Hernia - Yachtsman's problem?

[vyv_cox]

My sailing season has been cut short quite drastically this year after I needed to undergo surgery for a hernia whilst in Greece. The op went very well and I am a long way down the road to complete recovery, but advice was not to sail again this season.

On circulating this information to my e-mail contacts I have been amazed to discover how many yachties, mostly it must be said of 'a certain age', have also had the problem. Is this coincidence or is there something about sailing that tends to overstress the stomach muscles? I had put it down to winching, but others have attributed it to hand-hauling anchor chain.

Any thoughts from fellow sufferers, possibly for a future YM article? PM if you don't want it known in public Has recovery been complete? I was advised that I will only regain 75 - 80% of previous stomach strength. Another who has undergone the op will now not lift anything heavier than 20 kg. Is that general advice or over-cautious?

All contributions most welcome.

 

[johnalison]

I believe that up to 60% of Nelson's navy had hernias. At that time the only treatment was to wear a truss. Presumably lifting within a confined space was a factor.

As a rule hernias develop at a point of weakness and sufferers are probably due to get their hernias sooner or later, and of course, some infants and young children also get them or are born with them.

I don't (yet) have a hernia, but I think your best plan would be to ask your own Dr or surgeon what you should be doing, though a limit of 20 Kg sounds reasonable. Probably more important is to prepare yourself for lifting rather than snatch at it.

(converted Kg to lb in my mind)

 

[elton]

I suffered a hernia trying to hand crank an MD2B. Had it operated on back in March. I'm now back to doing everything I did before, including weight training and cycling, but excluding hand cranking diesel engines.

 

[prv]

I had a double hernia aged about two. Is it like chicken pox and I'm now safe?

Pete

 

[Ranyart]

I have just been diagnosed with a hernia. Surgeon told me it was unlikely to have been caused through sailing only, more likely due to a combination of longstanding tissue weekness, lifestyle (I am a manual worker) and age.
I suppose I am lucky to be gettimg it sorted over the winter so it won't affect my sailing too much but it will ruin my winter climbing season.
Does any one know how long it takes to heal as the medical establishment quite rightly do not want to commit themselves on this.

 

[Appleyard]

I had the op. in mid February this year..the surgeon said to stay off work for 2 weeks( I am also a manual worker) and from then on,to be careful to do only light lifting ,gradually building up over a long period.
I admit that I was surprised by this,but he said that I would know my limits myself.
It went exactly as he said,and I carefully worked myself back to full capacity ,so by the time we went off sailing at the end of April,I felt fine & was not affected in any way,although I was always aware of slight nippyness from the scar if doing anything strenuous.
Since then I have worked normally with no ill effets,& we are off shortly for the Autumn Cruise.
Everyone seems to be differently affected after this op.,I have even heard of guys being told to stay off work for as much as 6 weeks. I think a lot depends on your fitness level.
I think I'd draw the line at cranking diesel engines though!!!!

 

[elton]

I had a double hernia aged about two. Is it like chicken pox and I'm now safe?

Pete

Having had two hernias myself before the age of 5, that's what I always thought

 

[johnalison]

Everyone seems to be differently affected after this op.,I have even heard of guys being told to stay off work for as much as 6 weeks. I think a lot depends on your fitness level.QUOTE]

Consider yourselves lucky - only 50 years ago it was 2 weeks in bed and then 3 months before work if it was light, or 6 months if heavy.

 

[Seahope]

Everyone seems to be differently affected after this op.,I have even heard of guys being told to stay off work for as much as 6 weeks. I think a lot depends on your fitness level.QUOTE]

Consider yourselves lucky - only 50 years ago it was 2 weeks in bed and then 3 months before work if it was light, or 6 months if heavy.

One of my former colleagues died suddenly from a strangulated hernia and he wasn't that old, probably younger than me now. They can be dangerous things!

 

[Richard10002]

I've had a hernia for 16 months, and it hasnt been operated on so far.

I started developing an incisional hernia in April last year, (2009). It was/is a weakness in the scar tissue having had my tummy opened up from chest to navel in May 2008.

My doctor said I should carry on as normal, and no op was needed. My surgeon confirmed the same, and that it might need an op. in 4 or 5 years. I asked about lifting, sailing, scuba diving, golf, and both said carry on as normal - which I have, with no ill effects.

I'll be reviewed by my surgeon again in September, but am expecting the advice to be the same, even though the thing is growing slowly.

 

[alan_d]

One of my former colleagues died suddenly from a strangulated hernia and he wasn't that old, probably younger than me now. They can be dangerous things!

It is no more sensible to talk about "a hernia" as if it were a single entity than it would be to talk about "an injury" in the same way.

A hernia simply means the protrusion of an organ or its covering through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. How serious it is depends, as you might expect, on what is poking through where, and why.

 

[TQA]

Struggle fight strain

I thought of this thread as I worked to clear this chain wrapped fishpot which in turn was entangled in an old engine block dangling beneath it.

Caused by a couple of quiet nights with the boat making circles aroung the obstruction I think.

 

[robertj]

I think the best course vyv would be to put your feet up for the whole winter. No house hold chores, no house decorating refurbishement or gardening at all, just Reading the paper interupted with cups of tea ect., no activity at other than visiting the boat for light simple jobs to be completed before start of next year.
Hope this helps

 

[robertj]

Speedy recovery vyv

bob

 

[Deleted member 36384]

....... hernia ..... something about sailing that tends to overstress the stomach muscles? ..... All contributions most welcome.

The very motion of a yacht causes your muscles to work far more frequently to maintain balance. Perhaps over a long time the sailor has an increased risk of a hernia if a natural weakness exists.

Metaphorically the steel that fractures after many cyclic events where the root cause is not the cycles but a small fault that has been exploited.

Of course, my opinion, devoid of any scientific analysis!

 

[charles_reed]

My sailing season has been cut short quite drastically this year after I needed to undergo surgery for a hernia whilst in Greece. The op went very well and I am a long way down the road to complete recovery, but advice was not to sail again this season.

On circulating this information to my e-mail contacts I have been amazed to discover how many yachties, mostly it must be said of 'a certain age', have also had the problem. Is this coincidence or is there something about sailing that tends to overstress the stomach muscles? I had put it down to winching, but others have attributed it to hand-hauling anchor chain.

Any thoughts from fellow sufferers, possibly for a future YM article? PM if you don't want it known in public Has recovery been complete? I was advised that I will only regain 75 - 80% of previous stomach strength. Another who has undergone the op will now not lift anything heavier than 20 kg. Is that general advice or over-cautious?

All contributions most welcome.

I had an inguinal repair and can specificaly relate it to a yachting incident; going down to the Scilly across Cardigan Bay in a SW 6-7.

I was single-handed, therefore unable to indulge myself in being seasick - but attempted projectile vomitting on an empty stomach results in just that - an hernia.

Trying to walk round the islands was a laugh - I found a hand in pocket, pusing the bits back in was a temporary solution.

A surgeon friend reckons any unaccustomed heaving is likely to cause a hernia - for that reason he refuses to do the gardening, but carries on sailing!

 

[VO5]

Your surgeon friend is probably right. I too had an ingurnial hernia as a result of lifting a small table at home on my own. I felt this slight ripping feeling and soon enough a small bulge developed. It got worse and I had to hold it in. I had an op, resulting in 8 or 9 stitches. The wound developed a hard rim as if there was an object about the length and size of a cigarette across the stitching for ages. Then with the passage of time it disappeared. I was cautioned not to do anything streneous while it healed. That was 10 years ago. Touch wood, no problems since when heaving anchor chain or sheeting, thank goodness.

 

[Haven't-a-Clue]

From my own experience, both personal and questioning of patients, the most likely cause is when attempting to lift or pull something heavy when bent down, ie not a straight lift. I believe that as the abdominal contents are compressed and the muscles are at near max capacity, this is the most likely scenario for a spontaneous rupture of the abdominal wall to occur. I developed a hernia 10 years ago trying to drag a 100 kg drain clearing machine (like Dyno-rod use) up a 45 degree slope. Luckily for me it self healed..........mostly, although the last couple of times I've been retreiving my anchor, I've had a couple of warning twinges in the upper groin area. I reckon that in a couple of years I'll have to invest in a windlass or face surgery.

 

[johnalison]

It is no more sensible to talk about "a hernia" as if it were a single entity than it would be to talk about "an injury" in the same way..

I'm not sure how my name got attached to a quote from someone else!

Actually, I don't think anyone is trying to be misleading. Certainly "hernia" can mean a number of lesions and the risk of serious problems varies a lot. Ordinary inguinal hernias do strangulate occasionally, though the risk is not that great. The really troublesome hernia is the femoral hernia which can be unnoticed until it strangulates, but it is fairly uncommon, though appearing equalling often in women.

 

[alan_d]

I'm not sure how my name got attached to a quote from someone else!

Apologies for that, should have been Seahope. I don't know how it happened either.

Actually, I don't think anyone is trying to be misleading.

Neither do I, but people could nevertheless have been misled. My concern was that folk might draw unwarranted conclusions from others' reported experiences. Although one could infer that some of the earlier posts were about inguinal hernias, one at least was about an incisional hernia, and as you say the risk of serious complications varies significantly between different types of hernia.