As some of you may remember, i had surgery for an inguinal hernia almost 3 weeks ago.  Before the surgery i had a pretty noticeable bulge on the right groin area.  The doctor that did my surgery made a 3 1/2" incision, and said he didnt have to use any synthetics (mesh) to do the repair.  I went back a week later and he took the staples out, and this past week i have just started looking at the area and not wearing a bandage over it.  I did have some pretty good swelling down below like the doc. said i would, but now, almost 3 weeks later, it seems like there is a swelling right below my incision that looks kinda just like the hernia did before the surgery.  I havent gone back to work, and have not done anything but lay around for the last 3 weeks.  Ive only left the house maybe 4 or 5 times to take short trips out.  I really dont think i could have done anything to damage the repair, but this swollen area looks like the freakin hernia did.  I go to the doctor monday afternoon for a checkup, but its worrying me to death thinking the hernia has come back, or was not repaired correctly.  Has anyone else had any swelling like this 3 weeks after a hernia reapir?

Mine didnt. It was tight and firm and still is. I didnt even have staples. My doc used some kind of weird internal stitch that looked like a thin pink line with a little piece of string sticking out of the middle. It was a little touchy and sensitive for a few weeks, but I had no bulge anywhere around it.

Thanks for the replies.  Im sitting here trying to determine if it is the same size sitting or standing, and im thinking (hoping) it is just swelling.  Its just kinda funny that the only swelling left since my n&ts went down is the actual incision itself, and the area that used to bulge from the hernia.  The actual hole where he had to repair i thought was kinda higher where the incision is, so im just wondering why the lower area where the "sac" hung down would swell at all.

Anyone else?

Sounds like you may have a small hematoma or seroma under the incision.  Hematomas (blood collection) and seromas (collection of serous fluid) are common after surgery.  Your surgeon will be able to tell you if the hernia has recurred.  Most likely, if the repair failed, you would have noticed a "pop" or "something give" in the area of the surgery.  Doesn't sound like this is the case.  

It is hard to criticize without having been in surgery and seen your anatomy, but most surgeons today do a mesh (tensionless) repair on all inguinal hernias.  

Well, what worries me is that the swollen area, or bulge isnt exactly under my incision, its going from the incision, downward for about 2 inches, toward my "sack".  The exact place that my hernia bulge was.  I dont think he would have actually done any work on me in that area because the way i understand it, the hole that was letting the hernia hang out was up where the incision is.  

And another thing, the fact that he said he didnt like using synthetics unless he has to, do you think i got shafted on the integrity of the repair?  I am a mechanic, and when i go back to work, i will be lifting, straining and such.

It seems like the bulge has gone down some over the night last night.  I go to the doctor at 2 this afternoon, so we will see.

Ok, went to the doctor, and he looked at it (didnt touch me though) and passed it off as normal looking.   I guess i will have to trust him although it looks just like it did before the surgery.  Oh well.

Since im a mechanic, its kinda like having a head gasket job done because your engine was using (burning) coolant.  And then 3 weeks later, your radiator is half empty again.  Was it left low? did it just have a air pocket? or is the head gasket still leaking???

Just kinda makes me wonder.

It took mine months to go down.  The Dr. really invaded and shredded things in there, and your body is still completing the repairs.

When I had mine done in December '01, it was the old school method of restiching.  I grilled the doctor about the laproscopic method, and various mesh repairs.  His position was that he'd do whatever I wanted, but he'd recommend the stitching alone.  He said that if it is done well, it's the strongest method, and there is very little risk of the repair breaking.  Behind breast tumor removal, hernia repairs are his most common procedures, so I went with his advice.  As of this time, I'm satisfied.

haha, yea, all the time.  What kind of work do you do?  I've worked for ford as a tech for 8 years now.

Yea, thats the way my doctor was.