I am right there with you, #41279. In fact, almost identical situation. Except I am facing a third surgical repair of a ventral (incisional) hernia.
You will find a good girdle will definitely help. I am also seriously considering doing one of those castor oil packs (to be held in place by the girdle.) But I am still reading about that, and have yet to follow through with trying it.
Don't fret too much about your intestine becoming strangulated/incarcerated and you not knowing it ... trust me, you WILL know it. There is no doubt when that happens. Yes, your bowels will protrude out of the tear, but will easily go back inside when gently pressed. If they were strangulated, you would not be able to tolerate the slightest touch or faint breeze, and they would not budge. You would not be able to keep anything down, and you would be running a fever. You would have the absolute WORST tummy ache you've EVER had in your life.
I cannot understand why your doctor would hint at that possibility unless to plant seeds of fear in you that will flourish to the point of you scheduling an immediate surgical repair. IF your doctor seriously suspected intestinal strangulation, you would have been wheeled into an OR stat, and parts of your intestinal tract would have to be removed.
The first time this happened to me was in 2004. I was clueless about self-help/self-health (Curezone) ... but I instinctively knew in my ignorance to place myself on a liquid diet. I ate a lot of soups, soft fruits, and fresh green salads (for roughage.) Anything heavier than that put my body through unnecessary pain. I made sure I moved my bowels every single day, and did everything in my power to avoid constipation. Once again, this was before I knew about Curezone.
Now that I am finding myself in the same situation (my baby was born via c-section 14/15 months ago) ... I am wearing my girdle, eating soft/liquid foods, drinking Smooth Move tea every other night, and OPing.
I have found that OPing has helped tremendously with my overall attitude. I feel better mentally, and can deal with the discomfort much better. Is it all psychological relief? Who knows ... all I know is that I DO feel better, and that is good enough for me. OPing also seems to help with my constant hip pain ... how it works, I have no idea, and I've said before that I'll let others break down the scientific analysis of the strange but miraculous protocol.
But I digress.
No, the surgeon won't just sew the two torn sides back together. My abdominal wall is so weak that it unzips like a zipper ... imagine trying to sew two FRAYED pieces of cloth together, and tell me how long you think they will eventually pull apart at the seam. No, they will want to insert a mesh screen inside of you, so your tissue can grow and weave into the screen to form an indestructable layer. It has been a nightmare for me ... the screen can slip, the screen causes pain, and all other sorts of nuisances. In fact, there is a lawsuit in progress right now about mesh screens for surgical repair. Just last week, I posted about it. I'll try to find the links for you.
Sorry for rambling on, and not answering any of your specific questions ... at least, I'm not sure if I did. My mind is overloaded right now, but I mean well.