Right Side Hernia Repair

Above: Mwah (sic). Post Op room. University of Utah hospital. 18 July 2025.

Last Friday, 18 July 2025, I underwent a right-side lower abdomen hernia repair - invasive, not arthroscopic or robotic. I spent seven hours at the University of Utah (U of U) hospital. 10 AM to 5 PM. At the end of the day there was a five-inch incision in my lower, right abdomen, which compared to arthroscopic or robotic surgery, requires a longer recovery period. Today, four days later, I'm feeling fine. I can walk and drive... but I have to move slowly when changing positions.

Electing to undergo the surgery was not a slam dunk. The hernia was discovered when I made an April 2025 trip to the trauma room at IHC hospital in Park City due to severe pains in my abdomen. A CT scan revealed the hernia, but the doctors were inconclusive about whether there was a correlation between the hernia and the pain I was experiencing. I was given pain killers. The pain dissipated over time. The trauma doctor said I should see a hernia surgical specialist and gave me a referral. The pain I had experienced was never "officially" diagnosed. It could have resulted from complications associated with my taking Mounjaro, a diabetes/weight-loss medication oft associated with abdominal issues. Or the severe abdominal pain could have been hernia related.

In June I met with a hernia surgeon, Dr. Sarah Lombardo, at the U of U medical center. At first Dr. Lombardo wondered what my concern was, since I had not experienced any symptoms since the April "event." Typically, surgeries are not performed on hernias where there are no symptoms. After she looked at the CT scan and probed the hernia area manually, Dr. Lombardo, kind of changed her tune. "This is a pretty big hernia," she said. "You've probably had it for some time. It's so big that it can't be repaired arthroscopically (as is typical now) or robotically. The repair would require an invasive incision. Typically, insurance doesn't cover hernia repairs unless there are symptoms of strangulation, but because of the correlation of your pain event to the discovery of your hernia and the size of your hernia, you would probably get insurance coverage."

Dr. Lombardo didn't recommend either wait and see, or surgery ASAP. She said, "either option is a rational decision." My GP, my wife, and a couple of friends with hernia repair experience encouraged me to get the repair done ASAP, so I did.

Apart from the procedure going well (so far), I was amazed at the complex organization of the seven-hour long process. At least five people ministered to me in prep... blood tests, O2 test, blood pressure... temperature etc. Seven or eight...surgeon, anesthesiologist, and their helpers, in the operating room, two in recovery, and two in post op. Sixteen or seventeen health care workers in total were involved, one way or the other, in my procedure.

The operating room, 25 ft by 25 feet, was replete with sophisticated overhead lighting, monitors, boxes on the wall, screens, tubes, cords.

No chords though. At my last surgery on my left eyelid six months ago at U of U Morin Eye Center, just adjacent to this hospital, the operating room (OR) staff asked my what music I wanted. until they put me under. "Eagles," I replied. The music, "Take It Easy" came up on the OR sound system immediately. Yesterday, if asked for music selection, I was going to request, AC/DC. "It’s a Long Way to the Top If You Want to Rock and Roll." Sorrowfully, I wasn't asked for a music selection this time. Instead, anesthesiologist, Dr. Lembke (a she) came up and said, "I'm going to put something in your IV that's going to sting a little bit. That's the last thing I remember before waking up an hour and a half later in the recovery room.

TIMDT was with me in pre op and post op. She drove me home. Very reassuring. It was good to have a loyal, loving companion as a back stop. Works both ways.

My consultation surgeon, Dr. Lombardo, had to have a knee replacement so one of her colleagues, Dr. Ram Narula performed the procedure. As a tot, Dr. Nirula immigrated to Canada from New Delhi forty-five years ago. I asked Dr. Nirula about the degree of difficulty of my procedure. "Fifty of one hundred is average...yours is eighty," he said. Mwah (sic): "But no big deal, right?" Dr. Nirula: "I've performed over a thousand of these hernia repair procedures. More than a few where I have operated have been where intestine stuffed stomach flaps have hung down to the patient's knees. FYI. In 10% of the surgeries blood slips down into the scrotum. That can be quite painful for week or so." Mwah (sic). "Gulp." Dr. Nirula: "You have to pee before we let you go. Ten percent of the time the patient can't pee post-surgery. If you are unable to pee, we have to empty the bladder with a catheter." Mwah (sic). "Gulp." Happily, neither of the aforementioned side effects occurred with my procedure.

Fourteen hours after the procedure, 6:30 AM, on 19 July 2025, I drove the 398 a mile and a half from home over to Wasatch Bagel for a bagel and some eggs. TIMDT called me there and told me it was irresponsible for me to drive over there so soon after the procedure. Perhaps she was right. Dr. Nirula told me to wait twenty-four hours post op to drive. That was the time required for the drugs to wear off. TIMDT told me she wasn't going to take care of me anymore because of my irresponsible act. Then she called our daughter FeeBee, and FeeBee also called me to chew me out. I returned home and remained quiet for the rest of the day.

Observations.

1. We are very lucky to live within twenty-five miles of world class medical center. Look up the med schools of these surgeons. Harvard, Johns Hopkins, U San Francisco, UCLA. Pre op nurses said Nirula (University of Washington) was the rock star hernia doc in the Mountain West.

2. Cost. I can't imagine it. $25K? $30K. More? This procedure was preauthorized by Medicare and Mutual of Omaha Supplemental. The costs are ultimately born by the W2 filers out there, most of whom are paying directly into my benefits with reducing hope that that they'll get any benefits themselves when they come "of age." My special thanks to Kenworth in this regard.