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Hard Lump Like Tumor At The Site Of Hernia Post Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Surgery. What Is It?
Question: I had a Laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery. After surgery there was puffiness but after one week a hard mas is in the place where the hernia was. This due to dripping fluid and now there is a hard ball that looks like a tumor. The doctor is saying it will go away. It is close to a month since the surgery but the hard mass is there.
Hello,
Thank you for the query.
I assume that the mesh were inserted and the wounds are in the inguinal area (not in the abdominal area).
Such hard mass can be a fluid collection, mesh witch has gotten coiled or hernia recurrence.
If it is a fluid collection it should be hard, skin around it should be red and swollen. Such fluid can be a blood (hematoma) or seroma (fluid produced by peritoneum - a tissue which covers abdominal cavity and sometimes is left open in the surgical wound). In both cases, fluid should be drained. If it is seroma, it can take up to few months for the fluid to stop accumulate and some more drain can be necessary.
Coiled mesh can be caused by weak stitches. In such case, the mesh does not stay flat and gets coiled. If so, the lump should be softer and some artificial material should be palpated.
Hernia recurrence should give retractable (however not always) lump, which gets larger when standing and coughing. Sometimes it can give abdominal pain, bloating or even bowels obstruction.
The best way to diagnose this lump is an ultrasound. It will tell what is inside the lump.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards,
Thank you for the query.
I assume that the mesh were inserted and the wounds are in the inguinal area (not in the abdominal area).
Such hard mass can be a fluid collection, mesh witch has gotten coiled or hernia recurrence.
If it is a fluid collection it should be hard, skin around it should be red and swollen. Such fluid can be a blood (hematoma) or seroma (fluid produced by peritoneum - a tissue which covers abdominal cavity and sometimes is left open in the surgical wound). In both cases, fluid should be drained. If it is seroma, it can take up to few months for the fluid to stop accumulate and some more drain can be necessary.
Coiled mesh can be caused by weak stitches. In such case, the mesh does not stay flat and gets coiled. If so, the lump should be softer and some artificial material should be palpated.
Hernia recurrence should give retractable (however not always) lump, which gets larger when standing and coughing. Sometimes it can give abdominal pain, bloating or even bowels obstruction.
The best way to diagnose this lump is an ultrasound. It will tell what is inside the lump.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards,
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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