Who Do I See to Get a Possible Incisional Hernia and Tummy Tuck Evaluated?

asked 10 months ago by Annie in Michigan in Grand Rapids, MI
Latest answer by Fereydoon S. Mahjouri, MD
Question viewed 357 times
Tags: age 25-34, c-section, choosing a surgeon, hernia repair

I am 34 years old and have had 3 c-sections. Over the past five years since my last c-section I sometimes experience a charley horse type pain along with a bulge on the right side of where my incisional scar is and have been told by my OB and internist that it's probably just scar tissue. It happens mostly when I am straining that side of my abdominal muscles and think it may be more than just scar tissue causing the pain. The pain stops when I lie down, relax, and press on it slightly. Help!

9 answers to Who Do I See to Get a Possible Incisional Hernia and Tummy Tuck Evaluated?

Incisional hernia from C-sections; also considering tummy tuck.

With due respect to your Internist and OB, it sounds as if your diagnostic skills are "better" than the professional advice given, though they have the advantage of having examined you, so their input must not be dismissed lightly. Still, you give diagnostic information absolutely accurate for incisional hernia, and if a loop of intestine becomes strangulated in the hernia (the bulge that does NOT go away when you "lie down, relax, and press on it slightly"), you could... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Tummy tuck and hernia

Your symptoms are pointing to having an incisional hernia , which is not uncommon after multiple pregnancies and having C sections for giving child birth . If you do have excecc skin hanging down or if it covers your groin and pubic are , when you seat down , the best person to address your condition is a board certified plastic surgeon. He/she would be able to fix your hernia while doing your tommy tuck

Fereydoon S. Mahjouri, MD
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Incisional hernia repair at time of Tummy Tuck

I does sound like an incisional hernia. This can be repaired at the same time as the abdominoplasty and your plastic surgeon can perform both procedures. If you decide to not undergo a Tummy Tuck but would like to have the hernia repaired, then a general surgeon would be the logical choice.

William H. Gorman, MD
Austin Plastic Surgeon

www.whgormanmd.com

Tummy tucks are for plastic surgeons!

Find a good plastic surgeon in your area. many are doubly trained in general surgery, so they have experience in hernia diagnosis and treatment. They will be best suited to determine your needs. Many plastic surgeons will involve a general surgeon in the hernia treatment. This is something I routinely do.

Robert M. Freund, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

A board certified plastic surgeon

Your board certified plastic surgeon has a back ground in general surgery, so he/she should be very capable at repairing the incisional hernia at the same time as the TT.

E. Anthony Musarra II, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Who Should fix a hernia at the same time as a Tummy Tuck?

If you want a tummy tuck, then starting our with a board certified Plastic Surgeon may be the best way to go here. That is because most Plastic Surgeons in the United States have some training as general surgeons, in fact, some like myself, are board certified in both specialties. I don't usually perform general surgery procedures anymore, but the background training is important in that we can offer our patients a critical evaluation of the problem, and be able to... more

Erez Sternberg, MD
Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon

Who Do I See to Get a Possible Incisional Hernia and Tummy Tuck Evaluated?

I recommend a team approach. See both boarded PS and GS to determine if by physical examination you may have an incisional hernia. Than a scan or ultrasound of the lower abdomen can aid in the pre operative diagnosis. After and if it determined you do have an incisional hernia than discuss with your chosen PS the treatment approach. That is to say, the GS does the hernia repair and the PS does the TT. or can the PS do both? Best of luck.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Possible hernia and tummy tuck

If you have a possible hernia and were not considering a tummy tuck (as you did not have loose skin), then a general surgeon would be able to evaluate and repair this. If you have loose skin and you are considering a tummy tuck, see a plastic surgeon who would evaluate you for the tummy tuck and the hernia, and either repair the hernia at the time of the tummy tuck or work with a general surgeon to repair the hernia at the same time.

Robert M. Grenley, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Incisional scar pain

It certainly sounds like it could be an incisional hernia. Although a general surgeon could treat this, if you are also considering a tummy tuck, I would recommend seeing a board-certified plastic surgeon instead.