Emergencies are traditionally thought of as being the domain of the National Health Service, but it is possible to access private care in urgent cases. Mr Charles Imber offers 24/7 access to emergency surgery for GPs who are able to refer private patients, and to patients coming via the Urgent Care Centre at The Cleveland Clinic London Portland Place Outpatient Centre.
Emergencies that can be treated
Appendicitis: Mr Charles Imber accepts patients diagnosed with appendicitis for emergency surgery at one of several private hospitals in London. He uses laparoscopic or minimally invasive techniques wherever possible to reduce scarring and to keep your recovery time after your appendectomy down. Most patients are out of hospital within days and back to daily activities within about 10 days.
Bowel obstruction:This can be a complication of Crohn’s disease, bowel cancer, or diverticulitis, or can develop because of adhesions due to previous surgery. This condition always requires immediate medical assistance and often rapid access to surgery; we offer a 24/7 service to make sure patients are treated promptly.
Strangulated hernia:If a piece of bowel poking through the body wall becomes stuck and starts to die, this can lead to an infection which spreads through the bowel, abdomen or even into the blood, causing sepsis, which can be fatal. Mr Imber provides emergency assessment and surgery to repair the hernia, removing the portion of damaged bowel and rejoining the healthy ends of the intestine.
Pancreatitis and cholecystitis: Inflammation of the pancreas or gallbladder can often be due to gallstones. Mr Imber is an expert laparoscopic surgeon able to remove the gallbladder and its stones either as a planned operation or in an emergency if pain and other symptoms are acute and severe.
Abscesses:Internal abscesses in the abdomen can form due to a rupture of the intestine caused by a bowel obstruction or strangulated hernia, or it can develop after a traumatic injury. Small abscesses can be drained by a surgeon using ultrasound-guided needle aspiration. Mr Imber can also perform open surgery to clear the pus from the abdomen in the case of large abscesses.