Finding hope and healing: Karina Arango’s fight for answers and relief

Karina Arango's health journey is a testament to resilience, determination and the importance of finding the right medical care. A liver transplant patient of 20 years, After receiving a liver transplant 20 years ago, Arango has faced numerous challenges with her reproductive health, ultimately leading her to the Baylor Medicine Hernia Center where she found the care and answers she had been seeking for nearly a decade.

Only after advocating for her needs, Arango underwent a myomectomy in Uvalde, Texas, to remove a massive 8-pound fibroid tumor from her uterus in 2020. "I had to beg the doctor to do the surgery because I felt something was pressing on my nerve," she said. "The doctor agreed to do an exploratory surgery and would remove the mass if he thought it was the source of my pain." After the surgery, the doctor told her the tumor was even larger than imaging had shown, underscoring her instinct that something was seriously wrong.

Unfortunately, the myomectomy surgery led to a complication: a hernia. Arango's belly was swollen and uncomfortable, leading to an emergency room visit where doctors discovered that the blood supply to her intestines was being cut off. They performed emergency surgery and placed mesh inside her but as someone who has been immuno-compromised since childhood, she felt her body did not take well to the foreign material.

Over the next year and a half, Arango's health continued to decline. She experienced chronic pain, swelling and a deep sense of frustration as her self-esteem plummeted. "I was desperate," she said. "My clothes weren't fitting, and I was in constant pain."

Arango's search for a solution led her to another surgeon in San Antonio who performed revision hernia surgery, once again using mesh, despite her voicing her concerns because of her history. Unfortunately, a month after the surgery, the same symptoms returned, and her health continued to deteriorate.

It was at this low point that a friend suggested Arango seek out a surgeon who would listen to her concerns in using mesh. This advice brought her to the Baylor Medicine Hernia Center where she was met with understanding and compassion. "Heather was amazing," Arango said, referring to Heather West, the physician assistant and hernia center navigator who first saw her. "I've been in and out of hospitals since I was seven. I've had my fair share of experience with doctors, and the Baylor doctors are the best I have come across besides my transplant team."

After meeting with Heather, the plan was to lose 30 pounds. Arango started to diet and exercise, a challenge because of the chronic pain but she was determined and lost 10 lbs. Because of the pain, Arango asked to have new imaging done and fresh eyes on the CT scan. This scan revealed a mass on her left ovary, a mass she had been told was a cyst. Dr. Giang Quach, Baylor Medicine hernia surgeon, was concerned it might be cancerous, given Arango's family history of cancer, her higher risk for various cancers and some abnormal findings on CT scan. So he called in colleague Dr. Claire Hoppenot, a gynecologic oncologist at Baylor. With these two new doctors on her team, Arango finally felt heard. Blood tumor markers came back clear, and Hoppenot reassured Arango that she didn't believe it was cancer. The plan was to remove the mass and any other damaged tissue, and then Quach would repair the hernia without using mesh.

The day of the surgery was marked by challenges, including a Microsoft outage that delayed the procedure, but the care and support Arango received were unwavering. "I was anxious, but they made me feel safe," she said. "They even held my hand and counted with me because I get so scared."

The surgery was a success. The mass was removed along with the mesh that had adhered to her intestines "like bubble gum and hair," as Quach described it. He confirmed the mesh was what had been causing her pain. Arango feels so much relief having answers and solutions. "It's been a month and a half, and the chronic pain is gone," Arango said. "I haven't felt this good in four years. This is exactly what I needed."

In addition to resolving her hernia, the surgery confirmed Arango's long-suspected diagnosis of endometriosis and luckily did not show any cancer. However, the ovary and fallopian tube were filled with scar tissue and the fallopian tube was completely clogged. Hoppenot's thorough care not only alleviated Arango's pain but also addressed an issue she lived with for eight years, which doctors had dismissed. "I had always felt like I had endometriosis, but I was told I was okay," she said. "When I described my painful symptoms to Dr. Hoppenot, she said she thought I had endometriosis. It was such a comfort to finally be listened to."

Today, Arango feels like she's been given a new lease on life. "I couldn't enjoy intimacy with my husband because it was painful," she said. "Now I can enjoy it. Now, I'm happy. I have hope."

Arango's journey underscores the importance of listening to your body, seeking multiple opinions and never giving up. Her story also highlights the exceptional care provided by the Baylor Medicine Hernia Center where patients are treated as individuals, not just as numbers. "Being chronically ill, sometimes we are seen as a number and not as a human, but that did not happen with the center," Arango said. "And I'm so grateful."

By Tiffany Harston, communications associate in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery

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