Chronic Pain After Mesh Hernia Surgery – What Can Be Done?

Pain after hernia surgery usually subsides within 2 weeks, and persistence after 3 months is considered abnormal. After 3 to 6 months, if the pain is still present, it is referred to as chronic post-operative pain.

The incidence of chronic pain after hernia surgery with mesh is highly debated. Rates ranging from 0% to 60% have been widely reported, but a general consensus within the expert hernia surgical community, a reliable incidence of 12% to 15% is recognized.

Traditional approaches of pain management such as pain and nerve medication, nerve blocks or nerve removal or dissection do not last long, nor are they effective in the long run, as they are intended to only block the pain, and do not treat the cause of the pain.

To date, the only potential permanent solution to this chronic pain issue is to have the mesh removed.