if he knows what he's doing or really cares about what he's doing. It's kind of hard to be an educated consumer when there's surgery involved - but I get the feeling that the more I know, this likely I would be to get the surgery which is necessary.

So maybe ignorance is the ticket here...unless the surgeon forgets how to wash his hands or cleans under his finger nails with the scalpel and gives me some kind of staff infection.
 
His website says that the surgeon "...has been Board certified in General Surgery since 1994 by the American Board of Osteopathic Surgery. ATLS Certified."

He doesn't list any other credentials other than being on the executive commitee at the hospital where the surgery will take place.

If he is certified to work on broken bones and ligiments (I assume that's what osteopathic means), I suppose he can manage to patch up my gut.

It's got to be better than ordering a do-it-yourself hernia patch kit from the internet :)
 
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