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4 New Year, New You Innovative healthcare & specialist clinics 8


Promotional Content • Saturday 9th January 2021


Wide-awake hernia repair T


o cut waiting times, the NHS is now trialling fast-track surgical hubs. So here’s why


you might want to consider hernia repair under local anaesthetic. Put simply, a hernia is a combina-


tion of weakness and pressure. An organ or tissue presses through an area of weakness in the muscle or fascia. Most commonly this is in the groin, known as inguinal hernias. Factors that can increase the risk


of developing hernias include chronic coughing or constipation, obesity, preg- nancy, smoking and growing older. Although it’s possible to live with a hernia, your hernia won’t heal itself. And, if it increases in size, you might start to experience pain and discomfort, a sensation of fullness and difficulty performing normal daily activities. Hernias can also be life-threat-


ening; if they become strangulated and the blood supply to the herniated tissue cut off, toxins released into the bloodstream can cause a serious infec- tion, often resulting in emergency surgery. Which is why hernia repair is such an important procedure. Under a new NHS initiative, patients


undergoing ‘low-complexity surgical procedures’ will be encouraged to


have their operation under local or regional anaesthetic. In the first stage, the focus is on cataract removal, but hernia repair could be next as the outcomes are good. Although many patients might


expect an operation to be performed under general anaesthetic, the bene- fits of wide-awake hernia repair are manifold. As well as the potential risk of coronavirus when intubating patients for general anaesthetic, fewer precautions are needed with local anaesthetic, speeding up the surgical process for the patient. “Most hernias can be repaired


under local anaesthesia very safely,” hernia specialist Mr Alan Woodward explains. “It is rare to be turned down for hernia surgery on the grounds of having other medical conditions.” A local or regional anaesthetic


can also mean a quicker recovery and no overnight stay. Tere are fewer side effects; those under- going a general anaesthetic are at a higher risk of chest infections, vomiting and the ‘hangover effect’ of a general. Pain relief is superior and more targeted as the area of the body that’s been operated on stays numb for longer.


The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on NHS waiting lists has been hugely destructive, with officials predicting those waiting for non-urgent procedures and diagnostic tests will rocket to almost 10 million by the beginning of 2021


For those wondering if it’s safe to


delay their hernia surgery until corona- virus is a distant memory, Alan has the following advice: “Although waiting a few months for a hernia repair is unlikely to cause problems, if the wait is prolonged and the hernia enlarges, this could theoretically increase the risk of complications after the proce- dure, such as significant bruising or recurrence. It’s best to have your hernia repaired before it reaches that stage.” Mr Alan Woodward has been


director of the Cardiff Hernia Clinic, part of the Alan Woodward Surgical Group, for over 15 years. As an experi- enced hernia surgeon who undertakes complex hernia surgery, he specialises in repair under local anaesthesia for elderly patients or those not able to have general anaesthetic surgery.


MEET THE EXPERT


Karen Ruggles, medical secretary, Alan Woodward Surgical Group T: 07969043507 awsg.co.uk


Mr Alan Woodward has been director of the Cardiff Hernia Clinic, part of the Alan Woodward Surgical Group, for over 15 years. As an experienced hernia surgeon who undertakes complex hernia surgery, he specialises in repair under local anaesthesia for elderly patients or those not able to have general anaesthetic surgery.


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