Patients’ Reviews, Blog and Comment Forum
Patients’ Own Comments
Any patient who has had a hernia repaired at The British Hernia Centre is invited to post comments on his/her experience on this blog. It is intended to be a guide for others who are contemplating having their hernia repaired.
Please report your own experience here (at the foot of this page)
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Only posts from actual British Hernia Centre patients will appear here.
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Had my surgery Monday lunchtime.
Went out to eat on the way home.
Out to restaurant with the boys next day – food and drink
NO pain-killers – NO PAIN!
Everything from start to finish went well. I came to the British Hernia Centre on a recommendation and seeing your website. I could not believe it could be so easy. Many thanks.
Took painkillers the first day only. I was back at work 3 days after the op.
My recovery was faster than my other hernia repair you did for me 19 years ago!
I was very pleased and pleasantly surprised how well the surgery went. It was a DELIGHT to get back to normal activity so soon after the procedure.
I am 68 years old. On 20 April 2012, I went for an umbilical hernia repair at The British Hernia Centre. When I arrived I was made so welcome by the staff. I then saw my surgeon, who explained everything to me, after which I got ready for my procedure. The nurse who gave me tests was first class. He explained everything as well. I then went to the operating room and again, the nurses in there were so nice. I had a local anaesthetic and my repair was done. After the surgery, I walked to an adjacent recovery room where I had two cups of tea and sandwiches, served to me by a lovely lady.
I then saw the nurse and surgeon again, they checked me out and gave me the all-clear to leave and my wife drove me to a local hotel where we stayed overnight, as we live 140 miles away in Suffolk. We drove back to Suffolk, I had two weeks off my work in traffic management.
I was able to drive again in 6 days (when I was sure I had no pain using the pedals). The nurse also rang me to see if I was okay after a week. I thought that was a lovely touch, by very caring people.
The centre also wrote to me, my surgeon was on call 24/7 if I wanted to speak to him. Where else would you get that service?
I paid for the surgery. On the NHS I would have had to take 3 months off work for recovery, having used other methods that also would have required general anaesthesia.
I hope I have given an insight of my dealings with The British Hernia Centre. First class treatment and care and after-care. I recommend them.
My hernia was starting to bother me so I finally decided to do something about it. I was told that the wait on the NHS was ages and that the techniques used required general anaesthesia and were not being done by hernia specialists, just one of their general surgeons – whoever would be available on the day.
I saw The British Hernia Centre’s web site after a friend recommended them and I called them. Even the girl who answered the phone gave me more information about hernias than my own GP ever had time for. They sounded terrific. I booked an appointment and the people there could not have been nicer.
The surgeon who examined me in consultation was the same consultant who later did the operation and he was charming, extremely helpful and very friendly. I was completely at ease.
My operation was all over in minutes, was painless and I walked out of theatre myself. They gave me a cup of tea and very soon, I felt absolutely fine, got up and left.
I did not spend one minute in bed to recuperate – I was out for dinner that same evening! I took a few days off and was back at my office on Monday morning.
I am only sorry I put it off for so long. The whole experience was nothing at all like I had expected, I can almost say I enjoyed it. I can see why The British Hernia Centre is Number One and I would recommend them to anybody.
Although after lots of “homework” I had decided to have my inguinal hernia repaired by The British Hernia Centre, I was, I must admit, a bit sceptical about some of their claims of quick recovery periods.
However, I can honestly say that I have been astonished at my rapid recovery after my surgery. Within about 2 hours or so of my operation I was out shopping! YES REALLY!! I have had zero pain and only some very mild discomfort. My social life has not in any way been disrupted and I sit in my office typing this 76 hours after surgery and I will be able to do a full day’s work with ease. I’m about to email my surgeon at the Centre to get a little advice in order to ensure I don’t overdo it physically ……I feel so incredibly well.
I came over from France, had my operation on Friday and then enjoyed the rest of the weekend in the UK shopping with my wife and eating out with friends!!
I remain utterly amazed!
Because I’ve never had one of these done before you don’t really know how different it is. I do know that I was extremely uncomfortable at the thought that my local NHS hospital wanted to give me a general anaesthetic for what I thought was a fairly small operation.
Anyway, my wife researched alternatives and we ended up at The British Hernia Centre. The service was excellent, the operation was brief and about three hours afterwards in the evening we went out for a meal with our children and their friends. My wife and I are planning to move to London so next day we went tramping the streets looking at different areas where we might want to buy a home. When we got back, we checked on Google maps and found we had walked about 6 miles and, to be honest, I had quite forgotten about the operation. I had not taken any of the pain relief medication I had been given as I had not experienced any pain.
After the weekend I went back to work.
It has been three months now since the operation and I can honestly say that it has had no impact on my life at all. A few weeks after the operation, the clinic rang me up to ask how things were going and, for a moment, I couldn’t remember who they were!
Congratulations to the whole team and I confidently hope I shall never see you again!
From my initial telephone contact to leaving The British Hernia Centre after the hernia repair took only 5 days – a major benefit to me.
Everyone I met at the Centre was professional, polite and patient in explaining what was going to happen and what I could expect.
My recovery time was just what was expected, including driving, cycling, going to the gym and gardening. After a couple of weeks, no nervousness about carrying weights or need for any precautions against any physical activity.
My sister had a similar hernia repair last week elsewhere and she was told not to drive for at least two weeks or visit the gym for at least 4 weeks.
I was totally astonished by the sheer quickness of both the surgery and the recovery period.
I have heard HORROR stories from others having surgery elsewhere. I am SO glad I used The British Hernia Centre rather than an NHS hospital.
I would certainly recommend The British Hernia Centre. In fact I have told several people about your centre.
A true ‘Five Star’ service! Many thanks.
All I can say is WOW!
After having a bilateral inguinal hernia repair in my home country of Portugal, the thought of having a recurrence filled me with horror, mainly as I was bed-ridden in Portugal for 3 days post-op.
Unfortunately, the worst happened and the hernia recurred. I decided to contact The British Hernia Centre and I was thoroughly impressed from start to finish.
The staff were professional and helpful and everything went perfectly to plan, all organized from 1000 miles away!
The operation itself was of an incredible quality. I was up and walking around just 2 hours after the surgery! Now, 3 weeks on, and I am pain free!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank You! 100% Recommended to anybody.
Scott (17 years old) – Portugal
Three weeks ago I spent a relaxing morning at The British Hernia Centre. At times I felt as if I was at a health spa rather than a health clinic, such was the courtesy, care and consideration I received from everyone I came into contact with.
I can’t tell you about the op because I dozed off during it, but I can say that the coffee and sandwiches afterwards were great. I asked for and got biscuits too but don’t tell them it was me who told you! Three days later I was driving and mowing the lawn – the rest as they say is history.
Looking back, I wish I had done this sooner. I realise now that telling myself it wasn’t a problem meant I hadn’t done things I wanted to do because I knew it might cause a problem.
The real bonus has been that my wife has stopped nagging me to get rid of the rowing machine and for that and everything else I thank all the staff at The British Hernia Centre.
I must thank all the staff at The British Hernia Centre for the way I was looked after with what was described as a “large inguinal hernia”.
I arrived at The Centre at 0830 and was back in my hotel room by 1145, having been properly examined, the entire procedure, some refreshments and being armed with post-operative instructions.
I was able to fly home 48 hours after the operation, to drive the next day and I returned to work the next week.
All the staff at The Centre were extremely friendly, courteous and very professional in the way they treated me and I cannot sing their praises loud enough! Their dedication to me was, without question, second to none.
I had surgery at The British Hernia Centre to repair an inguinal hernia. I am posting this in particular to make known the excellent work and care that the British Hernia Centre provides and to bash a few myths about hernias.
I am 46, 5’11? and 12 stone and I cycle and kite-surf. I have cycled all my life and windsurfed and kite-surfed since i was 30. When it was diagnosed by the doc at A&E he told me after the operation I’d have to stop riding a bike! This turned out not to be true.
PAIN – at no time during the operation or after it did I experience any pain at all.
CARE AT THE BRITISH HERNIA CENTRE – the level of care from everyone there was exceptional. Very kind, helpful and thoughtful. A very impressive team indeed. My surgeon always had time to talk and explain. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble. This is very unusual!
PAINKILLERS – I took painkillers as prescribed and stopped after four days because they were clearly not needed.
RECOVERY – I took it easy on the day of the operation and the day after. By Day 3 it felt fine to drive and go to Sainsburys.
WORK – I work at a desk and work was not affected.
CYCLING – I was back on the bike a week after the operation riding with the kids to school.
Riding off-road two weeks later.
Riding full-tilt, downhill in the Alps five weeks after the operation!!
I wondered how my hernia repair would handle any falls I might have. Riding hard is one thing. Coming off is another. I came off and tumbled twice on my shoulder and then my knee. both pretty hard and painful, but the hernia repair was unaffected!
Many thanks to all your team at The British Hernia Centre. This being my 2nd hernia operated on at the Centre, it was as totally effective and professionally repaired as the first and enabled me to return to work within the week.
• I could not afford to wait NINE MONTHS for the NHS and
• I wished to have my hernia repaired by experts
I cannot sing your praises high enough, as the techniques you have perfected leave a huge hole in the NHS capabilities.
Many thanks again
I was driving within 2 days and within two weeks played 18 holes of golf!