The skin clips holding the incision together are loosened, and some are removed the next day. The remainder are removed the following morning just before the patient is discharged.
When Shouldice Hospital started, the average hospital stay for hernia surgery was three weeks. Today, many institutions push “same day surgery” for a variety of reasons. Shouldice Hospital family believes that this is not in the best interests of patent, and is committed to their three day process. Shouldice’s post-op rehabilitation program is designed to enable the patient to resume normal activities with minimal interruption and discomfort. Shouldice patients frequently return to work in a few days, the average total time off are eight days.
“It is interesting to note that approximately I out of every 100 Shouldice patients is a medical doctor.”