Day 3 now post op had the mesh put in.. and honestly who ever has this surgery coming up, don’t read comments on these videos. Everyone is making it seem like a nightmare . Just take it easy, ice it get up slow don’t do anything crazy and it’s a breeze. ❤

I've just had an Inguinal Hernia repair. Operation was successful, as many are, recovering well, feel almost back to normal after 5 days. No issues. Just normal soreness, extreme immediately after and gradually wearing off. Surgeons are fantastic.

I am post-surgery 3 days in, so this video was reassuring and helpful. Thank you.

I had open abdominal surgery on 3/22/17 and everything looks good 11 days after the surgery. Not much pain at all and the staples were removed on day 7. I'm really glad I did the surgery. Palmdale, CA

Thank you doctor Harris!!! Had my surgery on Feb 12 and couldn't be happier! I hiked 4 miles today and I feel great.

Hello Dr. Harris. Thank you very much for your informative videos and explanations. You are helping a lot of folk and it's greatly appreciated. I'm a very fit 37 year old male. I've had laparoscopic TAPP surgery with mesh on an inguinal hernia about 10 weeks ago. I was told by my surgeon that I would be able to resume to light jogging after 2 weeks with no restrictions at around 4-6 weeks. I had a decent amount of pain and discomfort during the healing process, did not want to risk anything and only returned to jogging/sports by week 6 once I got pain free. I ran 2, 4 and 5 miles within the first week combined with mobility exercises and light weight training to get some core strength back with no pain or issues. At week 7 I helped a friend move a couch while wearing a lifting belt. Unfortunately a day after I started feeling a every so slight burning sensation that became more intense within a few days. I freaked out and started to feel/press/pull my abdominal area over and over again to look for signs of a recurring hernia. No bump. By doing so I feel like I irritated a lymph or nerv (or scar) from repetitive pressing and touching it multiple times a day. Could the burning/pulling sensation come from that? Could it be scar tissue that is stretching? What are the chances of a recurring hernia and the mesh failing after lifting the couch? I did rest for a week with no change. It's been two weeks now with a burning/pulling sensation. Would you recommend rest or return to light running? Thank you!

I am from Kenya Africa 🇰🇪I did my laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery 4days ago and am feeling better and great.thanx doc

6th week after operation. The doctors did an amazing job, and I’m glad I’ve got it done.

I am very encouraged by your explanation of recovery. I am resting at home from the hernia procedure about 12 hours ago...committed to getting back to strength training being smart about easing into gradual increases over many months...no complications, allow to site to heal.

Thanks for the explanation I am on day 2 of recovering from my umbilical hernia repair with a ventral patch mesh. Apart from being sore it’s all good 👍🏼

Brilliant, thank you! This is just the sort of advice I was looking for. I had the surgery yesterday and no advice on caution or expectations was offered by my surgeon.

Thank you very very much doctor. This video gave me answers to a lot of questions. I had my bilateral inguinal hernia repaired 5 days ago laparoscopically with a left varicocele surgery as well. I am having pain now. but this video gave me relief. Thank you again

I’ve had 4 umbilical hernias. I would’ve just had 3 but I got diverticulitis before the third one and they had to do a sigmoid resection that destroyed my abdomen, and the 4th one worked only for a few months and now I need a 5th surgery. But I just wanted to tell you that this is the most informed video I’ve ever seen about this. I know next time I will ice it down whenever I’m ready to get hopefully this last surgery done. The Dr. I had didn’t tell me to refrain long enough on my last surgeries before returning to work. I’m so glad I found this video thank you!🙏

I am 7 weeks post op bilateral inguinal hernia repair, while getting better, having up and down days, I feel at least 3 months. The more I talk to peopl who have had the surgery, 3 weeks is a miracle. I had hip surgery as well and same situation. Why do surgeons mislead on recovery time, I honestly am just trying to figure out the motivation.

Had open umbilical hernia surgery 2 weeks ago. Just got removed stitches yesterday. Feel comfortable as Do not take too much stress and not thinking too much of outcome. only focus on not stretching things too far. Act according to doctor advice. Am diabetic also. All please Do not hurry for getting back to work or physical activities. Your body demand lot of love from you. So please give it due comfort. Stay blessed!

I m about to do the surgery. That gave me strength. I am a pro athlete and i was afraid that this would be the end.... So happy to hear that in long term i will recover fully. Thank you!

Tomorrow it's my operation, thanks for the videos.

Thank you for the insight, Dr., you have been far more help in explaining this process I'm going through, than ANY of the VA Dr.'s I have been treated by.

I get mine repaired tomorrow and this is a breathe of fresh air thanks doc

I'm 80 years old...very healthy. On March 14, 2022 I had repaired an reoccurring hernia, an Umbilical hernia and an Inguinal hernia with mesh laparoscopic all at one time. This is day 18 after surgery and I have pain in my left side that goes from mild, if sitting or in bed, to excruciating if I walk or when moving out of bed. But, then that stabbing pain goes away and I can walk carefully to at least get some exercise in the house. Taking Ibuprofen every six hours. April 12(in 12 days) is when I do the followup. Had zero swelling in my groin and kept in and my stomach iced for the first few days. Wonder if this is normal healing for the 3 procedures I had and my age...thanks for your wonderful service to those of us who enjoy your advice. David Boccabello

I’m on Day 3 of recovery. I’m already completely off pain medicine. Don’t be scared, friends. I’m 43, in good health but nothing special. I had a right side inguinal hernia mesh repair - and during my examination my surgeon detected a weakness on the left too, so he meshed that preemptively. All done in one operation, laparoscopically. My right hernia was slightly higher up compared to the average inguinal, I’m told, but I can’t say whether that really effected my comfort after the operation. Day 1 is rough - but not unbearable. No need to be worried. I didn’t even need the opioid painkillers. I stuck to a Tylenol + Aleve combo. Icing is a must. I did 20-30mins on/off for the first 2 days. Helped a lot. Remember to ice your balls too - they swell. I iced in bed right before sleeping, but didn’t do it again until the morning. I had help, but I kept ice packs in a small cooler by the couch, and in another small cooler by the bed for convenience anyway. Also, get up and walk around the room for a few of the 20mins phases when you’re not icing yourself - walking sooner rather than later has speeded up my recovery significantly. Seriously, do it Day 1. Diet is super important: you really, really don’t want to get constipated from the painkillers. So for 2 days BEFORE the operation, I ate vegan/vegetarian meals with high fiber. The afternoon/evening after my surgery, I only drank plain chicken broth (just liquid) with a little fiber powder in it, with salt and herbs, and a handful of saltine crackers. Felt SO GOOD after the pre-surgery fasting. Also has a nice dose of protein in it, which helps. Day 2, I upgraded to lentil soup with crackers and some peanut butter on wholewheat toast. Felt AMAZING. I read someone’s advice not to over-hydrate immediately after surgery until you’ve peed. Apparently there’s a risk of the bladder not waking up immediately after surgery, so by drinking too much too fast, they needed to go to the ER to get a catheter. So I did drink some water in the recovery room, but was cautious at home until I peed the first time. I started taking stool softeners the evening of the operation, and took them again in the morning and evening of Day 2. I also drank a cup of Smooth Move tea each day. Day 1, I lay down propped up when I wasn’t up and walking. Day 2, I made myself to sit in a regular chair to get myself ready to sit on the toilet. I had my first bowel movement in the evening of on Day 2, without giving myself an enema, thankfully. However, I had some home ones on hand just in case. Likewise, I had Milk of Magnesia on standby, but so far haven’t needed it. In short: hydration + lentil soup + stool softeners is a winner. I’m on Day 3 now. Trying not to get cocky, but I managed to shower fairly comfortably this morning and I’m off pain meds completely. A couple of other handy bits: I was very lucky: my surgeon gave me ‘mobile blood clot prevention’ things that are basically compression socks that have a little motor that squeezes your calf every minute or so. I wore them while I was sleeping and I think they’ve been a good addition. But even if you don’t get those, regular compression socks will also do the trick, no doubt. Also, after my intubation my throat was quite sore and I often had to cough, which is very painful. A throat numbing spray was a great help. If you have people taking care of you, make sure they take Covid tests and don’t have a regular cough/cold - you definitely don’t want to be coughing or sneezing during your recovery. And that’s everything so far! I was so grateful for the accounts and advice I found in places like this, so this is me thanking all you strangers and paying it forward. Truly, don’t be scared - it’s been nowhere near as bad as I feared - you can do it, friends! Power up!!

this is nice and classy doctor has calming voice

Nearly 5 months after my inguinal hernia surgery I’m in more pain than before the surgery 🤷‍♂️ have to go back to the surgeon. Was off of work for 6 weeks. Didn’t lift anything heavy for 8 weeks total. Thanks body!

I'm in my early 60s.. In decent physical condition. Just had this surgery 3 weeks ago. Six weeks before hernia surgery, I had to have an emergency abdominal surgery. It was related to the hernia. Anyhow, I've had hernia repair done. Smooth sailing so far.

Had my surgery August 25th, 2020. I was home by 2:30pm of same day with very little to no pain. Walked around a little but just sat on couch most the day. Pain today hovers at about 4 to 5 on pain scale. Using ice to keep inflation down. Took a short walk too. All in all not as bad as I had anticipated :)

Most excellent sharing of the subject matter. Thank you

Thanks for taking time to clearly explain the time periods. Well done. I feel better. Nit getting to lift weights is bad but your explanation helps.

Just had my hernia repair this morning. I'm doing okay, hurting but I'm ok. Thanks for the video.

operated my hernia finally after 11 years using mesh method and all I can say that I was an idiot for not going earlier after 3 weeks I can ride my bike normally. So all I cn say if you got hernia and you re scared of operation, go do it right away recovery is fast and operation is nothing to be scared and after operation you fell good: So to everyone having hernia fix it and go on with your life its no big deal trust me

Thanks for the good video. My doctor's instructions were the same with the exception that he says no lifting, pushing, or pulling more than 10 pounds for 6 weeks.

Just had my surgery today. Feeling sore and some pain getting up and down. I had an inguinal hernia. For my first surgery ill say its not to bad I went all day without pain meds only so I can see how bad it hurt. I give the pain a 5 on a 1to 10 scale. When relaxing barley and pain. I got my surgery right away while my hernia was small. So anyone going to surgery you will be ok. Your just going to take a nap and wake up. My surgery was 1hr and 22 min long. So hope this helps first day post opp and im feeling ok. Be careful moving have help.

Thank you doctor Harris. Your videos helped me a lot. I am suffering for hernia about 2 years. & I'm thinking to surgery for this in near future. Thanks again

I had open inguinal hernia surgery with Dr. Harris and the surgery went smoothly. But my pain finally reduced to a manageable level after 10 days. So expect minimum 10 days to be able to get up from your bed without significant pain. The post op instructions were insufficient and weak, I had to do a lot of internet research to find out why I was running a low grade fever, why my stomach was bloated, and the use of an Enema to help the first bowel movement (what a relief!) Also Lazyboy recliner is a must (better yet to have the one that lift you up), had I known I would have bought a lift chair / recliner before the surgery. days 2-5 were the most painful. Need lots of sleep so I took Advil PM, your body repairs much better if you get sufficient sleep every day. I am definitely on the road to recovery but it still hurts around the cut/scar area and also when I sneeze or cough after 4 weeks. 4-7 days of recovery is really a marketing ploy, it's more like 4 to 7 weeks for open surgery.

Il never do deadlifts again that’s how I got the hernia in the first place

I took my hernia open surgery 3 weeks ago and i will recommend take rest put ice on the zone and wait month and half or two, i still have pain when i cough or when i climbing the stairs if you dont take care of yourself nobody will do

Thank a doc. You talk gives me hope that a hernia can be repaired and your can get back to life

Thanks for the video. My surgeon used a laparoscopic technique w/ mesh and she told absolutely no exercise before 8 weeks, however it’s only been four days and I currently feel almost back to normal. I’d really like to get back to physical activity after 3ish weeks like you described in the video, and I want to know your opinions on this. For reference I’m 18 years old, five foot eleven about 150 lbs.

watched 10 vids, heard 10 different things. im 3.5 weeks after umbilical mesh repair and back at work but not goin crazy. gonna wait another 2 weeks for gym at least

One week after my surgery and I'm already feeling great, the pain is 85% gone already.. go for it don't be scared

Thank you Dr. Harris for all the great work you do and for posting this wonderful informative video! You are a blessing to the Earth from God!

I had a hernia repaired last year, and I STILL have pain. Also, where my mesh is, is rock hard. I've told my doctor about it, and he assures me the distension will subside, and he says the pain is normal. So, I'm going to have pain all the time now? I'm beginning to wish I hadn't had my hernia repaired at all.............

Good stuff, TY Doctor. Im glad I found this video..

Had surgery 10 years ago, open with mesh, no problems since. Recovery very fast in gym 4 days after surgery lifting a max of 50 lbs on all machines. This is the only surgery everyone should have period.

Thank you Doctor. I’ve had open surgery and this video makes so much sense to me. God bless🙏🏼

Had my surgery on Monday, since then I find it extremely painful to get out of bed and stand. There are times where I manage to make it to the bathroom only to not use the restroom. I’ve had a vasectomy before and this pain outweighs that by 10. Any tips on getting moving about? It’s extremely painful so far, almost unbearable.

Ive had open right hernia surgery last year , recovery was a breeze. Walked right out the hospital. Then had surgery on the left this past Jan 7th which the doctor said i had both a direct and indirect hernia. This one has been a struggle. The burning sensation is sometimes unbearable.

What a informative, encouraging and useful video for those who need it. Thank you

Going to have a hernia surgery in a couple days. Thanks for the advice, will update when it's finished.

I’ve just had my third hernia surgery. My most recent was a prevascular hernia. I’m in a lot of pain involving my hip, and groin. This latest surgery is higher than my last femoral hernia repair.....and I have a huge long line of scar tissue. I’m full of mesh, because of previous repairs....and after a week, I’m still in terrible pain. #IHATEHERNIAS Btw...I’m female, and I’m slim! This should not have happened to me lol!

Best video going round thank u

Had an inguinal hernia surgery today. This helped me a bunch

Straight to the point in plain language I had surgery March 6th

trust me to be in the 1% that has a hernia again but to finish it off I have two.. 6 months after operation

Thanks a lot Dr. ........ it's really useful for me cause before 10 days I got my surgery of hernia by laparoscopy ....

This is great advice and consistent with what the surgeon has told me. Tomorrow is my hernia surgery

It was solacing..now I am stronger to go for the surgery. Thanks

What do you consider to be the first day? Is that the day of the operation or the day after? Specifically, I am around 72 hours into recovery, and I was wondering if that is considered day three, or day four?

I need a abdominal hernia surgery really bad but am very afraid, my sister resides in California and I'm thinking about coming there for my surgery, please help with more information. God bless you Doctor

Very best video on the subject. Well done!

Not so true, don't stay inside and sitting down, lesson 101, stay moving around as much as possible, without overdoing it. If you relax resting and sitting down, if and when you go to get up or move, your in serious pain and danger. So keep moving around

I’m post surgery day 2 with mesh, I haven’t even taken any pain medication! Just having a little bit of trouble getting off the couch and out of bed ! Day three slow walk up his shop to have a coffee 😊

Great explanation and definitely doing this. This will be my second hernia surgery which is a repair to the first one because unfortunately I was not able to take care of it correctly due to having a 3 year old and a new born at that time. But I'm planning to do the minimal activity I can in order to recover. I miss playing soccer so much!

Wow, 3 weeks Seems short. As an oral surg, we always have said 6 weeks on big bony procedures. I have always said that this was overkill, but soft tissue and muscle repair must occur sooner than I think

I'm on day one of inguinal open mesh surgery, I woke up after surgery sore, pain was mild but they put a tube in your throat while you sleep, so you feel like you gotta cough once awake, advice avoid coughing, that was painful like 6 out of 10. I read so much variety of reports I was afraid this would feel like hell, so far its mild, it's like a sore muscle. Just be careful getting up and down. I am taking the pain meds and plan to go for 3-4 days. So far surprised how mild pain is. Will update some other time on how I'm feeling Day 2: today was more painful to get up but not crazy bad, laying down felt the same, just go slow with getting up and down, and use an ice pack.

Thanks for posting this informative & helpful vid. Seeing my surgeon the week after next after being admitted to A & E (I'm in the UK) with an incarcerated indirect inguinal hernia & have never felt agony like it in my life. They initially gave me morphine for the extreme pain which ironically relaxed me & the fascia and the incarceration resolved & then I was discharged awaiting a surgical intervention. I had a follow up ultrasound which confirmed the initial diagnosis. Thanks again Dr for the vid as hearing you explain the process is helping my anxiety somewhat.

It's good to hear this. I have a consultation soon to have a umbilical hernia repaired. All the other videos I've watched all all gloom and doom. They all seem to suggest you will be worse after the surgery than before getting the surgery. I was pretty much giving up on getting it fixed and live with the hernia. I'm very active and don't want to live the rest of my life in pain.

This gives me hope, I am only on day 12 with robotic mesh surgery and I am climbing the walls wondering how I can wait 6 weeks to resume anything. I don't feel anything other than extremely minor discomfort, so I have been doing some elliptical work as well as minor movements (bicep curls, triceps) with 10 pounds dumbbells. It makes alot more sense that by week 3 I should be able to start resuming normal activities starting light. It never made sense that a generic blanket statement of 6 weeks, nothing more than 10 to 20 pounds would apply to everyone. Previous to my hernia surgery, I was working out 6 days a week so surely I am different than an 80 year old who is overweight and never works out? Yet, they would get the same generic advice from their doctors. Ridiculous if you ask me.

Day one, i am sore as heck, but i'll live. last night i had the sweats, and vomited, i guess thats common in smokers, but i felt great afterwards, and even found a good position to sleep.my hernia was about an inch over my belly button, no mesh, just a few stitches.I am 56, and this was my very first operation...because my blood pressure was so high, nerves i believe, they put me under and i didn't even know it. I am so glad they did it that way....all i remember is them saying, we're just giving you some oxygen. they were excellent, every single one of them..and that made it so much better.so glad i had this done.every experience will be different, so don't go by me, this is just my experience.

I had to umbilical hernias fixed at once, and I would do it all over again. It wasnt fun, but it wasnt terrible at all. It also depends on how soon after the discovery you have the surgery. The longer you wait, its likely the more difficult your recovery will be.

35 hours post-surgery: constant pain while laying down on bed. Can barely walk to the bathroom. I hope it'll get better!

How I wish we had doctors like you in our country who can perform the surgery. Had this hiatal hernia for 8 months now and everyday is a struggle😔 My life was never normal again.

Had my surgery today at 11:45am and jokingly asked the doctor if I would make my 3pm t time. He laughed and said no but I did get a doctors note saying I could use as many mulligans as I wished 3 weeks after surgery! What a great doctor!

Please get rid of the music. Your expertise is enough, sir.

I have this huge hernia after having tumours removed on both kidneys in march of 2013. The hernia has gradually gotten worse. I was split open from the middle of my nipples to just below the belly button. Seems that absolutely all of the stomach muscle has drawn to each side allowing all of my intestine to flow out. I use a hernia belt whenever I leave the house. An operation would be a big ordeal I gather, but living like this is very problematic as well.

A reputable doctor did Liposcopic surgery on my hernia two years ago. He said activity as permitted, which was a big mistake ,over two years later I still have inflammation in my right testicle on my right side. Testicle is 10 times larger than my left side testicle. I told my PCP both years during my routine physical and they just ignored and dismissed it. .🤷🏻‍♂️ Is this something that will be with me permanently? 😮 This surgery is no joke and from what I experienced recovery time should be a long time !

Thanks for all the free advice. I'd consider your clinic, but I'm an expat in China - you're a bit far away. I have my surgery coming up in about 2 weeks. I hope that all goes well.

This is so informative, My wife scheduled for hernia surgery tomorrow. Lot of thanks to you.

Still weak and in pain at week 5. Doctor said for me to not lift more than a gallon of milk until I see him again which will be at week 7. This is due to abdominal swelling and pain that popped back up. So it all depends on the person and how extensive the surgery is. I also had revision surgery from old mesh along with the new hernia repair. Hernia nearly as big as my fist.

Thank you for being concise, this is the best video that summarize what to expect after hernia surgery. I had my inguinal hernia surgery for about 8 weeks, I was feeling great up till 3 weeks and I was told my my doc to it is ok for me to walk, now I have discomfort feeling around the groin area, I have no swelling or anything just discomfort and sometimes pain, I’m too scared to go get checked hoping this is normal. I stopped doing my daily walking which is terribly impacting my daily life routine. I just hope this is a common feeling and nothing wrong is happening. 🙏

I’m 70 years old and had my Inguinal hernia surgery two days ago. I’m thinking that my complete recovery will be slightly longer than 3 weeks but I am hopeful that it won’t be much longer than that.

I had a double (one above my belly button, one below) hernia repair surgery, using mesh to repair my hernias on Oct 10th. It's now Dec 22 and I'm hurting as bad as I ever did before. The pain is horrible right this very second. I have been very careful since surgery. No lifting more than 15 lbs, no riding dirtbikes, no physical activities of any kind. I'm hardly able to do my job properly and its just a retail job. I am experiencing the same pain I had before the surgery. Very frustrating.

This particular video is soothing for me Thank you ❤

You comment very little about pain. Unfortunately I find that doctors pay little attention to pain. Im in my fourth day and I still hurt. I'm glad I had the surgery but the matter of pain control options should be at the top of discussion for post operation recovery. My doctor sent me home with 5 mg percaset every 6 hours. He upped it to 10 mg every 4 hours. I added ibuprofen with his ok. I'm still in bad pain, about a 5 on the 1-10 scale.

Wish I had found this video right after my surgery, instead of nearly 3 weeks afterwards. I would have taken things a little slower than I did...

Its a relief when he says ur free

I’m nearly at 3 weeks….after 2 weeks I could start moving around. But still get sore stomach and still get tired.

Had my first repair in 2015. Ruptured it in January 2019. Booked for another repair in 4 weeks. I had severe pain for about 5 days following my initial surgery, isolated to my inner thigh. Apparently this was very rare but then again, so is rupturing your repair! Can’t wait to squat again!!

A very informative and knowledgeable video. Thanks

seems recurrence is when people go cycling or gym right after 4-6weeks post of instead of waiting 12weeks ....and full recovery is NOT 4wks at all as some US doctors say.,....its more like 6 MONTHS before FULL mesh hernia recovery...

Great video! Thanks for the reassurance Doc.

I had it Monday. Had some pain. Mostly getting up. The major problem was going to the bathroom. By day 3-4 getting up was getting easier. But by day 5 I still could not poop. My arse actually hurt more than the surgery. I felt bloated and not very hungry. I got some laxative and stool softener. They said not to push. I had to every time I stood up I felt like I had to go. After going I feel much better all around. Surgery is not as bad as what I see on here. My brachial plexus was a lot worse.

Day 1 and 2. I can walk, sit, ley on both sides, step in and out of bed, go to toilet. Painful is coffing and nose blowing. Better then expected.

This video gives me hope. I want to do calisthenics again it’s what I love to do

Thanks! Just translated to my Mom to Hungarian! She is having a surgery on 8-18-2022x

I’m day 1 and this is horrible. These pain killers aren’t even working

I'm getting left side ingunal surgery on the 19th September, open surgery with mesh inserted and dreading it like you wouldn't believe, it's the pain after and recovery and the thought of any complications after, really not looking forward to it but needs to be done before the hernia get any worse.

I keep getting pulled groin muscle around my ingual hernia surgery , went to Surgeon , Urologist basically says it will heal eventually. I'm 3 months after my Surgery. Pain is getting old

Doctor you r doing good job... well done doc here Ali from Pakistan... my wife had surgery two months ago...but now whenever she have constipation ...she feels pain in where have hernia ...

It’s my fourth day after my umbilical hernia surgery operation… And I am still very sore, I find it hard to stand up straight when I try and walk to the bathroom… The only thing that I’m worried about at night time is the amount of pain in my chest and back when I breathe… Which I’ve read could be from when I was under anesthesia? Wasn’t sure if someone could explain this to me I have my two week follow up coming up but I was just curious. Also is sleeping on my side with a pillow OK? Since I find it hard to breathe on my back and I haven’t been getting much sleep. Love your page!

Had the surgery just over a week ago (keyhole), now my hernia was quite (large 2.5" hole in my abdominal wall) I am more mobile now, but still playing it careful as I am carrying extra weight my chances of recurrence are higher so longer rest period for me. Overall, it's not terrible after the initial few days