Hernia & Shouldice

A

AllanR

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I was diagnosed with a hernia quite a few months ago. I've looked into Shouldice Hospital and stopped by for a visit to see the facility.

Anyone have any first hand experience with Shouldice? Would you recommend?
 
Don't think there's a better option out there. Sure beats getting tossed back out on the street 20 mins after your surgery at the local hospital.
 
+1 for Shouldice.
Had mine repaired there over 20yrs ago. No complications - all good.
The strangest part of it all, was climbing off the operating table right after surgery without any help, and walking back to my room.
They also have a very good follow up program. Once a year, they travel to Hamilton, London, and the Niagara area to check up on past patients. (I've yet to go).
 
Yup 100% recommend. Every male in my family has had surgery there including a double for myself. I had complications immediately after it but I wouldn't say it was entirely their fault. Too much pool playing, shuffle board playing and running around playing football to blame immediately after my surgery while staying there....lol
 
I had work done there too. People from all over the world go there. There are big advantages:

[1] they have a proprietary technique which has much lower failure rate than the 'normal' one, and
[2] they use local anaesthetic, i.e. you are awake (but heavily sedated). General anaesthetic is not a good thing and an important cause of problems with surgery.
[3] Hernia's all they do so they are very skilled. Also they have special way to examine you and in many cases people that are referred there in fact do not have hernias, and are sent away.

Bad news is that my surgeon didn't freeze me properly (he was a dick and in a hurry) and so I felt pain. You are very heavily sedated, but I sure did remember and freaked out when I came around, writing letters etc. That was quite a few years ago, but if I was going again (and I definitely WOULD use them) I might carefully ask if there is going to be any pain during surgery.

Bottom line is that they get excellent results with fewer complications.
 
Okay, thanks for the replies.
How's the food there? Does one get to pick what to eat or is it only one meal and that's that?
I'm also not a fan of staying in a hospital setting for 4 nights...
 
AllanR said:
Okay, thanks for the replies.
How's the food there? Does one get to pick what to eat or is it only one meal and that's that?
I'm also not a fan of staying in a hospital setting for 4 nights...
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When I was there, this is how it went:
I arrived & settled in on Monday.
Even though they forewarn you to shave your privates, they send a nurse to your room to 'tidy up' the job.
Had my surgery Tuesday. Left the O/R on foot, and went straight to the pool table & played all afternoon.
Released & drove home Wednesday.
If the food was ****, I would remember. Fact is, I don't remember eating there.
You will not be there for 4 nights. Likely 2 nights, and they may have streamlined that to one night by now. It's definitly not a hospital setting - more like a 3.5 - 4 star hotel, and you will feel somewhat on vacation.

BTW - no referrals are required. Just stop by one day and get diagnosed. Unlike what you may be used to at a 'general' hospital, there's very little waiting time.
After my diagnosis, they told me to drop 15lbs and quit smoking. I did both & then they booked me in for surgery.
 
AllanR said:
Okay, thanks for the replies.
How's the food there? Does one get to pick what to eat or is it only one meal and that's that?
I'm also not a fan of staying in a hospital setting for 4 nights...
Click to expand...

Food was the best part well that and the fact the other people that were in there were cool college kids and all we did was party every night until the nurses shut us down...lol. Honestly it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Everyone there I met had a good sense of humor. I wont forget the sign that said "Todays Activities: Caber Toss"..lol
 
Hearing all this makes me feel a bit better.

Gary, you only stayed for 2 nights? When was your surgery? I spoke with a receptionist a few months back and she said patients stay for 4 nights. Maybe I misheard her, or it's different for patients that are 100km+ away?
 
I had a non genital area hernia looked at there and thought the doctor was a twit. His medical info was probably good but when the doctor is trying to be a stand up comic while you are asking serious questions there are always doubts. I didn't bother with the surgery.

I thought I heard the clinic was being bought by an American company.
 
AllanR said:
Hearing all this makes me feel a bit better.

Gary, you only stayed for 2 nights? When was your surgery? I spoke with a receptionist a few months back and she said patients stay for 4 nights. Maybe I misheard her, or it's different for patients that are 100km+ away?
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I think I was there in 1991 - '92. I know for sure I wasn't there 4 nights. Two for sure, possibly three.
Even if it is 4 nights, it beats the hell out of the horror stories I've seen & heard about 'bad' results in any of the 'general' hospitals. You won't regret going there. When I was in, there was a governor from Wyoming in at the same time, and some kinda 'aristocrat' guy from Egypt.
There's a few (good) reasons people come from all around the world to get their hernia repaired at Shouldice.

Nobbie: Yes - Shouldice was bought a couple months ago:

Centric Health Corp., which paid $14.25 million for Shouldice’s operations and name, will likely move the hospital once its four-year lease is up.
 
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Thanks for the advice. I did notice parking was fairly expensive. I'll probably just get someone to drop me off and pick me up.
 
Geez. I read the title of this thread and thought it was about some law firm.
 
Ok AllanR I'm home. If you want a hernia repaired and you want it done once then you need to go to Shouldice. That's all they do there and they have been doing it for 65 years. Their failure rate is less than 1 %. I met a number of people there that have had hernias redone twice already at a local hospital and are now coming to Shouldice. People from all over the world come there because of their reputation. The method that they use to repair it has been proven to not fail. You can expect to be there for 5 days for 1 hernia and 7 for 2 hernias (like me). It is a nice facility albeit a little dated but well kept up. The care, staff, food and grounds are really good. You can expect to have a fair bit of pain and discomfort. I tell everyone it's like being gut kicked by an elephant. When you go home, you can resume work on light duty and they tell you that you can resume full duty in 4 weeks which I think is pretty amazing. It will cost you to be there as all the rooms are semi private and OHIP does not cover that. If you have some private insurance, it may pick up the extra. Hope this helps.
 
RobVN said:
Ok AllanR I'm home. If you want a hernia repaired and you want it done once then you need to go to Shouldice. That's all they do there and they have been doing it for 65 years. Their failure rate is less than 1 %. I met a number of people there that have had hernias redone twice already at a local hospital and are now coming to Shouldice. People from all over the world come there because of their reputation. The method that they use to repair it has been proven to not fail. You can expect to be there for 5 days for 1 hernia and 7 for 2 hernias (like me). It is a nice facility albeit a little dated but well kept up. The care, staff, food and grounds are really good. You can expect to have a fair bit of pain and discomfort. I tell everyone it's like being gut kicked by an elephant. When you go home, you can resume work on light duty and they tell you that you can resume full duty in 4 weeks which I think is pretty amazing. It will cost you to be there as all the rooms are semi private and OHIP does not cover that. If you have some private insurance, it may pick up the extra. Hope this helps.
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I know with a single if you stand like a flamingo while laughing it helps with the pain. The problem is once you notice the entire room laughing and standing like flamingos you tend to laugh harder....true story
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