Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Robotic Hernia Surgeon · Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
In short
A good part of the enquiry for robotic hernia repair comes from patients who are not in Ahmedabad and are weighing up a journey.
The honest answer is that some hernias are worth travelling for and many are not. The difference can be known in advance. This page is about making that call before you book anything. It also covers the practical parts: what to finish at home first, how long to plan for, and which parts of follow-up really need you in the room.
Usually worth travelling for. Large ventral and incisional hernias, especially where the abdominal wall may need releasing to close the defect. Hernias that have come back once or more. Hernias at a stoma. Hiatal hernias, above all large or para-oesophageal ones. And hernias in an abdomen already operated on several times. Read how we plan robotic repair of ventral and incisional hernias.
What these share is that the operation is a reconstruction with real technical choices in it. Experience with that specific problem changes the plan.
Usually not worth travelling for. A first-time, one-sided, uncomplicated groin hernia. A small umbilical hernia. These are done competently and routinely in most cities. Travelling for one adds cost, time away from home, and distance from your surgeon in the fortnight when questions come up. There is no clinical gain. Being told so is more useful than being booked.
If you are not sure which group your hernia is in, a report and a scan are usually enough to say. That can be answered before you plan anything.
The workup that can be done anywhere should be done at home. It shortens the stay. It also means the plan is settled before you arrive, rather than during the visit.
Sending these ahead means the consultation can be a decision rather than a first look.
Plan around the repair, not around the minimum. The table below is a working guide for someone coming from outside Gujarat.
How long to plan for, by the size of the repair
| Stage | Small groin or umbilical repair | Large ventral, incisional or hiatal repair |
|---|---|---|
| Before surgery | One day for the clinic and the anaesthetic check | One to two days, sometimes more if a scan or a cardiac opinion is needed |
| In hospital | One night | Two to four nights, longer if the wall is released |
| In the city after discharge | Usually not needed | A few days, so the wound is seen once before a long journey |
| Flying home | Ask before you book the ticket | Ask before you book. A long sit carries a clot risk |
| First review | Around two weeks, by video | Around two weeks, by video |
Send scans and reports ahead of a teleconsultation.
Long journeys shortly after abdominal surgery carry their own considerations. One is the risk of clots on a long sit. Ask specifically about flying, and about when.
Most follow-up after a hernia repair can be done remotely, and it is reasonable to plan on that. A photograph of a healing wound. Going through the histology or the operative report. Adjusting medication. The ordinary questions of the first month. All of these work over a call.
What needs examining in person: a suspected recurrence, a swelling at the repair site that is getting bigger, a wound that is discharging, a mesh infection, and new pain that is worsening rather than settling. These are decided by hand on the abdomen. No photograph substitutes.
So the arrangement that works has two halves. A named local surgeon or physician who can see you within a day if something changes, and remote review with the operating surgeon. Arrange the local half before you travel, not after something happens. A patient who has flown home with no local contact and runs into a problem at day ten is in the worst position of anyone on this page.
Send your scans and reports ahead. A teleconsultation can then establish whether travelling is worth it, before any dates are set. Surgery is at Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar. Consultations are at the Gota OPD in Ahmedabad.
Robotic systems are now installed well beyond the largest cities, Ahmedabad included. Availability is no longer the limiting factor. What varies is how many of a particular type of repair a given team does.
Yes, and for anyone considering a journey that is the sensible order. A teleconsultation with the scans and the previous operation notes to hand can usually establish whether the hernia is one worth travelling for, which route is likely, and roughly how long to plan for.
It depends on the size of the repair and on the flight. It is set for each patient. Ask before you book a return ticket, not after.
For a day care or single night groin repair, generally not, though it helps. For a large abdominal wall reconstruction, yes. Plan on having someone with you for the admission and for the journey home.
Photo identity. Insurance card and policy details. CT images as files. Reports of earlier scans. Operation notes from any previous hernia repair. A current medicine list with doses. Records of diabetes, cardiac or respiratory treatment.
The main page on this site is robotic hernia surgery in Ahmedabad. These cover the neighbouring questions.
Where to find us
Dr Harsh Shah, MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Shah's Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre
Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar
Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
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