Shouldice Hospital

What is a Hernia?

HERNIA

A hernia is the protrusion of an organ (small bowel, large bowel, ovary, etc..) through a weakness in the abdominal wall. This weakness can be congenital (umbilical hernias, epigastric, inguinal hernias) or acquired (some inguinal hernias), and following abdominal operations.

For more information on types of abdominal wall hernia's and to view animated clips, go to abdominal wall hernias page.

SURGICAL TECHNIQUES

The surgical techniques available for the treatment of hernia are classed in three groups:

THE SHOULDICE OPERATION

This pure tissue technique was introduced in 1945 by Dr. E.E. Shouldice. Since then, the operation has proved to be the most reliable, safe and cost-effective technique. The operation is carried out under local anaesthesia, contributing to the exceptional safety of the operation. Just as important as the technique is the fact that a team of 12 surgeons have devoted all their time and resources exclusively to the practice of hernia surgery. Shouldice Hospital surgeons will each perform from 400 to 700 operations a year, providing a sixth valuable sense in the recognition and handling of all the problems that surround hernia pathology. The Shouldice Team of Surgeons have performed more than 300,000 operations.

TENSION-FREE REPAIRS

Tension-free repairs demand the use of foreign prosthetic materials (mesh) for all necessary repairs. The actual hernia is left in place and the defect occluded or covered by a prosthesis. Tissue then grows into the mesh. These prosthesis are not without problems. Should infection supervene, all prostheses must be removed and the hernia repaired by a pure tissue repair. In the few cases where prostheses are a must (less than 2%), the Shouldice surgeons have the knowledge and the techniques to use them. In any case, those surgeons who use mesh for the 'tension-free' repairs have not demonstrated better results. Their chief claim is an earlier return to work, and even that claim is being questioned, as our patients have, on average, returned to work in 8.2 days.

LAPROSCOPIC HERNIA SURGERY

This new type of surgery performed under general anaesthetic consists of repairing the hernia internally through the inflated abdomen. The surgeon must enter the abdominal cavity through small incisions to insert a prosthesis.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are some answers for your questions.

Shouldice Hospital
7750 Bayview Avenue
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada L3T 4A3
Tel: (905) 889-1125 Fax: (905) 889-4216 Toll Free: 1-800-291-7750

E-mail: postoffice@shouldice.com

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