So my hernia surgery is 2 months away, but i'm seriously in two minds whether to go ahead with it.

The risk of strangulation is very low VS the 30% risk of long term pain after the surgery for the rest of my life. It seems the whole idea of patching with mesh and the long term health effects of this foreign "inert" body are still overlooked by many doctors and surgeons (recent research suggests mesh repair only if over 50/60 due to long term affects and shouldice repair if young although the main clinic is in Canada).

The mesh repair doesnt address the core problem of the weakness of the muscle wall and simply patches over it hence the 40%+ recurrence rate of a hernia appearing on the other side or even higher up. My friends mesh repair 5 years ago is starting to dig into him and give him bother at the moment when he jogs. A client at work was off for 2 years after a double hernia mesh repair with keyhole surgery damaged his bowel with the telescope. My uncle is still in severe pain in his testicles after a small mesh repair 2.5 months ago.

Add to this the 1000's of reported cases to the FDA against the mesh companies in their database (MAUDE Adverse Event Report)

I'm going to try and heal my Hernia naturally

Spurred on by this
Can Exercise Mend A Hernia? - NHF

The Hernia is never out in the morning and usually appears around midday as a small half boiled egg swelling in left groin, although it hasn't protuded for the last 2 days now at all after going on x2 1 hour walks each day so theres definetely an element of muscle being able to contain it. I've not worked my abs for years as deadlifts + squats have kept my core quite lean, so I figure if I can stengthen these especially ill have no problem holding it in for good.

I'm going to continue weightlifting but shifting the focus onto exercises which dont give massive intra abdominal pressure which could worsen the Hernia - for example Standing Military Shoulder Press, standing barbell curls, bent over rows, deads, squats are no goers, and anything which encourages the valsalva movement.



On my safe workout list so far

Benchpress
Machine lateral row for back
Seated Barbell Shoulder press
Ez bar Tricep close grip bench
Seated Preacher Curl
Leg Raises
Pilates Shoulder Bridge


Please add to the above safe list and all advice and thoughts are much appriciated