Specialist Services
Strandhill Surgery offers a number of specialist services that are available to both registered and non-registered patients.
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General Information
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Our specialist services include:
Sports Medicine
We have a special interest in Sports and Exercise Medicine here at Strandhill Surgery and are involved in team sports.
This involves many areas including the from the recreational walker to the high level athlete. Our goal is to help our patients live a healthy and active life that incorporates regular exercise. And to provide our high level athletes with the treatment and advice they require to achieve optimum performance.
- We provide Assessment and Diagnosis of Musculoskeletal Injuries.
- We can advise on appropriate investigations.
- We have extensive knowledge on rehab of all injuries including addressing possible biomechanical issues.
The doctors at Strandhill surgery have a good relationship and extensive knowledge of local therapists and national specialists that can aid in the treatment of all acute and chronic injuries.
Joint Injections
Certain joint problems are very treatable with injection therapy. We also perform injections for issues such as Trigger Finger and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
At Strandhill Surgery we use two forms of injection therapy. Corticosteroid and Hyaluronic Acid are used in our injection therapies.
What joints can we treat?
We can treat all joints of the body with injection therapy.
What is corticosteroid?
This is an anti-inflammatory agent that works well to reduce pain and inflammation in moderate to severe osteoarthritis.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a gel-like substance that is naturally present throughout the human body. In the joints, natural hyaluronic acid has several functions, including:
- Lubrication. Hyaluronic acid binds well to water, producing a viscous, jelly-like consistency. This viscous fluid provides lubrication and also acts as a shock absorber within the joint.
- Growth of cartilage and bone. Hyaluronic acid helps in the growth and development of joint’s cartilage and bone by promoting the growth of new cells and tissues.
- Reducing inflammation. Hyaluronic acid plays an important role in reducing joint inflammation and pain caused by injury or tissue degeneration.
Are joint injections covered by health insurance?
Yes, all the main insurance providers will cover the cost of the injection however there will be a charge for the consultation with the doctor.
Are joint injections covered by Medical Card or Doctor visit card?
No, there is an extra surcharge of €70 for the procedure in these cases.
Minor Surgery
We perform minor surgical procedures under local anaesthetic, within in our clinic.
Our patients appreciate the convenience of treatment at a time that suits them, with easy access to our clinic and a quick return to their home or work.
Procedures performed include including Implanon insertion/removal, removal of cysts, removal of non pigmented skin lesions and skin biopsies. We have extensive experience in these procedures.
All of these procedures are fully or partly covered by your health insurance provider.
Menopause Care
We provide holistic care for women experiencing symptoms relating to menopause or who have concerns about their medical and psychological health at this time.
Most women go through their menopause from 48-52 years, but prior to their periods stopping indefinitely they may have several years of erratic periods and/or menopausal symptoms, notably sweats and flushes, which can negatively impact their quality of life, causing poor sleep and concentration.
There are often other stresses and events ongoing at this time, with family issues and maybe caring for elderly parents and the stress may compound menopausal symptoms, so effective management of these (including the use of HRT) can greatly improve a woman’s physical and psychological health and quality of life.
As part of menopause consultations, we provide advice on related issues, including osteoporosis prevention, continence problems, blood pressure checks and heart disease prevention.
There are two very informative websites that offer useful advice on the menopause:
www.menopausematters.co.uk and www.womens-health-concern.org
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is where Liquid Nitrogen (a very cold liquid at -78 degrees Celsius) is sprayed on to the skin lesions in order to remove them.
What can be treated with Cryotherapy?
Warts, Verrucas and benign skin lesions are very amenable to treatment with Liquid Nitrogen.
Does my health insurance cover the cost of Cryotherapy?
Yes. All the main insurance providers cover the cost of the Cryotherapy, but there will still be a charge for consultation with the doctor.
Does my Medical Card or Doctor Visit Card cover the cost of Cryotherapy?
Yes.
Ingrown Toenails
An ingrown toenail occurs when the sides of the toenail grow into the surrounding skin. The toenail curls and pierces the skin, which becomes red, swollen and tender.
Nail Surgery
Here at Strandhill Surgery we carry out a partial nail avulsion, where part of the toenail is removed, is the most common surgical procedure for treating ingrown toenails. It is about 98% effective.
Partial nail avulsion is carried out under local anaesthetic (painkilling medication), which is injected into the base of your toe. The edges of your toenail are cut away to make the toenail narrower and give your nail a straight edge. This makes it less likely to dig into the surrounding skin.
After the edges of the toenail have been cut, a chemical called phenol is applied to the affected area to prevent any nail growing back and causing an ingrown toenail to develop in the future.
During the procedure, any pus that is present in the affected area will be drained away from the toe to prevent the area becoming more infected. If your nail is infected, you may be prescribed a course of antibiotics.
After Nail Surgery Care
After having nail surgery, your toe will be wrapped in a bandage to allow the area to heal and to help prevent an infection developing. You should rest your affected foot and keep it raised for one to two days after the operation.
Once the anaesthetic wears off, your toe may be sore and tender. To help alleviate any pain, you may need to take a painkiller, such as paracetamol, and wear soft or open-toed sandals for the first few days following surgery.
You can remove the bandage two days after having nail surgery. Soak your toes with salt water to help the area to heal.
What do I need to do now?
You may have been told by a healthcare profession that you need to have the ingrown toenail removed as it has failed conservative measures and they can refer you onto our service or you can self refer.
We welcome you for a preoperative consult if you are unsure as to the need of the procedure or if you feel the toe might be infected. It is important that any infection is treated as this reduces the effectiveness of the local anesthetic and slow the healing process post-op.
Cost of Procedure
There is a €50 pre-operative consultation fee which may include a preoperative prescription if required.
The cost of the procedure is covered by your health insurance policy.
If you do not have health insurance the cost of the procedure is €150.
Travel Vaccinations
We provide a comprehensive travel vaccination and travel advice service.
We advise people intending to travel to book a pre-travel vaccination advice consultation, ideally a few months in advance or your trip, to allow for planning and ordering of vaccines.
For multi-destination trips, it is very useful for patients to email us in advance of the consultation with their proposed travel itinerary and previous vaccination history.
Once the vaccinations have been decided upon, Strandhill Surgery can order them and a further appointment will be issued for their administration. However, we do ask for payment in advance of their administration please.
Fit for Travel is an excellent website for useful travel-related information.
Strandhill Surgery is a HSE approved Yellow Vaccine administration centre.
Pre-employment Medicals
We are happy to provider this service to any local business. We do this on regular basis for some of the local employers.
We can also provide personal one off pre-employment medicals depending on your employers requirements.
Nose Bleed Treatments
Nosebleeds are fairly common, particularly in children, and can usually be easily treated at home. The medical name for a nosebleed is epistaxis.
How do nosebleeds occur?
The inside of the nose is full of tiny blood vessels which can bleed if they are disturbed. This is usually the result of a minor injury that is caused by picking or blowing your nose. Nosebleeds can also occur if the mucous membrane (the moist lining) inside the nose dries out and becomes crusty.
How do I treat recurrent nose bleeds?
The majority (90%) of bleeds occur in Little’s area, which is at the very front inside part of your nasal septum (wall dividing the nose). These bleeds usually resolve with mild pressure being applied on the outside of the nostrils for 15 min. In 10 % of cases bleed occur high up in the back of the nasal cavity and they bleed heavily and the person will usually cough up clots of blood as a result. This is a medical emergency and in this case the person needs to go to the emergency department and not present here at the surgery.
The procedure is quick and non-invasive. The lining of the nose is treated with a small silver nitrate stick as small as matchstick. The silver nitrate that comes in contact with the lining of the nose causes a localised chemical reaction that seals the blood vessel. This is performed following application of local topical anaesthetic so there is no pain during the procedure.
In some cases we might have to treat an infection on the nose lining with a topical antibiotic cream for 10 days before sealing off the leaking blood vessel.
Fees for the procedure
The procedure itself is covered by private health insurance, but there is a charge of €30 for the pre-assessment.
If you do not have private health insurance the procedure costs €80.
Surfer’s Ear
Surfer’s Ear does not affect only surfer but it can affects all cold water athletes including recreational sea swimmers, open water swimmers, triathletes and subaqua athletes.
What is Surfer’s Ear?
Surfer’s Ear is a medical condition clinically known as External Auditory Canal Exostoses (EACE) or Exostoses, which is caused by repeated exposure to cold water and wind.
What causes Surfer’s Ear?
Exostoses (bony overgrowths) are formed in response to a continuous change of temperature within the ear canal. As cold water regularly swirls along the ear canal, the body responds by warming the affected area, this also stimulates bone-producing cells within the ear canal, which cause the bone surrounding the ear to develop a bony growth.
These benign bone growths can lead to infections, water trapping, hearing loss and complete closure of the ear canal if left untreated.
The condition develops slowly over time and it may take 10 to 15 years for the symptoms to appear.
Research shows that Surfer’s Ear is most likely in exposure to cold water below 19 degrees. In Sligo, the water is usually at its warmest in August and even then the average temperature ranges from 13 to 17 degrees. Therefore the the risk of exposure is year round.
How do you prevent Surfer’s Ear?
Wear earplugs while partaking in open water activities. Modern open water ear plugs are more comfortable and less invasive than ever before. Previously athletes found ear plugs obtrusive and limited their hearing. Modern ear plugs are discrete and let sound in but more importantly keep water out.
Surfer’s Ear
We use video otoscopy to track progression of surfers ear and to demonstrate visually to patients to what degree their ears are affected. We can provide patients with images of the their ear canal so they can also track any changes themselves. If it is found that you have significant surfers ear we can refer you on to our ENT specialist colleagues to discuss treatment options.
Patient Care
We take a holistic view of our patients’ health and deliver high quality medical care in a friendly personalised manner.
Our services include:
- Children’s Health
- Teen Health
- Senior Health
- Women’s Health
- Men’s Health
- Mental Health & Wellbeing
- 24 Hour B.P. Monitoring
- Sexual Health
- Chronic Disease Management
- Vaccinations