Specialists in Hernia repair

THE BIRMINGHAM HERNIA CLINIC

For all enquiries call us on 0845 903 7833

WHAT IS A HERNIA?

A hernia occurs when an internal structure pushes out through a weakness or defect in the abdominal wall.

Abdominal hernias can occur anywhere between the rib cage and the groin but the most common sites are around the groin or navel.

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ABOUT US

We are a specialist hernia clinic with our first centres opening in Birmingham and Worcestershire. Our clinics provide state of the art treatment of hernias in accredited local private hospitals. All assessments and procedures are carried out by a specialist consultant surgeon. Our surgeons are all recognised by the major insurance companies.

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HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A HERNIA?

1. Do you have a ‘lump’?

2. Is it in a common place such as the groin or around the belly button?

3. Is it around the site of a previous operation or scar?

4. Does it come out if you cough sneeze or exert yourself ?

5. Does it get bigger towards the end of the day ?

6. Does it go down when you lie down or can you push it in yourself?

All of these are common signs of a hernia but you should always ask your doctor to check.

5 THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR IF YOU HAVE A HERNIA

1. Has it got bigger ?

2. Is it getting painful?

3. Has it become tender to touch?

4. Has it stopped going back inside?

5. Is it stopping you from doing things?

HERNIA TYPES

There are a number of different types of hernia, most are classified by anatomical location. The list below is not an exhaustive one. It does cover most of the most common types of hernia and might give you some indication of what type you may have.

A hernia will not heal on its own. The risk of not getting the hernia repaired is that it could get larger and more painful.

There is also a chance that the protruding tissue will become trapped in the future. If this happens, the blood supply to whatever is trapped may be cut off, and it could easily become dead or "gangrenous". In that case, it might be necessary to do emergency surgery.

INGUINAL HERNIA

An inguinal hernia is the most common type of hernia and accounts for 70% of all hernias. Inguinal hernias present as a bulge in the groin. Repair of an inguinal hernia is one of the most common procedures in general surgery. Many inguinal hernias develop as a result of chronic straining or heavy lifting.

FEMORAL HERNIA

Femoral hernias occur in the groin and are relatively uncommon, accounting for just 2% of all hernias and 6% of all groin hernias, 70% of femoral hernias occur in women. Sometimes this type of hernia can go unnoticed and the first sign of symptoms may be strangulation. Repair of a femoral hernias is nearly always recommended.

UMBILICAL HERNIA

An umbilical hernia occurs through a weakness in the abdominal wall at the belly button. Factors that may increase the risk of developing an umbilical hernia are obesity, persistent straining or heavy lifting and multiple pregnancy. Untreated most of these hernias will enlarge and a repair is usually recommended.

EPIGASTRIC HERNIA

An epigastric hernia is similar to an umbilical hernia. Epigastric hernias develop in the midline between the breast bone and the belly button area. Most of the time, these hernias are small. They can give some local discomfort. They rarely cause serious problems and like umbilical hernias they can easily be repaired.

SPIGELIAN HERNIA

A spigelian hernia is an uncommon hernia in the abdominal wall. Symptoms may include a bulge appearing below and to the side of the belly button. Patients may feel a certain amount of discomfort which can be made more painful when lifting heavy objects or straining. They are repaired in the same way as the majority of hernias with tension-free mesh reinforcement.

INCISIONAL HERNIA

An incisional hernia develops through a weakness in the abdominal wall at the site of a surgical incision. Factors that could increase the risk of incisional hernia are wound infections, diabetes, steroids, obesity and excessive straining or coughing especially soon after surgery. Incisional hernias may grow in size and cause discomfort in which case surgical repair is usually recommended.

STOMAL HERNIA

A stomal or parastomal hernia develops alongside either an ileostomy or a colostomy. These hernias are quite common and most don’t cause any problems. They may need repairing if they grow in size or start causing problems with they way the stoma itself works.

SPORTS HERNIA

A sports hernia or “Gilmore’s groin” is an often painful, soft tissue injury that occurs in the groin area. Sports hernias are commonly misunderstood and many people confuse them with a traditional abdominal hernia. If symptoms do not improve with simple measures such as rest or physiotherapy then a repair may be indicated.

HIATUS HERNIA

A hiatus hernia is a type of internal hernia and does not appear as a lump like other types of abdominal wall hernia. A hiatus hernia occurs when part of the stomach is pushed upwards through the opening in the diaphragm known as the hiatus and into the chest.

STRANGULATED HERNIA

A strangulated hernia occurs when part of the bulge or swelling pushes through the abdominal wall only to become trapped. Unless the hernia goes ‘back inside’, the blood supply can get cut off (strangulation) and the tissue inside the hernia can turn gangrenous. A strangulated hernia is a surgical emergency and should be dealt with immediately.

DO YOU HAVE A HERNIA?

Why wait to be seen and have your hernia repaired. In our clinics you can normally be seen by a specialist consultant within 48 hours and if surgery is necessary this can be arranged within only two weeks. You don’t need health insurance to benefit from affordable private hernia treatment.

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5 THINGS TO ASK YOUR SURGEON OR SPECIALIST

1. What are the different types of treatment for my condition?

2. What are the benefits of each of these treatments?

3. What are the side effects and risks of each of these treatments?

4. Why are you recommending I have this operation?

5. Is a non-surgical treatment possible for my condition?

5 PRACTICAL QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR OPERATION OR PROCEDURE

1. Will I need stitches and will there be scarring?

2. How long before the operation will I need to stop eating and drinking?

3. How long will I need to stay in hospital?

4. How long will it take me to recover and get back to normal?

5. Will I need time off work and, if so, for how long?

What our Patients say

Find out what patients like you think of the service at The Birmingham Hernia Clinic.

I would like to thank the Staff, and, in particular, Mr Simon Radley, for all that was done. Without hesitation, I would recommend Mr. Radley for all similar procedures.

Mr G. H.

Stourbridge

I felt very reassured by Mr Radley and his medical and secretarial team throughout, I would wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone else seeking hernia treatment.

Patient

Worcestershire

I had an hernia operation around 10 years ago, following which I then began to develop a bulge the opposite side of my groin so I was aware that it was another hernia that would eventually need medical attention.”

J. Mangan

I am recovering well, and am very happy with the treatment that I received with Mr Simon Radley and would happily recommend him to anyone seeking similar treatment.”

David Powell

Worcestershire

"I have nothing but praise for Mr Radley and the entire process which was very straightforward, and would recommend him to anyone else seeking a hernia operation."

Mr D. P.

Worcestershire

"I would highly recommend Mr Radley, thanks to him I am flying to Italy to play in an International tournament- which with just over 3 months since my operation is fantastic."

Tony King

Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

"I have a manual job moving 20 tonnes of beer every day which doesn't combine well with an umbilical hernia! Everything is now perfect and back to normal. Mr Radley did a great job, thank you."

Simon Mansfield

Oldbury, West Midlands