The Patient's Handbook

Understand your surgery
before you consent to it.

Free, plain-language guides written for patients and families — no jargon, no sales pitch. Download, read at your own pace, and bring your questions to the consultation.

How to use these. Each handbook covers one procedure in detail: what the condition is, why surgery may or may not be needed, what happens on the day, a realistic recovery timeline, the risks, and the warning signs that need attention. They are written to be read before you decide — an informed decision is always the better one.

Hernia PDF · 6 pages · 118 KB

Groin Hernia: Laparoscopic TEP Repair

What an inguinal hernia is and why it won't heal on its own, how the totally extra-peritoneal (TEP) keyhole repair works, mesh explained, preparing for the day, and a week-by-week recovery plan.

  • What a hernia is & why repair is needed
  • TEP repair and mesh, explained simply
  • Preparing for surgery & the day itself
  • Recovery timeline and lifting guidance
  • Risks and warning signs
Hernia PDF · 7 pages · 126 KB

Umbilical & Ventral Hernia: eTEP-RS Repair

An in-depth guide to abdominal wall reconstruction — umbilical, epigastric, incisional and recurrent hernias, how the eTEP-RS technique places mesh in the durable retro-rectus plane, and what a longer recovery involves.

  • Types of ventral hernia
  • Why the retro-rectus plane matters
  • Optimising your health before surgery
  • Abdominal binder & recovery timeline
  • Risks and follow-up
Gallbladder PDF · 6 pages · 120 KB

Gallstones & Gallbladder Surgery

Understanding your gallbladder and what gallstones do, when surgery is genuinely needed, what laparoscopic cholecystectomy involves, and life — including diet — after gallbladder removal.

  • What gallstones are and why they cause pain
  • When surgery is needed (and when it isn't)
  • The keyhole operation, step by step
  • Eating after gallbladder removal
  • Risks and warning signs
Proctology PDF · 6 pages · 120 KB

Piles: Laser Treatment

A reassuring guide to laser haemorrhoid surgery — what piles are, the grades, how laser treatment shrinks and seals them without large wounds, and the diet and habits that prevent them returning.

  • What piles are and the four grades
  • How laser treatment works
  • The day-care procedure
  • Sitz baths, fibre and aftercare
  • Preventing recurrence
Bariatric PDF · 6 pages · 121 KB

Weight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery

An honest guide to laparoscopic bariatric surgery — who it may help, how sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass differ, the staged diet afterwards, the lifelong vitamin commitment, and realistic expectations.

  • Obesity as a medical condition
  • Sleeve gastrectomy vs gastric bypass
  • Preparing — body and mind
  • The staged diet, week by week
  • Lifelong vitamins & follow-up
Varicose Veins PDF · 6 pages · 117 KB

Varicose Veins: Laser Treatment

Why leg veins become varicose, when they are more than a cosmetic issue, how endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) closes the faulty vein from within, and why compression and walking matter so much afterwards.

  • Why valves fail and veins bulge
  • When treatment is needed
  • How EVLA works — no stripping
  • Compression stockings & walking
  • Risks and follow-up

Still have questions?

These handbooks answer the common ones, but every patient is different. Bring your reports — and your written list of questions — to an unhurried consultation.

These handbooks are general patient education only and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Individual circumstances, risks and recovery vary — always follow the instructions given by your own surgical and anaesthetic team.