Topic Explanation:
The forum topic titled "Sharing My Parastomal Hernia Repair Experience" revolves around a user sharing their personal experience with a parastomal hernia repair. The user has a urostomy since September 2010 and developed a hernia four months later, described as the size of a softball. The hernia repair surgery was conducted about 10 days prior to the post. Post-surgery, due to bed shortages, the user was transferred to another hospital, which involved some logistical issues including being initially given the wrong type of ostomy bag. The user describes the first week post-operation as painful but notes improvement in comfort and mobility since the surgery.

Advice and Helpful Insights:
1. Hernia Recurrence and Complications:
- One user shared their experience of undergoing 21 major operations for hernia repairs, which unfortunately led to recurrent hernias and complications such as infected mesh and discharge. This highlights the potential challenges and recurrence issues associated with hernia repairs.

2. Surgical Decisions Based on Hernia Size and Patient Age:
- Another user mentioned that their doctor advised against surgery for a small hernia, suggesting that some medical professionals may opt to wait until the hernia becomes more problematic before intervening. This could be due to the risks associated with surgery and the potential for hernias to become more severe.
- Age can also be a factor in surgical decisions, as indicated by a user whose surgeon recommended waiting until the hernia became unmanageable before operating, due to concerns related to the user's age.

3. Hospital Experiences and System Issues:
- Several users discussed their experiences with different hospitals, indicating variability in care quality and the impact of system-wide issues like quick discharges and bed shortages. One user specifically advised against going to Dandenong Hospital due to a negative experience with emergency care there.
- Discussions about the healthcare system in Australia (referred to as "Oz") included mentions of rapid hospital turnovers and the challenges of navigating public healthcare services.