Almost everyone has pain in the abdomen at some point. Most of the time, it is not serious. How bad your pain is does not always reflect the seriousness of the condition causing the pain. For example, you might have very bad abdominal pain if you have gas or stomach cramps due to viral gastroenteritis. However, fatal conditions, such as colon cancer or early appendicitis, may only cause mild pain or no pain. In addition, some people experience abdominal pain after undergoing surgery such as hernia repair.
Some patients develop chronic postoperative hernia pain after undergoing a hernia repair. The resulting pain is referred to as neuropathy and can manifest with shooting pains and/or a burning, tingling, aching, or pins-and-needles sensation.
The pain is typically caused when nerves become damaged or trapped in sutures, staples, or surgical mesh during hernia surgery.