http://www.mrbrianmaccormack.com/

Mr. Brian MacCormack - Private Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, 5-7 Shore Road, Holywood (2026)

01/08/2022

Are you worried about what an endoscopy procedure (or camera test) involves for your child?

Well you're in the right place!

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (or OGD) is a way for me to assess the food-pipe, stomach, and first part of the small intestine in your child.

It is useful for diagnosing conditions such as gastro-oesophageal reflux, inflammation (such as in allergic conditions like eosinophilic oesophagitis), Crohn’s disease, and Coeliac disease.

If your child is having endoscopy to confirm Coeliac disease they should have at least 4-6 weeks of a gluten-rich diet (ideally to the point where their symptoms are becoming difficult to tolerate) prior to the procedure, as this will massively increase our chance of making the diagnosis on biopsy.

I perform this procedure under general anaesthetic and it usually takes me around 10 minutes to complete. During the procedure I will pass a flexible telescope via your child’s mouth – let me know if they have any wobbly teeth! During the procedure I can take tiny samples (or biopsies) of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and can also take pictures and video to help discuss your child’s condition with you afterwards

A blog/vlog post including a procedure information leaflet is available at:
www.mrbrianmaccormack/post/camera-test

If you think your child needs an endoscopy procedure, why not get in touch?

You can email me directly at:
info@mrbrianmaccormack.com

Or call to book an appointment:
02890667878

❤️

30/07/2022

Are you worried that your son's sc***um is very swollen?

Well you're in the right place!

All boys have a connection between the tummy cavity and the sc***um before birth. This normally closes before or shortly after birth in most boys.

When the connection stays open fluid from inside the tummy cavity can track down and collect around the testicle. This is called a communicating hydrocoele.

It is vital that a doctor examines your son carefully to ensure that the underlying testicle is normal as very rarely an abnormal testicle can actually cause fluid to collect around it.

Thankfully most communicating hydrocoeles will get better without surgery.

If your son’s hydrocoele is still present at age 3 then it is unlikely to go away and more often than not will just get bigger over time.

I perform a hydrocoele repair under general anaesthetic and it usually takes me about 20 minutes to complete. During the procedure I will tie off the connection in the groin and also release any remaining fluid from around the testicle.

All of the stitches are dissolving and under the skin and I use special skin glue to protect the wound afterwards.

A procedure information leaflet about hydrocoele repair is available to download at:
www.mrbrianmaccormack.com/post/swollen-sc***um

So if you think your child needs a hydrocoele repair, why not get in touch?

You can email me directly:
info@mrbrianmaccormack.com

Or call:
02890667878

***um ❤️

15/07/2022

Are you worried that your son's testicle is not down where it should be?

Well you're in the right place!

The testicle develops inside the tummy cavity and usually makes it’s way down through the groin and into the sc***um by about 35 weeks of pregnancy.

If your son’s testicle is not in the sc***um by 6 months of age then he needs a procedure called an orchidopexy, because it’s not going to come down on its own at that stage.

Performing the orchidopexy by 18 months of age preserves your son’s fertility potential. It is also vital that your son can easily examine his own te**is in adulthood so that he can identify any potential problems such as testicular cancer.

I perform the orchidopexy procedure under general anaesthetic and it usually takes me around 40 minutes to complete. During the procedure small openings are made in the groin and sc***um to allow me to safely bring the testicle down.

All of the stitches are dissolving and under the skin and I also use special skin glue to protect the wounds afterwards.

A procedure information leaflet about orchidopexy is available to download at:
www.mrbrianmaccormack.com/post/testicles-not-down

So if you're worried that your son's testicle isn't down where it should be, then why not get in touch?

You can email me directly:
info@mrbrianmaccormack.com

Or call:
02890667878

❤️

12/07/2022

If your child has a lump at their belly button that comes and goes they most likely have an umbilical hernia. This is where the stuff inside the tummy cavity pushes out into the belly button through a small weakness in the tummy wall.

Thankfully most of these hernias will get better without surgery by the time a child reaches age 3. If your child’s belly button hernia is still visible at this age then they usually need someone like me to fix it for them as it is unlikely that it will go away by itself.

Although belly button hernias very rarely get stuck out (less than 3 in 1000) in childhood, complications are more likely in adulthood.

I repair belly button hernias through a small opening within the natural skin crease just below the belly button. The procedure is performed under general anaesthetic and usually takes me around 30 minutes to complete.

All of the stitches are dissolving, and under the skin, and I also use special skin glue to protect the wound afterwards. I also place a small pressure dressing over the area to reduce the risk of fluid collecting under the skin.

Following your child’s procedure, they should be able to go home the same day and be back to their normal activities within a number of days. The pressure dressing can be removed at home or with the community nurse 48 hours after the procedure.

Once the scar is healed I would recommend rubbing in bio-oil on a daily basis and avoiding sunburn as this can really help improve the appearance of scar in the long term.

So, if your child has a lump at their belly button – why not get in touch:

You can email me directly at:
info@mrbrianmaccormack.com

Or call:
02890667878

❤️

07/07/2022

As your child develops in the womb their tongue separates from the floor of their mouth. A tongue-tie occurs when this process doesn’t occur properly.

Tongue-ties can be quite variable – some are really flimsy, while others can be quite thick.

As children get older some tongue-ties can tear on the lower teeth when the child chews on something.

If the tongue-tie is causing feeding problems (particularly in breast feeding babies – painful ni***es, poor latch, poor weight gain), then dividing the tongue-tie is the only effective treatment.

Tongue-ties can cause problems with oral hygiene or make it uncomfortable for a child to stick out their tongue.

The effects of tongue-ties and their division on sp*ech is a controversial area. Some tongue-ties can cause problems with making front of mouth sounds such as ‘l’, ‘t’, ‘th’, and ‘s’. Additionally, the clicking sounds used in some African languages need the tongue to be extremely mobile. However, tongue-tie division can never be completely guaranteed to prevent your child from developing a sp*ech problem or to improve an existing one.

If your child has a tongue-tie and is less than 3-months of age, then I can release the tongue-tie in the clinic without the need for a general anaesthetic. The procedure takes just a few seconds and involves me wrapping them up tightly in a blanket, elevating the tongue with my finger and carefully releasing the tethering with a pair of sterile scissors. Although some babies cry, others can remain asleep throughout. The short moment of discomfort is worth it to avoid the risks of a general anaesthetic and to improve your child’s feeding. You should feed your child immediately following the procedure. I will then check the area following the feed to ensure there is no bleeding.

If you think your child might need a tongue-tie release, why not get in touch?

Email me directly:
info@mrbrianmaccormack.com

Or call:
03890667878

Visit:
www mrbrianmaccormack.com

❤️

05/07/2022

If your child has a lump in their groin that comes and goes they most likely have an inguinal hernia. This is where the stuff inside the tummy cavity pushes down towards the sc***um in boys, or the l***a in girls.

The problem is that their hernia won’t better without surgery and sometimes it can come out and get stuck! This is an emergency because the bowel, testicle or o***y can be damaged very quickly.

So in a stuck hernia the lump stays out, gets painful, red, or causes your child to vomit. If any of these things are happening to your child you should bring them to A&E immediately. Thankfully this is not common.

I repair inguinal hernias through a small opening in the groin. The procedure is performed under general anaesthetic and usually takes me around 30 minutes to complete. All of the stitches are dissolving and under the skin. I also use special skin glue to protect the wound afterwards.

So, if you’re worried that your child has an inguinal hernia – why not get in touch?

You can email me directly at info@mrbrianmaccormack.com

or call 02890667878 to book an appointment

Until next time, take care of yourself and your family. Best wishes.

❤️

03/07/2022

Are you worried that your son needs a circumcision? Well….you’re in the right place!

In this post I’m going to teach you what this means for your son, and how someone like me can fix it for them.

Most boys have a tight fo****in in early childhood. This is called a physiological phimosis and can persist into late childhood in some boys.

A persisting non-retractile fo****in can often be treated successfully with a bit of effort from your son with regards to gentle retraction every time he passes urine and sometimes with the help of a 6-week course of topical steroid cream.

If there is BXO or we decide that a preputioplasty is not suitable for your son then I would perform a circumcision.

perform this procedure under general anaesthetic and place dissolving stitches to close. I prescribe anti-bacterial cream to be applied to the wound twice daily for 1 week following the procedure.

Like in any operation there are small risk such as bleeding or infection – but thankfully these are often straightforward to treat. Very occasionally the p***s can be injured or the procedure need be revised due to cosmetic reasons – this is extremely rare. Lastly when a circumcision is performed (especially for BXO) the p*e-hole can occasionally narrow down making it difficult for your son to p*e afterwards – this is called meatal stenosis, and again is very rare.

After the procedure I would expect your son to go home the same day and be back to his normal activities within 5-7 days.

So, if you're worried that your son needs a circumcision – why not get in touch:

Email:
info@mrbrianmaccormack.com

Call:
02890667878

Visit:
www.mrbrianmaccormack.com

****in ****intreatment

29/06/2022

Are you worried that your son needs a circumcision? Well….you’re in the right place!

In this post I’m going to teach you what this means for your son, and how someone like me can fix it for them.

https://www.mrbrianmaccormack.com/post/tight-fo****in

19/06/2022

Does your child need a camera test? In this video I'll teach you what this means for your child and how I can sort it out for them.

Mr. Brian MacCormack - Private Consultant Paediatric Surgeon

01/08/2022

30/07/2022

15/07/2022

12/07/2022

07/07/2022

05/07/2022

03/07/2022

29/06/2022

19/06/2022

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