Robotic-assisted laparoscopic repair for an inguinal hernia in Manchester

Dealing with an inguinal hernia can be quite challenging, often leading to uncomfortable symptoms that disrupt your daily life. These symptoms may include:

A groin bulge

One of the most obvious signs is a visible or noticeable bulge on one side of your groin. This bulge tends to become more prominent when you stand, cough, or strain.

Pain and discomfort

You might experience varying levels of pain or discomfort in your groin, especially when bending down, lifting heavy objects, or coughing. The pain can range from a mild, persistent ache to a sharper, more severe pain, depending on your movement.

Heaviness and pressure in your groin

A feeling of heaviness, pressure, or weakness in your groin area, especially during and after physical activity. 

Increasing swelling

The bulge may grow over time and become increasingly painful.

There are two key methods of traditional surgery for inguinal hernias: open surgery and keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery.

During open surgery, your surgeon makes a larger incision in your abdomen to directly access and repair the hernia. This method allows your consultant to strengthen the abdominal wall and correct the hernia using specialist instruments. 

Hernia surgery with laparoscopic surgery and its limitations

During laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery, your surgeon makes several small incisions in your abdomen. 

Using a tool called a laparoscope, they can view the inside of your abdomen and use specialised instruments to repair the hernia and reinforce and restore your abdominal wall. 

This method is less invasive than open surgery because it is performed with a smaller incision, meaning less damage to the tissue surrounding the area of your hernia and a faster recovery time. The instruments used for keyhole surgery mimic the movements of the surgeon's hands. However, due to the size of the opening, the dexterity of movement can be limited and may be less accurate than with robotic surgery.

Another option for inguinal hernia treatment is robotic surgery, an advanced form of surgery using the latest medical technology, combined with the expertise and craft of our specialist consultants.

Our team of highly skilled general consultants carry out thousands of successful laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair procedures each year using advanced robotic techniques. This advanced state-of-the-art technology helps us provide the highest quality of specialist care, ensuring the best outcomes with a rapid recovery time and long-lasting results.

Our surgeons are experts in utilising the Da Vinci robotic surgical system, which provides a range of significant advantages, including enhanced imaging for greater precision and accuracy, improved navigation, and refined surgical techniques.

This advanced technology not only helps your consultant to perform the surgery with greater precision, but also contributes to a faster recovery time, so you can get home and back to the comfort of everyday life much sooner.

With the da Vinci system, your surgeon is always in control. 

Many people feel uneasy about the prospect of their surgery being performed robotically – but this is not how robotics works. During the operation, your consultant sits at a console next to you and operates using tiny instruments, which only need to make few very small incisions to operate on you. 

The robot, which comprises of mechanical arms that connect to the console, moves as your consultant moves. Every hand movement your surgeon makes is translated by the da Vinci system in real time to bend and rotate the instruments with the highest levels of precision and care. The system has a built-in tremor-filtration to help your consultant guide each movement smoothly and seamlessly. 

A camera provides a high-definition, 3D magnified view of inside your body. This gives your consultant a crystal-clear view of the area they are operating, which is magnified 10 times to what the human eye can see.

There are many benefits to robotic-assisted surgery, some of which are mentioned above. These benefits include:

• Less risk of infection
• Smaller and less pronounced scarring
• Enhanced precision and accuracy
• Quicker recovery times
• Reduced pain and discomfort
• Access to cutting-edge technology guided by top medical experts at our leading hospital

Your consultant can use robotics to perform a complex surgery, making it far less invasive, despite having been previously performed as traditional, open surgery. The less invasive, the smoother the recovery process more generally. 

Get better faster

Get back to everything in life much faster, with reduced risk of complications and a shorter hospital stay. This includes a swifter return to work, exercise, everyday activities, sex, and simply being at home with your loved ones. Living with a hernia can be very challenging, mostly because it greatly impacts your freedom to move. The pain of a hernia often worsens during activities that increase pressure in your abdomen, such as exercise, leading to stiffness and a reduced range of motion. Over time, the discomfort can cause you to avoid physical activity altogether, leading to muscle weakness and reduced overall mobility, further complicating the condition.

With a speedier recovery time, you can get back to physical activity and regain strength in your muscles and joints, making for overall improvement in your physical wellbeing. 

Experience minimal scarring

Robotic surgery not only enhances your physical healing process, but also helps boost your mental wellbeing after surgery. This is partly because robotics offers the advantage of minimal scarring due to its use of small, precise incisions instead of the larger cuts required in traditional open surgery. 

These scars from surgery are often smaller and therefore less visible, which can help improve your self-esteem if you are concerned about the appearance and maintenance of scars after surgery. This feeling of confidence can help people return to daily life more smoothly without the added anxiety of their appearance. 

Our fixed-price packages include the cost of your surgery and all appropriate aftercare appointments. However, any pre-surgery diagnostic tests and your consultant's outpatient appointment fees are charged separately.

Our flexible payment options help you spread the cost of your payment across a time period that suits you. We offer fixed-term monthly payment plans over one to five years with no deposit required. If you decide to pay over 10 months, you will pay interest free. If you are paying for a longer period, you will pay 9.9% APR.

If you have private health insurance, this surgery may be covered by your provider. Speak to your insurer directly to find out.

The cost of your treatment will be confirmed in writing at the time of booking. Please contact our self pay team on 0161 464 8927 for more information. 

When you choose to go private with us, you can expect:   

The freedom to choose your hospital and your consultant

• Bespoke, consultant-led treatment plans tailored to your individual needs  
• Private en-suite rooms as standard 
• Flexible appointment times to fit your schedule
• Tasty and nutritious meals cooked onsite to your dietary requirements
• Support from the same compassionate clinical team from beginning to end  
• Affordable, fixed-price packages with aftercare included  
• Flexible payment options to help spread the cost of your care

If you want to know more about this procedure and find out if it's the right treatment for you, book your appointment online today.