Mr Charles Leinkram is a General surgeon who specialises in hernia repair and abdominoplasty (tummy-tuck).
In 2002, Charles joined the Melbourne Hernia Clinic, Australia’s first hernia clinic which has now treated over 20,000 patients. Today, he is the principal surgeon at the clinic, performing around 400 hernia operations each year.
The vast majority of hernias are treated as day cases, performed under Local Anaesthetic with sedation. The benefits of the Local Anaesthetic sedation technique are that the patient wakes up more lucidly and is pain-free because the Local is still working. When the Local Anaesthetic begins to wear off, the patient is less drowsy and able to better manage pain relief. This means that there is usually less overall pain and the reduced doses of analgesics mean that there are fewer side effects as well.
The method of Local Anaesthetic sedation also means that complicated anaesthetic techniques such as muscle relaxation and intubation, together with mechanical ventilation, are not necessary. Therefore Local Anaesthetic sedation is very suitable for the elderly and those with medical conditions for whom a major anaesthetic would be hazardous or technically difficult.
Charles also has wide experience in the treatment of large complex incisional hernias, often after failed attempts at repair by other surgeons. These operations require a General Anaesthetic and several days in hospital.
In addition to hernia surgery, he has considerable experience in abdominoplasties. These are performed either de novo or in conjunction with a hernia repair.