Part of being a physician and a surgeon is constantly continuing to improve. Medicine and surgery continue to evolve and to progress and the same is true of hernia surgery. While the principles and techniques I learned in training were invaluable, many of those exact procedures I no longer perform. Not because they weren’t good techniques, but because techniques, knowledge, and experience continue to improve.

It is important to perpetually hone your craft. Becoming a master takes thousands of hours of dedication. Part of that honing involves sharing your knowledge with others as well as learning from your colleagues. I relish in opportunities to collaborate with hernia surgeons across the country and across the world at the annual American Hernia Society.

This year I had the opportunity to present a video of a challenging case in the Spectacular Cases section. Fortunately, mesh infections are rare especially regarding inguinal hernia mesh. I have only ever seen two cases of infected inguinal mesh. Removing mesh carries more risk and challenges than typical hernia surgery. This patient had inguinal mesh that appeared to be improperly placed, resulting in a central cavity which became infected many years later during episodes of diverticulitis.

It was a pleasure and an honor to present amongst colleagues and I look forward to the American Hernia Society meeting next year in 2023 in Austin, TX.

You can see the video on YouTube here.