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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The procedure was the best thing I could have done. My Consultant surgeon, Mr Moorthy is up there with the legends.
I feel the procedure went very well. I am so pleased to not have any pain or discomfort and for everything in that area to look normal. I had the hernia for six months.
The care given by nursing staff and doctors was fantastic.
I flew from Inverness to London on Friday evening had my op on Saturday 9am and back to Inverness Sunday.
• first class hospital
• first class nursing staff
• first class doctors.
Thank you so much
I had a very large abdominal hernia which was causing me considerable distress. It was extremely unsightly and was causing severe pain and vomiting on an increasingly regular basis.
Despite a number of enquiries and private consultations, I could not find anyone in Scotland who was willing to operate, either privately or within the NHS.
From my first contact with my surgeon at The British Hernia Centre, I was treated with kindness and compassion and given hope that I could be helped and that life could return to normal..
I returned about 3 weeks later for repair of my hernia and reconstruction of my abdominal wall.
At all times I was treated with kindness, compassion and professionalism by all members of the team (my surgeon and anaesthetist and the rest of the surgical team, all nursing staff and physiotherapy) Also the many others in the background such as admin, cleaning staff and catering.
I was admitted for 4 days and my surgeon visited me on each of those which was SO reassuring.
He followed me up as an outpatient prior to my return to Glasgow and again at 3 months when I attended for review. On one occasion he contacted my GP to request bloods and has remained available to me for advice by text or phone.
After recovery I was able to return to running, swimming and walking my wee dog
At six months, life is almost back to normal. I have a flat abdomen and can (much to my delight) fit back into my favourite dresses.My scar is very feint and barely noticeable.
I have only positive things to say about all aspects of my care.
Finally, the food was just fabulous and served with such flair by the lovely catering staff in their smart uniforms. Definitely a highlight of my stay.
I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending The British Hernia Centre.
Many thanks for giving me my life back 🙏
I was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia in April 2022, probably brought on by weightlifting. I’m 64, and in otherwise good health. As I researched my choices for a repair, I was surprised to find that almost every U.S. doctor in my area wanted to perform a robotic laparoscopic surgery, which involves general anesthesia and making 3 keyholes to repair one hole (the hernia.) And the recovery period was daunting; it would be six months before I could consider lifting significant weights. Naturally, it’s also very expensive.
Fortunately the British Hernia Centre’s web site came up during my investigation. At first, I thought it was too good to be true: only local anesthetic, a small external incision, and mesh inserted between layers of the abdominal muscles; no mucking about in the abdomen, and no risk of nicking something important or having the intestines attach to the mesh as it heals.
After contacting the Centre for further information, I scheduled a flight from Seattle to London. The Centre was very accommodating. I arrived in the early morning, had a consultation with my surgeon in the afternoon, and surgery was scheduled for the following morning.
The morning of the surgery, I walked two miles from my hotel in Kensington to the hospital. The facilities are modern, the staff were welcoming and cordial, and the doctors were excellent. They do provide a light to medium sedation so that you will be comfortable during the procedure.
The procedure lasted less than 30 minutes. I returned to my hospital room (perhaps I should call it a suite, it was very comfortable), relaxed there a bit, had a delicious lunch, and walked two miles back to my hotel. Try doing that after your laparoscopic surgery!
The pain over the next three or four days was easily managed with a little paracetamol (acetaminophen as it’s called in the U.S.) and ibuprofen. I walked miles every day. They suggest a light jog already the following day, but this was a bit uncomfortable. I remained in the UK for a week, and saw the sights, including an aerial tour of Kent and the Dover coast in a WWII Spitfire — complete with victory rolls. The incision was unaffected.
Now, two weeks later, all pain is gone; only some numbness and itchiness remains. I’ve resumed all normal activity (including running) and expect to be lifting again at the 6 week mark.
I was so impressed with the staff, facilities, and the effectiveness of the procedure itself. The long journey was certainly worth it; the cost was very reasonable; and I very highly recommend the Centre and its staff to anyone. After seeing my results, even my own doctor here in the U.S. (who has developed an umbilical hernia) is planning to have his repaired there this fall.
Today I am three weeks beyond the hernia repair I received and just want to write and thank you all for the superb treatment. Everyone I met was entirely professional, very caring, very reassuring and utterly tuned in to the human condition. I would be most grateful if you would pass on my sincere thanks to all who cared for me that day. I will be eternally grateful.
I had an inguinal hernia repair at the Lindo Wing in late March. From my admission at midday through to my discharge at 6 p.m. I found that all the staff I met were thoroughly professional and extremely kind and caring. I was allocated a well appointed room, where the nursing staff were at pains to ensure I was well looked after. I was visited by the anaesthetist and the surgeon who explained the procedure and answered any queries. The operation went smoothly and I was able to talk to the surgeon and anaesthetist throughout. I was then monitored in recovery before being returned to my room, where I was served a very satisfactory meal. Again, the nursing staff were most attentive.
The following morning I was able to take my dogs on their normal 2 mile walk and again, for a similar distance in the afternoon. There was bruising and swelling as anticipated, but post-operative pain was much less than I expected and paracetamol provided adequate relief and was required for less than 48 hours.
The bruising and swelling had almost entirely disappeared after ten days. Yesterday, 12 days after the operation I had an hour hitting with a tennis coach and was able to play the full range of shots without any discomfort and with no repercussions later.
My sincere thanks to all the staff, who looked after me so well
I had an inguinal hernia op, under local anaesthetic
At 9:30 I went down for my op which took a mere 30 minutes.
By midday, I had already had lunch and my discharge was being sorted.
I left at 1pm, unaccompanied, taxi to Waterloo and caught the train home.
Within a week I was walking 4-5km and now just short of a month after my op, I went for a 5km run 👍.
The care was fabulous, all the nurses were wonderful, kind, helpful and a good sense of humour.
In summary, very positive experience in the hands of an excellent team.
We are, of course, more than delighted that our patients enjoy this kind of outcome but we need to stress that despite the advances we have made, hernia surgery is still surgery and we do advise patients not to go home unaccompanied. Put another way, the actual day of the surgery you should spoil yourself and perhaps the next day step to resume your normal routine.
Had my hernia operation 10 days ago and am so happy I chose the Hernia centre over my local hospital.
Having been afraid of having a general anaesthetic I was so glad to have been made aware that only light sedation was used. This was my main reason for choosing here for the procedure.
I was even afraid of sedation but now would have no hesitation in the future. I was able to talk to the team during the procedure although I did fall asleep. All staff were most friendly and understanding.
Every day I have improved and been for a 10,000 step walk today. The scar seems to have healed as per the instructions to the point. I have confidence this will improve further and I will be back on the golf course soon.
Many thanks to the team
I was amazed at the lack of pain after my Inguinal hernia repair at the British Hernia Centre – just a mild discomfort when I exerted myself which disappeared within a few days. I had no need to resort to painkillers at any time and none of the unlikely but possible post-operative problems were experienced.
The care and expertise I received from the surgeon, anaesthetist and all theatre and hospital staff were first class, as was the lovely and most welcome lunch I enjoyed prior to discharge.
Thankfully I am now able to resume an active life and am grateful to everybody at the British Hernia Centre.
Excellent, from start to finish.
I called back four months after the op as I thought that the repair may have failed. The surgeon saw me the next day and, after examination, confirmed that the hernia repair was fine but that I had pulled a muscle (following a hip replacement – on the same side – a month earlier). This diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by the hip surgeon.
The post-op care was first class, as was the whole experience, thank you.
I’m 30 years old and I had an operation at the British Hernia Center in late October 2020 and had a very positive experience. Despite the challenging atmosphere created by the coronavirus, and additional challenges that come along with getting an operation in another country (I live in the US), the team at The British Hernia Center was able to make arrangements to ensure the procedure went forward.
At 6 weeks I chose to resume surfing and running at full tilt without any side effects since then.
The recovery was a challenge, but I would still highly recommend this facility to other Americans that may face sky-high costs depending on their insurance.
We are delighted that our patients come to us from all over the world. That this patient came from the USA to us despite the pandemic shows the determination of some people to get what they want out of life. We are delighted to have made it worthwhile! Keep on surfing, AJ!
I had a hernia operation at The British Hernia Centre at the end of November 2020. Two months on and I can report that the whole process from initial enquiry, through to operation, discharge and recovery has been truly outstanding. A massive thank you to the surgeon and everyone at The Lindo Wing who helped me…..so professional, so caring, so attentive and so skilled.
I was very pleased that the procedure could be carried out under local anaesthetic and that the incision was no more than five centimetres. Already the scar has lessened and the area feels normal and comfortable.
It was a relief to walk normally after two days and take long walks within a week of the procedure; I could drive after five days. Within two weeks I was cycling and doing some light weight training!
I am so glad that I made the decision to go ahead with this operation and even happier that it was undertaken at The British Hernia Centre. Superb!
I want to say how grateful I am to everyone at the British Hernia Centre for the wonderful attention received at the weekend. From admittance through to discharge the same day, I cannot fault the professionalism and concern of all the staff. In particular, a big thank you of course to the surgeon and anaesthetist for their reassurance and humour during the procedure.
Local anaesthetic meant that I was able to chat away to them during the whole operation which was completed in 30 minutes. I was then attended to by a lovely man in the recovery room who put me at ease and assessed my level of coherence post op. Not to forget the nurse who ensured I was comfortable both pre and post op.
A very well appointed private room and a most welcome lunch post op meant I was ready to leave in a much better condition than I could possibly have hoped for.
Now into my third day of recovery, I managed a one hour walk yesterday with no after effects.
All in all, a RESULT! Thank you all so much.
Splendid experience in every way with friendly, professional assistance from all those involved, particularly Liz of Patient Care, the nursing staff responsible for Coronovirus testing, the Operating Theatre and Recovery Room staff, the helpful anaesthetist and of course my excellent consultant, who was particularly friendly and helpful. The telephone consultation was followed by a completely successful and pain-free repair of my Inguinal hernia under a local anaesthetic.
Subsequently I followed the clear post-operative guidance leaflet and after a couple of days stopped using the recommended pain killers (Ibuprofen and Paracetamol) because they were not needed. Removal of the dressing after the recommended 7 days revealed a small, cleanly healed scar.
Despite the present pandemic, as an 82 year old asthmatic, I was made to feel safe from my arrival for the first Covid test 48 hrs beforehand until my departure when I walked out after the Operation was over, fed and in comfort. I could not have asked for better treatment: my grateful thanks to all concerned.
Full of admiration. You deserve your reputation as the world’s leading hernia facility.
Not only has the recuperation from my hernia procedure followed precisely what you predicted but none of the unlikely problems, about which I was cautioned, has arisen. Thank you – all of you. But especially my surgeon, and the theatre team who assisted him as well as all those who were involved prior to and after the procedure.
It is wonderful to be freed from all the constraints to one’s life caused by the hernia.
You are all fabulous!