They do not have to do emergency general surgery, ever, how convienient. So do you feel that in my case atleast, it might be worth giving Shouldice a first shot or is their antiquated technique simply not worth it as the hernia will in all likelihood recur and then mesh would be the only way to go? It helped for about 10 days and then stopped helping. The huge incision ripped internally and of course I wanted to choose the BE ST surgery clinic to repair it so it would not happen again. Once youre admitted to the hospital, youll meet other hernia patients. I would address your concerns with the operating surgeon. Thanks for your comments. The expertise of Shouldice seems hopeful and promising, and Im out of alternatives. Shouldice Hospital recommends a healthy diet for hernia repair, and one that focuses on achieving an acceptable body weight. It is a small hospital dedicated only to hernia repair. over 30 years and thousands of repairs we have redone 3 for pain The last was 2 weeks ago and already he is pain free. EMR should allow for reporting of all surgical complications and feedback to the surgeons on their complications, including how many of their hernias recur. We know that people often find it challenging to manage their weight, especially when they have a hernia that restricts their ability to exercise. They stick to what they know but when they need to be different for the better of their patient they dont know how to and rather than referring their patient to one that would be better for the patient. Id love to send my husband there! Designed exclusively to meet the needs of hernia patients, Shouldice is a fully licensed, 89-bed surgical hospital. Talking about media ( from the article you posted here ) He did get a cyst in his rear about 2 1/2 years ago, the surgeon offered to take a look. Pick a curve, any curve (say, the red one). The vast majority of procedures are day surgery, or what we call same day admits, where they are admitted (usually after a lot more major surgery than hernia repair) after their operation. I also have not had good outcomes with the medical community. 4) Shouldice ONLY carry out this operation, meaning they are presumably highly skilled and also experienced in avoiding nerves during suturing, thus improving chances of post-op pain free life. It is a small hospital dedicated only to hernia repair. They are not sure what the issue for me is caused by. Shouldice Hospital was established in 1945 by Dr. Edward Earle Shouldice (1890-1965), inventor of the Shouldice repair. Sharing the experience with a bunch of other patients was a big plus in my opinion. And it really annoys surgeons, including me. Not to mention youll be competitive with Shouldice. The average stay of patients is 3.2 days. I am debating on having surgery on my right inguinal hernia and whether to do it at Shouldice or at my local hospital. Standard rubberized hospital bed and pillow. And I agree that we need to have tracking of surgical outcomes to verify the success of various techniques, whoever does them and whereever they are done, but making everybody do emergency & other more involved surgeries doesnt address that. Shouldice specializes in this unique approach to hernia repair. It was originally founded during World War 2 to allow for young men to have their hernias repaired before going off to fight. If you are unable to submit this document in advance, you will be asked to complete it upon arrival at the clinic. Straight out of a horror film, dim, blinky lights, cold and overall not very reassuring. Please call 905-695-4911 to book a time. The procedure may be considered simple enough to be performed by a moderately intelligent baboon, but that isnt to say there cant be considerable variation in the quality of the work done. Id stick to an open or lap repair with mesh applied externally. I would also, I hope, be getting angry calls from our hospitals administrators asking what the hell I was doing keeping patients in hospital for so long after such a simple procedure. Given the choice, Id choose a hernia comeback. Toronto Transit. By the way, my sister is an RN at HHS who recommended Shouldice from what a Doc recommended to her. Ill see how it continues and report again in a month or so. Often times we do not own up to our own responsibility in the situation. In a socialized model of healthcare, allowing some hospitals and surgeons to absolve themselves of this emergency work is unfair and leads to their claiming to have better outcomes. I just had my inguinal hernia repaired at Shouldice. Pain is tolerable(sensation of burning/stabbing in groin) that subsides quickly with reduction of effort/strain. Shouldice Hospital Hospital #1 of 506 Facility in Thornhill, Ontario 3 Doctors Call Clinic View Map & Address Unavailable Ratings Doctors Top Facilities in Thornhill, ON Shouldice Hospital #1 of 506 Sunlight Dental Clinic #2 of 506 Matlis Medical, Urgent Walk-in Clinic, Sports Medicine Clinic #3 of 506 Grandview Dental Care #4 of 506 I have seen these numbers elsewhere also. Just want to make a correction: they dont provide private rooms, but cramp you in a room with another person. The patient management system (PMS) will schedule appointments, and patients arrive right in time after getting a status update via SMS or Whatsapp. I have contacted the operating hospital who caused the issue and theyve decided they do not want to assist in the issue any further. I was wondering what your thoughts were on the actual Desarda technique, not just the website. Anecdotal reports from those who have had this problem make it sound like a real living hell. It is almost impossible for a hernia to recur through a piece of mesh. I had researched the different techniques and decided I would rather have small surface area non-magnetic stainless steel sutures vs a plastic mesh. There is a sunlit caf for reading and relaxation and a cheerful common room, where patients often gather for a friendly game of cards. That is, to avoid mesh and avoid any of the potential complications from mesh (primary fear usually is chronic pain in the groin, mesh migration, foreign body sensation from mesh, etc). My hernia is fixed and I have a verbal confirmation that I could lift weights directly after surgery. Under carefully managed routines, most of our patients are back to normal activities in less than a week and often back to work as soon as they are discharged. You dont find Drs in NY doing hernia repairs without the mesh. Im probably an anomaly in the hernia world, but my story is horrific and Im still passing through it. There are definitely many who travel to Shouldice from the USA, where last I heard it runs somewhere around $6500 paid out of pocket for an inguinal hernia repair and the multiple night stay in a facility that supposedly feels collegiate. Reilly's, a disused bar, was barricaded up by the rebels, and it . This was a very informative post. I havent made the decision yet myself, Shouldice or mesh. In fact, the vast majority of hospitals would offer hernia repair. Waiting room (20min wait time), examination (15-20min), waiting room for accounting office (5-15min), accounting office (10min), nurse station for blood check (5-10min), surgery (45min), recovery (3days) . Update to the above. Our first available appointment is in July of 2023. It was then allowed special licence by the Ministry of Health to continue operating. Thanks for getting back to me. I think it depends on the surgeon involved and what your expectations are around the surgery. Shouldice Hospital is not responsible for these services. Recovery done at home, pain meds prescribed, incisions very tidy, standard sutures, little to no swelling or bruising. I know 2 other people who have gone up for repair both of which are now well over 30 years on the repair without issue also.. Take care safe travels. I have had this happen once. To increase the text size, press and hold down the command key on a Mac or the windows key on PC, then press the plus (+) key. NUMBER OF WALK-IN APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS ARE: Monday, March 6th - 0 Monday, March 13th - 12, Tuesday, March 7th - 12 Tuesday, March 14th - 12, Wednesday, March 8th - 24 Wednesday, March 15th - 12, Thursday, March 9th - 40 Thursday, March 16th - 36, Friday, March 10th - 18 Friday, March 17th - 24, 7750 Bayview Avenue,Thornhill, Ontario,Canada L3T 4A3View Map, Tel: 905-889-1125 Fax: 905-889-4216 Canada: 1-800-291-7750 U.S./International: 1-855-328-3423 postoffice@shouldice.com, Shouldice Hospital is committed to excellence in serving all patients including people with disabilities.Learn More. Lets pretend that there is no influence of the medical-pharmaceutical industry on advertising about certain methods and medications as well as on the purchase of the professionals themselves, as is the case in several countries. In fact, I believe in less than a decade the medical profession will be inundated with increasing problems from meshes installed in patients 20+ years pervious and will be forced to go back to training their surgeons to the standard they were at pre-1990s, before mesh became mainstream, when hernias were repaired the way they should still be getting repaired today suturing. 600 Highway 7Thornhill, Ontario905-881-26002.5 miles from the hospital. WOW. But sometimes recurrences do happen. No referral is required. Our current career opportunities are outlined below. Found a surgeon in Sarasota, Florida who does non-mesh hernia repairs (Shouldice). I can NOT for the life of me understand the following: Shouldice is a business and I understand that like any business its primary goal is to make money. I had the left side done 11 yrs ago @ Shouldice and have had no issues with pain or recurrence and I dont avoid any activity, including heavy lifting. You have to follow patients for decades to know your real recurrence rate, and patients also are not likely to go back and see the same surgeon (or a clinic) once they have had a recurrence. The 3 scars have pretty much healed up. I had should ice give me the paperwork anyway and submitted it 2 times to my insurance and went thru an appeals process Finally I did get about a 60 percent payment back Think they got tired of me.. Haha. There is a limit of 2 visitors per patient. The worst things said seem to be about the dcor of the hospital, the way the nurses and doctors treat you/pillows too small/beds like rubber etc. I have only good things to say about the Shouldice! When I went for my pre-op. The technique was designed by Dr.Edward Earle Shouldice and became popular when he opened his hernia hospital in 1945 and his technique has attracted patients from all over the world. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. My husband was asked to lose weight for the surgery but still was not skinny. It could be scar tissue or it could be the actual implant rubbing on the nerve. You may be regret waiting some but better to wait an added week or month than have chronic pain as I do. . This makes anyones numbers on hernia repair difficult to interpret, but the Shouldices number in particular should be viewed with a grain of salt. 2021 Apr 1;51(4):67-69. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000736968.01359.e0. The example of my coworker is different. I have an inguinal hernia which is more annoying than anything since I play a lot of sports (not painful), but more so I am afraid of chronic pain after the surgery. Mesh does reduce the risk of recurrence but does not make it zero. It has lots of windows and a bunch of couches and chairs to relax in, a television and plenty of magazines and newspapers to flip thorough. Id be curious to see some data comparing patient outcomes for slim patients at Shouldice vs the rest of the system. Standard Shouldice methodology admitted day before (process long, repetitive, old school handdraulic vice electronic). That was a bit odd. There have been many mesh products that have been recalled over the years. I returned to work with some discomfort but progressed to feel quite comfortable. (LogOut/ I suspect looking into that would be very difficult indeed. Also, he only went there after years of being discouraged by general surgeons such as yourself but after multiple failed hernia surgeries by these same general surgeons. The prayer times of each of the five prayers are determined by the specific position of the sun in the sky. This wound closure and stapling technique are a significant source of discomfort and pain for all patients. I am still avoiding heavy lifting, but everyday lifting activities (groceries, young children, etc) arent causing any issues. The data we need are the rates for chronic pain which is very hard to come across for any of these techniques. 3. shouldice provides hernia repair with a short hospital stay. This involves making an incision . Mesh CAN be a nightmare if not inserted properly, and maybe I would be able to get away with not using in a very slim patient, but I consent patients thoroughly to all the risk factors. For Ontario residents, the Shouldice procedure is covered except for the cost of the semi-private room which is covered by many insurance plans. I think is a matter of profit from this industry. The amount of money being drained away by this clinic from the public system is opportunity cost, not just for hernia repairs, but all healthcare spending. Ive not had thay bad but have had issues from mesh for 9 months. Im not happy about Shouldice being sold to a private company but I do not see that your critique of their prior history is based on any accurate or well-analysed information. Update from my initial posts: Its coming up on two years (mid-Sep 17) since I had my right side inguinal hernia done by Dr Lisi in Collingwood G&M Hospital using laparoscopic surgery and mesh. They actually recommended that my other hernia not get operated on as it was too small to be fixed (which was really impressive that they gave the correct advice, watch and wait). If their procedure was outdated/inappropriate in anyway, then why are they still in business helping 7000 healthy, wealthy and skinny people (morale issue again) per year have pain free and hernia free lives? They have been quite successful with it. Placed in a room with patient who had surgery the day prior. Abstract. The Shouldice Clinic is a private clinic operating in the Toronto area which has been open for decades. Best. This is why mesh is now preferred. By the time my son was 10 and we moved to Peterborough his hernia was the size of a pineapple infact it looked like he had a bag in his pants! Complications after a mesh surgery can drive the cost of a simple hernia repair into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Shouldice Hospital is a bit of curious place. So this is a tricky situation. Just returned from Shouldice. Day surgeries admitted in the morning released that afternoon. York Region Transit. Our clinic offers hernia examinations by appointment or on a limited walk-in basis. I had my hernia repaired there on Nov 2nd. I play sports 3 days a week, I run competitively, etc, and virtually no pain. The class action lawsuits in the US are concerning to me. I am handicapped and must wear an orthosis when horizontal (supine) for a cervical spine condition which I have had debilitating symptoms for twenty-two years. Most of us felt it was an efficient operation and we could see why they do things that way it was logical. Various proposals are set forth for expanding the capacity of the hospital. A skim off of the healthy and the wealthy to the private system, leaving the public system to deal with the emergency, unhealthy, and poorer patients. Save me from this little speech, I think there point is that the mesh industry doesnt have someone backing up there statistics and testing like the drug industry. Maybe a freedom of information request needs to be filed so accurate comparisons can be made. Now some of the Shouldice clinic patients come from out of country and should be paying forall of their carebut what this percentage is, I do not know. I wish the government would impose laws about refusing patients surgeries and i wish Shoultice was audited! Now I have mesh and been having issues with it since (6 months) I would of rather rolled the dice on the hernia reoccurring the old fashion way than having something put in me that no one can get out and continues to be an issue. Im not a medical professional of any sort, but Im capable at measuring time the first two (father and neighbour), went to Shouldice and returned within 48 hours and their usual routines somewhat ecstatic about the result, and with no need to revisit the surgeries since. We all want the best, most cost effective public system but critiques must look at the whole system. In fact, after asking permission and explaining the purpose, they live-streamed my operation to a Surgeons conference in Victoria, BC. To get the best results from your hernia repair, you should be in the healthiest possible condition for your operation. On top of that, the hernia still exists, larger and more painful than ever. My hernia is very small and only appears after I have been working-out or stand for a long period of time however I have a constant dull pain in the groin area/lower abdomen area (heaviness feeling) My fianc and I also love to travel and travel insurance seems to be an issue. Very interesting and enlightening article for a soon-to-be operated-on groin-hernia sufferer like me. I went to see my family doctor as I live too far from Shouldice to visit. In our small study no patient had any pain after 6 weeks. Those who react badly to mesh most are apparently young, slim females (usually not Inguinal). Prior to your visit, you are encouraged to complete and submit aMedical Questionnaire on my.shouldice.com. Is my scar larger than it could have been with a mesh repair? I do everything I want without restricting myself. Overall, I am pleased with both the experience and the outcome. I really dont want to get into a lot of detail about the complex world of hernia repair here, but the world surgical community has moved on from primary repair with lots of inpatient days and the Shouldice has not. From what I understand well above 90% of Inguinal Hernia operations are successful, and that this is considered to be a routine operation by the medical profession. All three were done by general surgeons, and I can honestly say I would have been better off not getting any surgeries from the beginning. I dont think it has been around that long. Safe for airport scanners AND MRI. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Lastly, I really feel strongly that clinics and surgeons which do not do emergency on call work should not be allowed to operate on an elective basis. I have a right side inguinal hernia that needs fixing. Thank you. Same in the US. Shouldice I learned the name even before it had become personally relevant and noted it. I agree with everything that you say. Personally, I have a walnut sized umbilical hernia and am within the upper bounds of the ideal physical category. At this stage I cannot guage the quality or durability of the underlying repair. Sonesta Suites355 South Park Road, Thornhill, ON L3T 7W21-800-SONESTA1-800-766-3782. I would encourage you to have your father see his family doctor to refer to the hospital and surgeon which are closest to you. My biggest concern is chronic pain, and of course it will be quite some time before I know if thats going to be an issue. People seem to either love it or hate it. You can travel with a hernia as long as its been 3 months since you were seen for it. 1. shouldice offers reliable hernia repairs, with few relapses. Myself, and others who are wary of mesh, are reacting to the very real possibility of chronic severe pain, and other complications like erosion, migration, and neuroma that can come from mesh. Answer: Yes, but I was at the higher end of the range and one other fellow in our intake was even worse. Update of previous post. At this point I am out $980.00, I am more sore than I was at the same time following two mesh repairs, the in-hospital conditions/regimen were not as conducive to recovery as being at home.