Seeking advice/opinions on non-mesh open hernia surgery for an 80+years (Bilateral Inguinal Hernia)
Hi everyone,
I am writing this from South Korea. Since English is not my first language, I am using an AI translator to share my situation and seek your valuable insights.
My 80+ year-old grandfather was recently diagnosed with a bilateral inguinal hernia. We have visited three of the most renowned, high-volume hernia specialized hospitals/universities in Korea to get different opinions:
- University Hospital: Laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. mesh
- Specialized Hospital A: Open mesh surgery under local anesthesia + sleep sedation (split into 2 separate surgeries over 2 months).
- Specialized Hospital B: Open non-mesh (tissue repair) surgery under purely local anesthesia (split into 2 separate surgeries over 2 months).
The left side of his hernia is currently worsening, so we need to act fast. We ruled out the University Hospital because the waitlist is over a month. We also felt that laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia carries too much risk for an 80+ year-old with diabetes and hypertension.
Furthermore, my grandfather has a strong personal aversion to having foreign objects (mesh) implanted in his body. Therefore, we ruled out option 2.
We ultimately decided on Option 3 (Open non-mesh repair under local anesthesia). The hospital we chose is highly specialized, performing over 5,000 hernia surgeries a year. The 5 surgeons there, collectively, have the highest cumulative hernia surgery volume in Korea over the last few decades.
While researching Reddit and Western medical journals, I noticed that in the US and Europe, many surgeons are versatile—they perform laparoscopy, open mesh, and non-mesh repairs, tailoring the approach to the patient's specific condition. However, in Korea, even the most famous and largest hospitals seem to rigidly stick to only one method that they specialize in, which is why we had to hop around so many hospitals.
While we trust the surgeon's immense experience and want to respect my grandfather's wishes, I am incredibly anxious as the surgery is scheduled for next week.
Currently, my grandfather is in good enough shape to go for one-hour walks without getting out of breath. However, given his advanced age (80+), diabetes, and high blood pressure, my biggest concerns are:
Given his age and physical condition, is his native tissue robust enough to ensure a solid recovery without the support of a mesh?
What is the statistical risk of recurrence for a patient in his demographic with a tissue-only repair, and what specific post-operative management or lifestyle adjustments should we prioritize to minimize that risk?
Thank you so much for reading.