You are advised to contact your private insurance company to obtain approval prior to any consultation or treatment.

The team can be contacted and provide any necessary information you may need including professional fees and investigation/procedure codes and costs.

The post Fees – Insured Patients appeared first on The Hernia Clinic.

Most hernia operations are performed as a day case so you will be going home later in the day. We do advise you to bring a dressing gown and slipper as you will walk to the operating theatre.

Before the operation, Mr Hicks will meet you to confirm the details of your surgery and mark the skin prior to the procedure. He will also confirm your consent. If you are having a general anaesthetic, the anaesthetist will visit you at this time and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may still have.

You may drink water before 6 am on your operation day but please do not eat on the day of surgery, have any other drinks with milk or chew gum.

You do not need to shave the area of your hernia prior to surgery, this is best done immediately prior to the operation in the theatre.

After the operation, you will return to your room on the ward. After a period of time, you will be given something to drink and to eat. The nursing staff will encourage you to get up and out of bed. Before you leave the hospital, we would expect you to have passed urine.

For most hernia procedures, the wounds are closed in layers with stitches that are absorbed and do not need to be removed. The wound is covered with glue and there are no dressings that need to be removed or replaced.

You will be given a work certificate and advice as to who to contact in the event of any problems after surgery.

You will also be given an appointment for your review in the clinic.

The post Operation day appeared first on The Hernia Clinic.

On arrival at the three shires hospital, please register your car at reception.

Your appointment will be with Mr Rob Hicks, Specialist Consultant Surgeon.

The first part of this meeting is a few questions about why you have attended, what symptoms you have noticed and the duration. You will be asked about any previous medical issues and it is helpful to bring a list of any medications you may take.

After this, you will be examined. For a hernia, this starts with you standing and then lying down. A bedside ultrasound may be performed at his stage to help with the diagnosis.

We respect your dignity at all stages of this examination. We are happy to provide a chaperone for you for the examination if you wish.

If the diagnosis is clear, then the surgeon will discuss the options for treatment with you and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different options. It is at his point that we will consider whether the procedure can be done under local anaesthetic (awake) or would require a general anaesthetic. We can also discuss the option of mesh-free hernia surgery at this stage.

On occasions, further investigations are required, either a formal ultrasound, CT or MRI.

The post Coming to the hospital appeared first on The Hernia Clinic.