Recovery Period
Recovery following your operation will vary according to factors that include the type of operation, your age, anaesthetic, etc.
Recovery after Inguinal Hernia Surgery
Inguinal hernia surgery is sore! Don’t believe anything different! Most patients will be comfortable for the first evening after surgery because we use a long acting local anaesthetic to control post-operative pain. As this wears off you will find the area becomes more uncomfortable. Discomfort is easy to control with oral analgesia which will be prescribed for you at the time of you operation.
- You may experience a minor degree of swelling around the operation site, and often some minor bruising.
- You will not be covered to drive your car by your insurance company for 48 hours following a general anaesthetic.
- You can drive when you feel confident that you can safely perform an “emergency stop”. This is usually between 7 and 10 days.
- You can return to work when you feel able to. This may be in as little as 5 days but often is longer at 14 to 21 days.
- You should not lift anything heavy following your repair for at least 6 weeks. This doesn’t mean you can’t lift anything, you just need to exercise a degree of common sense!
Recovery after Epigastric and Umbilical Hernia Repair
Most patients will recover very quickly from these operations. Discomfort is easily controlled with oral analgesia and the majority of patients should be able to return to work within the week following surgery. Driving is not usually a problem with this repair. However, if your hernia is big enough to require a mesh, then you may find your recovery is slightly longer.