Umbilical Hernia and PD

[Shaks24]

A few months back I had a bit of leaking from my exit site. They had me cut back on the volume of fills and the problem seemed to go away so I resumed filling with my usual 2 liters. Yesterday my belly button area got real sore and the soreness extended to my exit site yet everything looked good. Drainage was crystal clear. No fever or no leak but just soreness. I called the clinic and they had me go in for a CT Scan and it turns out I have a hernia near the exit site and my belly button. Has anyone had this situation and if so did you have surgery to repair it and how did it work out? Thanks

[cassandra]

I'm sorry Shaks, can't help you with info, just wishing you well


         



Love, Cas

[Shaks24]

Thanks Cas. Hope you are well!

[obsidianom]

A few months back I had a bit of leaking from my exit site. They had me cut back on the volume of fills and the problem seemed to go away so I resumed filling with my usual 2 liters. Yesterday my belly button area got real sore and the soreness extended to my exit site yet everything looked good. Drainage was crystal clear. No fever or no leak but just soreness. I called the clinic and they had me go in for a CT Scan and it turns out I have a hernia near the exit site and my belly button. Has anyone had this situation and if so did you have surgery to repair it and how did it work out? Thanks

Read this article on this whole subject of PD and hernias , especially in men. You may not be old but it still is the same basic idea.

http://homedialysis.org/news-and-research/blog/70-pd-in-the-elderly-wouldn-t-slow-and-low-make-more-sense

[Shaks24]

Thanks. I started at 4 exchanges with first fill being 2000 and because of Tidal setting the subsequent fills were 1600. Dry during the day. Just found out I will have 2 surgeries. 1 to repair the hernia and one to reposition the catheter at the exit site/ tunnel. They will be done at the same time by two different surgeons. They said I will have to do Hemo for about 4 weeks. That has me scared but thanks to many on this board, I know I will get through it.

[obsidianom]

Thanks. I started at 4 exchanges with first fill being 2000 and because of Tidal setting the subsequent fills were 1600. Dry during the day. Just found out I will have 2 surgeries. 1 to repair the hernia and one to reposition the catheter at the exit site/ tunnel. They will be done at the same time by two different surgeons. They said I will have to do Hemo for about 4 weeks. That has me scared but thanks to many on this board, I know I will get through it.

Who knows, maybe 3 days per week hemo might turn out easier for you then 7 days PD. You never know until you try.

[Shaks24]

lol. What I do know is I will be asking for some of that stuff that numbs the arm before they stick me.

[obsidianom]

lol. What I do know is I will be asking for some of that stuff that numbs the arm before they stick me.

You will probably be on a catheter anyway so there wont be needles . That wont happen until later when you have a fistula or graft.
Then you can do the "3 stooges" " anesthetic" ----Ether----Ether the bottle or the hammer.   Hit yourself upside the head with the hammer and NO PAIN. NYuk yuk yuk.  (remind me to kill you later-----I'll make a note of it!)   

[Shaks24]

Actually, I had a fistula placed in my left arm at the same time I had my PD catheter placed(over a year ago) for this very reason. It was the surgeons recommendation. I guess he was a proponent of Fistula First. I guess I will still be in search for some of that needle stick numbing stuff. I would rather just continue with my PD but I guess sometimes you don't get what you like in life.

[cassandra]

Not nice you have to be on hemo for a bit, but it's only for a bit (       )  you want Emla cream, or Xylocaine spray for the numbing. The freezing spray helps a bit too. I'm happy for you you can continue PD after the surgeries.

So good luck with the ops, lots of love, Cas

[chook]

G'day Shaks. You won't recognise my name, as I'm rarely on this site these days. Decided to look in today and give an update and spotted your post. Very coincidental.
Yes, I had a hernia about 6 months into my PD treatment. I also had a fistula. When I had to go on haemo while having the hernia repaired, we discovered the original fistula didn't work. As we found this out on a trial haemo run prior to surgery, in addition to the hernia surgery I had a new fistula created. It was only three days old when we used it and my first week of haemo was everything I dreaded, BUT only because my fistula was so new. Had the other one worked, things would have been different. Once I became a bit more less tense about the needling thing, my 8 weeks of haemo ended up being bearable. I didn't try to learn the haemo routine, as it was just a temporary treatment while the hernia site healed. During the haemo weeks I was 'flushed' regularly to keep my PD cath free from blockages and on a couple of occasions, the line didn't want to drain but with a bit of fiddling, everything continued to run okay. Apparently a bit of 'gunk' gets in to the peritoneum during surgery and of course then drains out with the PD fluid into the cath and can partially block it. I went back on PD without a hiccup. All good. I still have tender spots every now and then at the hernia site but hardly worth worrying about. I had just another 10 days on PD post surgery when I was SO LUCKY to receive a deceased donor kidney. That was 3 years and 7 months ago.
I've told this warts and all because that's my story. I dreaded haemo and I'm sorry to say, it was everything I dreaded, and I take my hat off to those brave people who do it as a matter of routine. I was going so well on PD that when the call came, I asked my hubby if we really wanted to have a transplant - pretty glad now we chose 'Yes!' to that question!
Please feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try to help any way I can. I've just remembered my 'thread' here on IHD around that time titled "Chook's 6 weeks on haemo - all my dramas". It tells my haemo story, if you can find that. As I said, it ended up being 8 weeks and PD remains my preference for dialysis.
(My hernia was just above the navel and as I have grandkids, I figured I was to blame for picking them up whilst on PD. However, the nurses tell me it is common for women on PD who have had children to develop them. However, if ever back on PD I will be very careful not to lift much.)
And a post script: I'm now looking at having my huge fistula tied off as it's pumping too much blood and I will be sad to see it go as it has been my back up for almost four years. And I've only used it for a total of 8 weeks. But I'm chuffed that I'm well enough for the fistual removal to be an option.

[Shaks24]

Thanks so much for that information chook. I am quite anxious about even the short term transition to Hemo. I meet with the hernia surgeon on tuesday so I will ask a lot of questions. Did they implant mesh to repair your hernia? Also do you recall if they had to relocate your catheter (different tunnel location)? I am so bummed out about the situation because like you everything was going so well until it did not. What can you do except keep putting one foot in front of the other and marching on?

[Bambino_Bear]

I am so sorry to hear about the hernia Shaks.

Hopefully this will just be a short detour to hemo and then you can resume PD.

Best wishes and keep us posted please! 

 

[Shaks24]

Thanks Nikki. Hope you and Justin are well.

[Bambino_Bear]

We are still chugging along! 

[Shaks24]

Good to hear that Nikki. I had some good news too. Had a CT Scan and the surgeon said the hernia was too small and that operating would cause more risk to losing the catheter than its worth. So I am back on my normal fills and for the last two nights its gone well. Hopefully that will continue.

[cassandra]

Wow that's fantastic news. Stay well Shaks


         


Lots of love, Cas

[Shaks24]

Thanks Cas. You are so kind!

[JLM]

I had hernias about 3 inches above my belly button.  The first thing I was in the hospital for 3 weeks and was on Hemo until I healed...Hated IT  The second time a larger piece of mesh was put in and I was off of PD for two days.  The continued my regular schedule.

[MaryJoe]

Glad to hear you don't need surgery. Hope things continue to go well for you. I know you must be relieved beyond belief!

[chook]

Great news, Shaks, that you are able to continue on PD without surgery. To answer your questions - yes, my hernia was repaired with mesh. I had a very slight rash in the area where the mesh was that disappeared within a few days and a different placement wasn't required for the cath as the hernia was above the exit site and there had been no leakage.
All the best. Stay well.

[Shaks24]

Thank you everyone for the nice words and the feedback. This site is just wonderful. God Bless.

[Bambino_Bear]

  :cheer

Awesome news!!!