Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Robotic Hernia Surgeon · Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
In short
Many people are told they need a mesh and then read about mesh rejection. It sounds frightening. It helps to know what actually happens to a mesh inside the body.
This page explains why true rejection does not happen, and what the real problems are.
A hernia mesh is a soft net of plastic fibres. Over the weeks after surgery, the body grows its own tissue in and around the net. The mesh becomes part of a strong new layer.
The plastic is chosen because the body tolerates it well. It does not carry living cells, so there is nothing for the immune system to reject, as it can with a transplanted kidney.
When someone says their body rejected a mesh, they usually mean one of a few real problems. The most common are an infection, a fluid collection, pain that lasts, or the hernia coming back.
Each has its own cause and its own treatment. None of them is the body attacking the plastic.
What people call mesh rejection, and what it usually is
| What you notice | What it usually is | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Soft swelling at the site in the first weeks | Fluid collection, often settles | Show it at your review |
| Red, hot, weeping wound or fever | Infection | See your surgeon soon |
| Pain that lasts beyond three months | Nerve or scar pain | Ask for a review |
| A lump that returns at the repair | Hernia coming back | Ask for a review |
| Itchy rash on the skin | Reaction to dressing or tape | Change the dressing |
Worried about how your mesh repair is healing? Send a photo of your discharge summary on WhatsApp.
Signs that need a check
Contact your surgeon if any of these happen. Bring your discharge summary.
Some things are in your hands. Stopping smoking, keeping blood sugar in control and treating a cough or constipation before surgery all help healing. After surgery, keep the wound clean and dry and go for your review.
Keyhole and robotic repairs place the mesh through small cuts, away from the skin wound, which may lower the chance of wound infection.
Most mesh problems are treated without taking the mesh out. A fluid collection often settles on its own. An infection is treated with antibiotics and wound care. Removal is kept for a small number of cases.
Not in the way people fear. The body does not attack a mesh the way it can attack a transplanted organ. It grows tissue into the mesh.
A true allergy to the plastic in a mesh is very rare. Redness or swelling after surgery is far more often normal healing or an infection.
Pain that keeps getting worse, a red, hot or weeping wound, fever, or a new lump at the repair. These need a check by your surgeon.
Not always. Many problems settle with treatment. Removal is kept for a few cases, such as a deep infection that does not clear.
For most adult hernias, a mesh lowers the chance of the hernia coming back. Your surgeon will discuss which repair suits you.
The main page on this site is robotic hernia surgery in Ahmedabad. These cover the neighbouring questions.
Where to find us
Dr Harsh Shah, MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Shah's Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre
Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar
Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
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