Finally I decided to go see a surgeon. But instead of following the gynecologist’s suggestions, I asked my internist for a name or names. I wanted a female surgeon. My doctor gave me the name of a colleague, Dr. A (who, I learned later, was also a trusted friend). Dr. A examined me, ordered a scan, and reported to me shortly after that I indeed had a femoral type hernia and that it eventually would have to be removed. Because it had “infarcted” already, she said I would not be a candidate for laparoscopic surgery (which she did not perform). Dr. A said eventually it was possible that my hernia could incarcerate at any time, when I could be traveling or away from home, and it was best to nip it in the bud. It was left to me to decide if and when to do this open surgery, but I should not wait too long. Mistake number one.

I decided to get a second opinion, as I still had no discomfort but just the occasional tiny bulge. I got a second opinion from the suggestion of my friend who was a prominent vascular surgeon. I again asked for a female surgeon. My friend asked around and got the name of another respected female general surgeon. I went to see Dr. B, who looked at the imaging and agreed that it was a femoral hernia and that it eventually should probably be removed, but that there wasn’t any great urgency and I should do it within the year. Regarding technique, at some point, Dr. B told me that if I wanted to pursue laparoscopic surgery, a colleague, Dr. C, would be more experienced at that technique. When I called back to Dr. A, this surgeon opined that I was not eligible for a laparoscopic repair. My second opinion, Dr. B, did not push me toward a consult with Dr. C, an experienced laparoscopic hernia surgeon. Mistake number two.