Man faces 20-MONTH wait on NHS to remove bowling ball-sized hernia that makes him look 7 months pregnant
A MAN claims he faces a near two-year wait to have a bowling ball-sized hernia that makes him look pregnant removed.
Paul Milham, 45, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was told to expect a wait time of 20 months for the “excruciating” mass to be taken out.
He first spotted the hernia in June last year, two months after undergoing emergency surgery on his colon to treat diverticular disease — a condition that affects the large intestine.
The therapist was discharged after having a colostomy bag fitted but then readmitted to hospital the following day due to infection.
Two months later, Paul said a small hernia appeared on his stomach that grew “larger and larger” over the following year.
Paul said: “I feel very sad and angry about this. I know people are trying their best but this is my life. I need to get on the operating table as soon as possible to save my life.
“The skin has stretched so I’m in pain a lot. I have reduced activity. I don’t like to be around people anymore because I look like a freak. It’s devastating to be worried about your life.
“If this can’t be repaired, I don’t believe my body can live into old age in the state that it’s in. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to die immediately but it does feel like it’s life-saving now.
“I just want to get back to my life. I look seven months pregnant with this bulge.”
A hernia is when an internal part of the body pushes through muscle or surrounding tissues.
They usually occur between the chest and hips and can cause no or few symptoms in many cases.
Sometimes a lump can appear on the outside of the body, like in Paul’s case.
Not all hernias require surgery to fix but sudden severe pain, being sick and difficulty pooing can all be signs that blood supply to a section of organ has been cut off — which can be deadly.
Paul said NHS doctors do not believe his hernia is life threatening in its current form despite its terrifying size.
However, he claims to have consulted a private surgeon who said it is at the “upper limits” of what is fixable currently and it is still growing.
He now fears if left much longer then surgery won’t be able to ever fully correct it, risking his long-term health.
He said he’s pleaded with surgeons and NHS bosses to carry out the surgery as soon as possible as he fears it will soon be inoperable.
If I’m stuck with this, I don’t think I’ll have a long life
Paul Millham
Paul said: “I’ve been begging them and begging them for it to be sooner. I’ve written to the surgeon, the complaints department, the CEO department and got nowhere.
“I went for a private consultation and was told that the hernia is now so big, it is on the upper limits of what is mendable which to me suggests that if I don’t get this mended now then I’m stuck with this bowling ball for life.
“I was left with this 17.5cm bulge with nothing to protect my insides and there’s just a centimetre of skin where my bowels and intestines are.
“The surgeon said that my situation, although serious, isn’t life-threatening. People like me are just waiting for a slot to come up when there’s space.
“But my situation is now becoming life-threatening. I’ve got less than a centimetre of skin protecting my insides. I’ve got a band holding my body together.
“If I’m stuck with this, I don’t think I’ll have a long life.”
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said that Paul was assessed to be “not clinically urgent” in November.
However this was changed to “clinically urgent” after another appointment in December, so medics hope this will reduce his waiting time.
The trust confirmed it is nvestigating his complaint ‘urgently’.
A spokesperson said: “In line with the rest of the NHS, we are working hard to reduce elective care waiting times and will always prioritise cases with the highest clinical need — including escalating those where a patient’s condition has altered following initial assessment.
“While we cannot comment on individual patient details, we are urgently investigating the complaint Mr Milham has made about the delay in his care.”
The operation would cost Paul as much as £50,000 privately — leading him to set up a fundraising page to help pay for the surgery.
When should you seek medical advice for a hernia?
See a GP if you think you have a hernia. They may refer you to hospital for surgical treatment, if necessary.
You should go to your nearest A&E straight away if you have a hernia and you develop any of the following symptoms:
- sudden, severe pain
- being sick
- difficulty pooing or passing wind
- the hernia becomes firm or tender, or cannot be pushed back in
These symptoms could mean that either:
- the blood supply to a section of organ or tissue trapped in the hernia has become cut off (strangulation)
- a piece of bowel has entered the hernia and become blocked (obstruction)
A strangulated hernia and obstructed bowel are medical emergencies and need to be treated as soon as possible.
Source: The NHS