Dr David O'Hara
Dr David O’Hara has been a Consultant in Anaesthesia at Broomfield Hospital since 2010. He qualified from University College London Medical School and completed specialist training in Anaesthesia at Barts and The London hospitals.
Dr O’Hara undertook advanced fellowships at the world-famous St Andrew’s Plastic Centre in Chelmsford and at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. He also worked for New Zealand’s Air Ambulance service.
His specialist interests include anaesthesia for laparoscopic ‘keyhole‘ surgery, upper GI surgery and plastic surgery. He has particular expertise in pre-operative assessment of surgical patients including cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and lectures nationally and internationally on this subject.
On a personal level, David enjoys cooking, scuba diving, and teaching.
Click here to download Dr David O’Hara professional CV (PDF)
INCISIONAL HERNIA
An incisional hernia occurs in the scar following a previous operation.
Incisional hernias occur for several reasons including wound infection, failure of the suture repair or the repair has just gradually weakened over time. An incisional hernia can be quite large and uncomfortable.
A particular type of incisional hernia is the one after C-section or Pfannenstiel incision for gynaecological procedures. This is a common hernia in young women and often does not involve all muscle layers of the abdominal wall (they are called interstitial hernias) but can affect significantly the strength of the tummy as well as have a detrimental effect on the appearance of the abdomen and the quality of life in young patients. Mr Lorenzi has a specific interest in this type of incisional hernia and will be happy to give you his expert advice on your specific problem.
The repair of an incisional hernia can be performed via a keyhole laparoscopic operation or an open mesh repair. It will depend upon the position, size and reducibility (how easily it goes back in) as to which operation is possible. Overall Mr Lorenzi prefers open techniques to repair an incisional hernia as they are usually stronger and better restore the natural shape of your tummy.
Excellent results are possible, even in large and difficult hernias, but the recovery could be long (months) and involves a lot of cooperation and patience. For this kind of hernia Mr Lorenzi will always spend time with you in clinic before deciding what operation is best for you and will explain the technique to you as well as the potential risks and complications in detail.