My Umbilical Hernia Repair

This is a "time lapse" video featuring daily photos of my wound from Umbilical Hernia Repair surgery. Starting on the 5th day after surgery, when the dressing was removed, up until the 33rd day (when I got bored with 'navel gazing' lol).

I started this project during the 2 weeks that I was off work hanging around the house on my own bored. I thought it would be helpful to other people who may be undergoing this operation in future.

If you are about to have this surgery, don't worry about it - it's not too bad at all. Mine was Day Surgery, no hospital stay. The only moderate to bad pain I suffered was in the first 3-4 days following surgery and Co-Codomol controlled this quite nicely. The bruising caused some 'bending down' problems for about 20 days, but my wife bought me a 'helping hand' (a grabber on a pole) that allowed me to pick things up (and not bother her).

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Time Lapse
• Slideshow
• wound
• Umbilical Hernia
• Umbilical Hernia Repair
• Scar
• Hair
• Belly Button
• Navel
• Hernia
• Surgery
• Hairy
• Shaven
• Scab
• Gruesome
• Vile
• Nasty
• Gut
• Belly
• Big Belly
• Blood
• Bleeding
• Health
• Hospital
• Day Surgery

[usantfarm]

Looks like a one-eyed smiley face... just like mine. Good Luck to you.

[chunkylover5572]

@usantfarm Yes, we're a select crew us 'smiley navel people'. The stitches in your vid look a bit gruesome! Good luck with your recovery.

[usantfarm]

@chunkylover5572 Ya think that was bad, You should see the doc's view of my "micro endoscopic discectomy L5S1."

[chunkylover5572]

@usantfarm Oh Christ, I can't look at anything like that! My wife likes all these medical documentaries on TV, they make me wanna throw up.

[usantfarm]

@chunkylover5572 Right! With all my repairs, all the surgeons tell me not to watch the vids on youtube or I'll never get em done.

[chunkylover5572]

@usantfarm I agree with your surgeons! I couldn't watch the various vids of the hernia surgery before or after. I think our vids are ok though - they give people a chance to see that the after effects are not as bad as they probably think they're going to be.

[chunkylover5572]

@TiredOldGeezer I didn't have any itching. Everybody is different though and If you've been told it's a good sign, then I wouldn't worry about it (best not to scratch it though!)

[TiredOldGeezer]

@chunkylover5572 Thanks. At the moment it's itching like crazy! But I've replaced the dressing to check for infection and it all seems okay. How long does the itching last?

[chunkylover5572]

@TiredOldGeezer Sounds a bit more complicated than mine. Good luck with your recovery.

[TiredOldGeezer]

I had my umbilical hernia repair op under GA on 16/Sep/11 and am now recuperating at home. Unlike many small horizontal scars, mine will be vertical, about 10cm long, right down the centreline of the belly button, because the surgeon disovered another small hernia. There's not much pain. The staff nurse gave me some Tramadol tablets to take home, but I took two and felt very drowsy, so I've only taken a couple of Paracetamol since. Main problem is itching, though I’m told this is a good sign.