Ms. Napier had an inguinal hernia repaired yesterday. I had one repaired in 1957 as an infant. I’m just curious how different the procedure is today versus 64 years ago.
Hers was done laparoscopically which didn’t exist when mine was done, in what I’ve read is sometimes called the “black glove and talcum powder” era of surgery.
Also, she got anaesthetic, whereas I understand that typically major surgery on infants was done without anaesthetic back then – it was said that infants couldn’t feel pain because their nerves were too undeveloped (the sheaths I think), and, besides, they didn’t yet know how to keep infants unconscious for long without killing them. They would sometimes give the infant some sugar water orally as a distraction. Not that I remember any of this now (though it’s a good excuse as to why I’m such a mess these days).
And, she had a mesh installed, and I don’t think surgical meshes existed back then, though I’m not sure.
Without actually knowing anything about anything, I’d expect the suite of antibiotics being used to control infection [and the antibiotic resistance they engendered] has shifted a fair bit.
My own hernia op falls midway in your time-line and sounds closer to the present experience. Sugar water would just not cut it with a 30 year old.
An infant hernia repair is not the same as one done on an adult. OP, was yours inguinal or umbilical?
Until advances were made in modern anesthesia in mid-century, most pediatric surgery was limited to about an hour, because that’s about the longest a person could safely be kept under with ether or chloroform.
I know nothing about hernia repairs other than that I regularly review medical records where issues later develop regarding the mesh used in the repair. But I believe there are preferred/less preferred meshes/techniques.