How to Become a Patient at Shouldice Hospital Every year, thousands of hernia patients from all over the world experience a successful lifetime cure for their hernia at Shouldice.

As a Shouldice patient, you can be confident that you will get the best of care in a progressive, patient-centred facility renowned around the world for excellence in hernia repair. Prior to scheduling surgery all patients must have a medical assessment to determine the nature and extent of their hernia and the state of their overall health.

To arrange for your personal medical assessment by one of our experienced surgeons, please select the most appropriate option below.

Learn about your stay at Shouldice, from pre-admission to follow-up.

If you think you have a hernia.

  1. Complete the medical questionnaire.   
  2. Your questionnaire will be reviewed by our medical team.
  3. We will respond to you regarding next steps within 2-3 business days.

On the day of your admission to Shouldice, there is no need to fast, please continue with your normal dietary habits. Come to the hospital at your appointed time and register at the front desk. Our admission staff will greet you and begin the admission process, which includes an examination and a review of your weight and current health. Blood work and an ECG may also be done to confirm that you are in good health for your surgery. Your personal and medical insurance information will then be verified by our staff so that you have a worry-free recovery. When everything is complete, you will be escorted to your room to settle in. At 4:30, a group orientation is provided for all new patients, which we encourage you to attend. After all your questions have been answered, you will join the other Shouldice patients for a delicious dinner in the dining room.

Important: During your examination on your day of admission, the surgeon may decide that it is medically necessary for your surgery to be re-scheduled or cancelled because your health may have changed significantly from your initial examination or Medical Questionnaire declaration. If you have concerns about your health as your admission date approaches please contact the hospital prior to travelling. For those patients on weight reduction programs please ensure you have attained your weight loss targets as your surgery may be postponed as a result. Please see “Will I need to lose weight?"

On the day of your operation, you will be escorted to the Operating Room (OR) lounge approximately 30 minutes prior to your scheduled surgery. When surgery is completed, most patients can walk out of the OR with the assistance of the surgical team and return to their room, however, for patients requiring a general anesthetic, a short stay in the OR lounge is required first. Patients rest in their rooms for four hours and are then encouraged to get up and begin recovery.

On the recovery days following your repair, you will be examined each morning by a surgeon and you will be expected to be up and moving around. You will also be expected to participate in a gentle exercise program designed specifically to promote natural healing in hernia patients. During your stay, you will join the other patients in the dining room to enjoy the nutritious meals and snacks prepared fresh in our kitchen every day. We encourage you to take part in the many activities offered at Shouldice.  Your family and friends are welcome to visit you during our normal visiting hours.

This is the perfect time to rest, relax and recover under the professional care and guidance of Shouldice staff. Many patients appreciate the opportunity to set aside their busy schedules and enjoy some personal time. The couple of days you spend recovering at Shouldice is a small personal investment, well worth the long-term confidence you gain from knowing that your hernia repair will last for a lifetime, without complications or infection.

On your last morning at Shouldice, you will say goodbye to your new-found friends and meet with Shouldice staff to complete the discharge process. This includes a final, physical examination and settling of any outstanding accounts. We recommend that you have someone pick you up after your stay but many of our patients feel comfortable enough to drive home by themselves. International and long distance travellers are also able to return home the day of discharge. You can resume normal activities as soon as you feel up to it. However, we suggest that you ease back into your schedule gradually. Try not to overdo it on the first few days home. We are not concerned that you will damage your repair, but too much strenuous exercise, started too early, may cause discomfort.

Please click here to download a copy of our ON YOUR WAY brochure.

If you are a local patient, we will ask you to make an appointment to visit the hospital for a check-up with our surgeons approximately one month after the repair. If you are an international or distant patient, you can have your repair checked by a doctor in your hometown.

Every year, we encourage all patients to come to the hospital for a routine check-up. If you live outside of the Toronto area, we have traveling clinics in Ontario for your convenience. Providing a lifetime of follow-up care to Shouldice patients is part of our on-going commitment to service excellence.

SHOULDICE EXAMINATION CLINIC

Set appointments are available Monday to Friday between 9:15AM and 3:00PM. We also offer a very limited number of next-day appointments on a first-come, first-served basis.  You can book your next-day appointment Sunday through Thursday beginning at 2 PM for the following business day (excluding holidays).  We accept a specific number of patients each day depending on the number of surgeons we have in our clinic that day.

At this time we are accepting new patients, and encourage anyone who suspects they have a hernia to have a medical assessment by an experienced Shouldice surgeon.

To have your free, personalized assessment please proceed via the appropriate option to your left.

  • SHOULDICE HOSPITAL ADDRESS

    7750 Bayview Avenue,
    Thornhill, Ontario,
    Canada L3T 4A3
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  • CONTACT US

    Tel: 905-889-1125
    Fax: 905-889-4216
    Canada: 1-800-291-7750
    U.S./International: 1-855-328-3423
    [email protected]

  • ACCESSIBILITY

    Shouldice Hospital is committed to excellence in serving all patients including people with disabilities.
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