Surgery without the wait
Care without the compromise
Hernia Surgery Day
The first step is to book an Initial Consultation appointment to meet one of our doctors.
You will be invited to Carlisle Healthcare South Hub for a 30minute appointment, to meet Dr Martin White.
He will talk to you about your diagnosis and discuss the options available.
If surgery is agreed to be the best option then an appointment can be booked for you immediately, often for a date within the following 4 weeks.
Arrival at the South Hub
The Carlisle Healthcare South Hub is incredibly easy to get to by car, train, bus or taxi. Check out our contact page for more detailed information on your transportation options.
There are ample free parking spaces available for our patients, including a number of disabled parking bays.
Enter the building through the main entrance
Check In
If you need a moment before checking in, or are waiting for anyone else, there are some comfortable seating areas just inside the entrance door. There are also toilets available.
Once ready, please check in with a member of staff at the main reception desk. You will need to provide your surname and date of birth.
You will then be asked to make your way to the Cumbria Surgical Services waiting area on the 2nd floor.
Please either use the stairs or patient lift nearby.
Cumbria Surgical Services Waiting Area
The Cumbria Surgical Services waiting area welcomes you straight off the staircase. Please take a seat here and enjoy the views before one of our team comes to collect you for your appointment.
Partners Waiting Area
If someone has joined you on the day, they are welcome to either remain in the Cumbria Surgical Services waiting area or make themselves comfortable in the café on the ground floor. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building.
NJ’s Café
NJ’s Café is run by a mother and daughter team who rustle up delicious home cooked treats every day, including sandwiches, quiches, salads and cakes.
Walled Garden
If they need to stretch their legs, a beautiful walled garden is available on site where they are welcome to sit and get some fresh air.
Pre-Surgery
One of our team will welcome you from the 2nd floor waiting room. You will be taken through to one of our pleasant consulting rooms where you will meet your surgeon. They will talk over the procedure once again with you and you will have the opportunity to ask any further questions you may have.
Once you are happy to proceed, we will give you privacy to change into a surgical gown. You can safely leave your belongings in the consulting room, no one else will be in the area.
Surgery
Once you are changed, one of our staff will bring you through to our operating theatre – a pleasant atmosphere with views towards the Scottish Borders. We will introduce all members of the team to you (normally 3-4 people) and then make you comfortable on the couch.
The Procedure
We will begin by preparing the area to be operated on. The site will be shaved and thoroughly cleaned with surgical cleaning fluid. We will place surgical drapes over your body to keep the area sterile and help further reduce the risk of an infection. One of the team will place a small monitor on your fingertip to check your heart rate throughout the procedure.
To start, the surgeon will inject some local anaesthetic under the skin. This will sting a little to start with, but is just like having an injection at the dentist and the area will go numb within seconds. As the operation progresses we will give you more anaesthetic at each stage, as required.
We all like to talk to you as the operation goes along and if at any point something does feel sore just say and we will give you more anaesthetic. The operation typically takes around 30-40 mins after which we will put a plaster over the wound and then you will be free to stand up.
Post Surgery
Once the procedure is complete, you will walk back into the consulting room you got changed in and a drink of your choice will be waiting for you. At this point, if you have a partner or friend waiting, they will be able to join you.
We will run through the post operative instructions and when you are ready, you can get changed back into your clothes and make your way home. Patients are usually ready to leave within 20 minutes of the operation finishing. If you require a sick note, then please let us know.
Recovery & Post-Care
The local anaesthetic will start to wear off within a few hours. We recommend you continue taking the painkillers we have provided you with for the following two days regardless of whether you have pain or not. It is much easier to control pain by keeping on top of it, rather than waiting for the pain to return.
Once you are home we do not recommend taking to your bed. You can move around the house. If you feel up to it the following day then we recommend a gentle walk. Please remember no heavy lifting or energetic exercise for 6 weeks after your operation. You must refrain from driving for 1 week.
We will write to your GP to inform them of your operation you have had. If after the operation the pain suddenly worsens or you start to become unwell (fever, chills, or the wound becomes very sore) please either let us know or your local GP.
We will call you within the next 48hours to check in and answer any questions you may have.