Having a laparoscopic surgery for a recurrent hernia

Dear Dr. Deepraj,

I want to share with you my experience of laparoscopic surgery under you and your able two assistant doctors. As I said on the day of discharge, and I repeat, you folks are a great team.

I was not new to hernia surgery having got both sides operated by open surgery in 2003 (right hernia in Japan) and 2005 (left hernia in India). In both cases I was given a spinal anesthesia and had to stay in hospital for 3 nights post-surgery. Thus, when the right inguinal hernia recurred I just tried to postpone its treatment for almost 6 months. I was just delaying the inevitable. The bulge was becoming bigger day by day and finally my family (read wife) decided that we needed to act. Of course, I knew it would be an open surgery again with those dreadful spinal injections and just the thought of pain in getting up from the bed for as long as 2 weeks post-operation gave me sleepless nights. My sister-in-law (Dr. V. Herekar, MD Anesthesia) knew of my fears and introduced me to the world of “laparoscopic surgery” through you. I consider myself as well read and did know about this procedure but never thought it would work in my case especially since mine was a recurrent hernia. In addition, I did not know what the Japanese doctors had done to my right hernial gap and was worried about it too. I was certain it would not work in my case but decided to go ahead and meet you along with Dr. V. Herekar. I carried all my necessary reports (blood/ 2D echo/ x-ray) as are necessary for any surgery. All my fears were unfounded in our first meeting and within 30 minutes of my meeting you – to my amazement – we had penciled in the day, the date and the time for surgery!!! I must admit that GA vs. spinal anesthesia helped quicken the decision-making. I put all my faith in your hands and I can now say that laparoscopic surgery was the right decision for me. You did advise me to read all about the procedure before coming to hospital, but let me share a secret: as it is I am afraid of any cuts even if it is 1 mm and I would rather get it executed without worrying about how and where!!! That’s what you experts are for…….

Today, I am perfectly normal and I still “fondly” recount our first meeting as the turning point that led me to this “happy” state. Yes, I am very satisfied (many thanks to my sister-in law who introduced me to you) that I came to you and got the hernia repaired — just to put it in perspective — within 20 hours after I returned to my room after the surgery I had left the hospital and on 10th day post-surgery I was on a flight to Japan and back to normal life albeit – no heavy weight lifting for 3 months. You did tell me that operation was a bit complex due to the Japanese technique of fixing the hernia and I was told that due to laparoscopic surgery you could even check my left hernia at the same time so that I do not have to worry about it in coming months. This, obviously, would not have been possible in open surgery – unless of course I was cut on both sides!!!. I have not had any medicines except those given in the first 20 hours, that was a great miracle for me.

Finally, the biggest compliment that I received (which is all yours) – I had met my relatives just a day before the operation and did visit them on the 4th day after the surgery – everyone commented that it did not look like that I had been in the hospital for a hernia surgery just few days back. I think I may have planted more seeds of laparoscopic surgery in few more minds.

Thanks you once again and am glad that I met you.

Regards

Gurunath Nayak
Kobe, Japan