You’ve had painful attacks caused by gallstones. To treat the problem, your doctor advised to remove your gallbladder? This surgery is called cholecystectomy. Removing the gallbladder can relieve pain. It will also prevent future attacks. You can live a healthy life without your gallbladder. You may also be able to go back to eating foods you enjoyed before your gallbladder problems started. There are 2 methods for removing the gallbladder. We will choose which method is best for you: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This is most common. During surgery, 2 to 4 small incisions are made. A thin tube with a camera is used. This is called a laparoscope. The scope is put through one of the incisions. It sends images to a video screen. Surgical tools are put through other incisions. The gallbladder is removed using the scope and these tools. Open cholecystectomy. One larger incision is made. The surgeon sees and works through this incision. Open surgery is most often used when scarring or other factors make it a better choice for you. In some cases, safety requires a change from laparoscopic to open surgery during the procedure.

Hernia repair surgery is the world’s most common surgical procedure. Hernia surgery can help to relieve pain, return the hernia abdominal organs to their correct place and, strengthen the weak muscle area. A hernia operation usually takes around an hour as a day case procedure. It can be performed by: • Open surgery – under local or general anaesthetic, an incision usually around 2.5 to 3 inches is made to your skin near your hernia and your surgeon will push your hernia back into your abdomen. The incision is then either stitched closed or much more commonly a mesh is placed over the hole and fixed using fine stitches. The mesh acts like a scaffold and your own tissue will grow through the mesh to reinforce the weakened area without putting tension on the surrounding tissues. • Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery – under general anaesthetic, several smaller incisions are made to allow surgeon to use a less invasive technique using various special instruments including a tiny telescopic camera to repair your hernia. A mesh may then be used to strengthen your abdominal wall. If hernia surgery is recommended, we will advise on the most appropriate type of surgery based on the location and severity of your hernia.