The Hernia Clinic

Description

The Hernia Clinic in Christchurch is the South Islands first clinic specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of hernias

The Hernia Clinic has been established by surgeons Paul Fogarty and Ross Roberts in response to local demand for such a service The clinic is also in keeping with international trends towards a focused and specialised approach to surgical problems by a team with a specialised interest in the condition

Hernias are particularly common disorders especially in men and can only be successfully treated by surgical repair But the past requirement for prolonged time away from work and exercise following surgical hernia repair no longer applies today

The team at the Hernia Clinic are widely experienced in all forms of hernia repair including keyhole and the more traditional surgical techniques

What is a Hernia

A hernia is a lump that results from a part of the intestine bowel slipping through a weakness in the abdominal wall The most common hernias are inguinal hernias groin hernias They are most often found in men

The most common symptom of a hernia is a lump in the groin Sometimes the lump is painful but a small hernia may not even be noticed and may only be found as part of a routine examination The lump often disappears when the patient is lying down and may not be obvious after a nights sleep

Most hernias require surgical repair to alleviate symptoms and to prevent possible strangulation of the intestines The most common form of repair is to insert an artificial mesh in the defect sometimes under local anaesthetic General anaesthetic is more commonly used but may be precluded by a patients preexisting medical problems

Surgical repair can be carried out laparoscopically keyhole surgery with tiny incisions or by open surgery Because it is less intrusive keyhole surgery has a quicker recovery time enabling you to get back to work more quickly However keyhole surgery is not always suitable We will be able to assist you in your decision