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Re: hernias.
I had a similar scenario. I don't remember how much time passed between hernia repair, and recurrence of pain, but I did have a period of relief. I believe that a nerve in the area (ilioinguinal maybe) ended up getting trapped in scar tissue that formed after the hernia surgery.
I'm leaving a lot of details out (many doctor visits, including one who diagnosed PN, and some probably unrelated symptoms), but jumping ahead... Nerve blocks provided some relief, although not 100% and not for more than a week or two. I ended up having cryoablation of the ilioinguinal nerve. Relief was much more complete, and lasted over 6 months. When symptoms/pain started to return, I repeated the cryoablation procedure. That was over 8 years ago, and I hardly even think about it anymore.
I'm leaving a lot of details out (many doctor visits, including one who diagnosed PN, and some probably unrelated symptoms), but jumping ahead... Nerve blocks provided some relief, although not 100% and not for more than a week or two. I ended up having cryoablation of the ilioinguinal nerve. Relief was much more complete, and lasted over 6 months. When symptoms/pain started to return, I repeated the cryoablation procedure. That was over 8 years ago, and I hardly even think about it anymore.