incisional hernia after donation

[msrapp]

I donated a kidney to my sister 8 years ago. Everything is GREAT..except I have developed an incisional hernia at the "site". Did this happen to anyone else and have you had it repaired?  Thanks!

[Fr Pat]

     I have not had that problem (9 years after my donation). I have read of several donors who had incisional hernias and had them repaired, but within a fairly short time after the surgery. I suggest that you contact the hospital where your donation surgery was done. They are supposed to fix, for free, medical problems that are results of the donation but I don't know if they would do so years after the donation. I am not a medical professional, but I wonder if there was a small incisional hernia shortly after the donation and that it has just recently gotten worse? In any case, contact that hospital forst.
     Please let us know what happends.
       Fr. Pat

[kali]

I had an incisional hernia repaired last August about two months after donating.  It was small enough to be sewn up laproscopically w/stitches (no netting needed). They went in from the right side, I guess to avoid all the other incisional sites.  (You can't really see the scars like on the left side.)  After some wrangling, the hospital paid the bills.

The surgeon who repaired it said that sometimes this just happens, it was nothing I did wrong.  I noticed it after a yoga class- small bulge at site.  I guess I'll have to keep an eye on it from here on out.
The surgery itself was outpatient and not very stressful or painful.
Good luck!
Kali

[Barbara S]

I had an incisional hernia which was reapired by the transplant team 7 months after surgery (I think it had been there a lot longer) During my annual physical with my PCP - i asked about the small buldge which was above my belly button - and it was he who told me it was a hernia.

They ended up having to re-open the entire incision - and put in mesh to help with the repair.  That was almost 7 years ago - havent had any problems since then.

If you have any quesitons - I would be happy to answer them.