Patient Services

Standard services

Your stay at Shouldice includes a number of patient services to enhance your care and comfort:

• Three delicious meals every day, plus an evening snack
• An exercise program specifically designed to speed the recovery of hernia patients
• Internet WIFI service
• Television
• Professional advice for a healthy recovery

I was actually sad to leave, we had so much fun...

Bill – Ottawa

Additional services

Shouldice also offers a variety of services to help you prepare for your hernia operation and improve your recovery. Many of these services are provided free to our patients. The cost of more comprehensive programs is covered by most insurance plans. We encourage you to take advantage of these beneficial patient programs.

• Diet counselling
• Massage therapy
• Annual follow-up examinations

Diet counselling

To get the best results from your hernia repair, you should be in the healthiest possible condition for your operation. It’s important that you are not carrying excess weight around your abdomen. During your examination, your surgeon may recommend that you lose weight before your hernia repair. To learn more about the health benefits of weight loss before surgery, visit Why is my weight important?

We know that people often find it challenging to manage their weight, especially when they have a hernia that restricts their ability to exercise. That’s why we offer a diet counselling service to all of our patients. Our registered dietitian will develop a personalized weight loss program for you and show you how to make healthy food and exercise choices. She will also arrange regular phone meetings to offer advice and support, so that you can commit to a healthier lifestyle and prepare your body for a successful hernia repair.

If you need help to lose weight before your operation, one of our surgeons will refer you to our diet counselling services during your initial examination or you can contact our staff for more information.

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Massage therapy

Many of our patients benefit from the services provided by our licensed massage therapist. Massage therapy can have positive effects on health and well-being. It has been shown to improve comfort and relaxation, ease sore muscles, improve circulation and may promote natural healing by boosting your immune system. A gentle massage can also help to relieve stress, so that your body can rest and recover.

Our massage therapy services are available by appointment during your stay at Shouldice and most insurance plans cover the fee for this service. For more information, please ask our staff when you book your admission date.

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Annual examinations

Studies show that half of all recurrent hernias develop many years after the original repair. The techniques used by the hernia specialists at Shouldice dramatically reduce the risk of recurrent hernias to less than 1% over a lifetime. But sometimes recurrences do happen.

To ensure that our patients have the very best of care, we offer a lifetime of follow-up examinations. Every year, you will receive a letter inviting you to return to the hospital for a check-up, or to report your condition by correspondence. We also have travelling clinics for Ontario patients living outside of the Toronto area.

World’s largest database on hernia repair

Since 1945, we have been gathering data from our follow-up examinations. We use this information to refine our surgical techniques and document the success of our hernia repairs. We now have detailed records on more than 300,000 patients and maintain the world’s most comprehensive database on hernia repair.