"Operation to repair inguinal hernia"

Long wait (6months) for the operation, during which time by far the best thing I bought was a hernia truss. Essential!

It kept me at work, stopped the hernia from becoming strangulated and / or getting worse, and prevented so much pain (it always hurt when I took it off). This was not reccomended by any GP or specialist (our internet research only) and should be! It should be immediately prescribed by GPs when anyone develops this type of hernia.

Hospital was really efficient, clean, and staff were helpful and reassuring. The operation was a success and left a very slim (though long) scar. Post operative advice was clear and detailed and helpful.

However... There was no warning that after the anaesthetic and operation the abdominal muscles often stop working effectively for a week or so as they recover, which can cause constipation. This is what happened in my case and after 4 days I suffered terrible faecal compaction which was agonising and went on for 2 further days, only to be relieved with very heavy doses of laxatives and pessaries (which then caused 2 days of diarrhoea). This really should be warned about and patients should be advised to moderate their diet in the week after the operation.

It is now a month after my operation and the muscles are healing well. The advice to take breathing exercises (eg: 10 deep breaths once or twice a day) has been very useful, I also strongly recommend gentle swimming.