What To Expect

You’re thinking about seeing a plastic surgeon

You may been thinking about plastic surgery for some time. You may already have spoken with friends who’ve had plastic surgery, and you may have done some research online. There is a lot of information to take in, many people find this confusing. You’ve probably got a good idea what you want, but it’s difficult to work out exactly what would suit you best. Everyone is different, so every plastic surgery operation is individualised and tailored exactly to your specific needs and wishes. Therefore you really need to see a plastic surgeon in person to get an opinion on what’s right for you.

If you would like a free private consultation, please telephone my secretary, Karen Green (Tel 07954 331448, email: westplasticsurgeon@gmail.com). I’m happy to see you for an initial consultation without a referral letter from your GP. The appointment will always be with me, not with a salesperson. The consultation is pressure free and you are under no obligation to proceed further.

Initial Consultation

I’m very approachable, down to earth and genuine. I’ll put you at ease. I’ll listen to your needs and expectations, take a medical history, examine you, and consider what operation or treatment would be best for you. I’ll take time to discuss your options with you and give you an overview of any proposed surgery or treatment. I’ll explain what surgery involves and specifically how it applies to you. I’ll also discuss with you what you could expect to achieve and whether that is in line with your expectations and wishes. I’ll give you all the information you need to help you make decisions about how to proceed.

It’s a lot of information to digest, and I don’t encourage people to commit to surgery at consultation. A second consultation is always necessary for cosmetic surgery. A period reflection is essential for you to make sure that you’ll be happy and satisfied with the results of surgery. Therefore you should go home to consider the options you have been given, perhaps discuss things with close friends or family to help you make your decision.

Quotation Process

After your initial consultation you will be sent a quote regarding the proposed cost of treatment. You may be given a “package price” for your operation, which covers the cost of the surgery including the hospital and anaesthetist’s fees, and routine follow-up appointments. There are no hidden charges – the quote you get given at your consultation is what you pay.

Second Consultation

You may have decided you wish to go ahead with surgery, or you may still be uncertain. A second consultation provides the opportunity to go through your options once again, and for you to ask any questions that may have arisen having thought about surgery a bit more. I’ll create a personalised plan for surgery to suit your individual needs and wishes. I’ll need to examine you and take measurements to plan and fine tune the operation. I’ll discuss specifics of the surgery, such as position of the scars, size of implant, risks of surgery and the recovery period. You may want to set a date and start planning your recovery, time off work and childcare.

I’ll check that you’re comfortable with all aspects of the proposed procedure. I’ll confirm with you whether surgery is going to deliver what you’re looking for, because ultimately I wants to be sure that you are going to be happy and satisfied with the results.

Surgery

Your operation will either be at Spire Manchester Hospital, Spire Murrayfiled (Wirral), Whiston Hospital (Liverpool) or The Wilmslow Hospital (52 Alderley Road).

You will be admitted to a room on the ward on the day of surgery. If you are having your operation under general anaesthetic (asleep) you will need to be fasted, having nothing to eat for at least 6 hours prior. You can have clear unflavoured water only up to two hours before the operation.

On the ward you will naturally be a bit anxious, which is normal. I’ll come to see you, reassure you and discuss any concerns you may have. I’ll run through the operation with you and complete a consent form with you. I’ll examine you and will draw on you with a felt-tip marking pen to design and plan your operation. Photographs may be taken for the medical records.

The anaesthetist, who is the doctor responsible for putting you to sleep for the duration of the operation, will come to see you also on the ward and introduce themselves. They will run through your medical history, and explain to you the process of being put to sleep, and their plan to make sure you are not in any discomfort when you awake after the operation.

Surgery is often performed under general anaesthetic, where you are fully asleep during the operation. Some smaller procedures can be performed with you awake after just a local anaesthetic injection. This numbs the area of the operation, so you won’t feel anything sore, and you don’t have to watch the surgery. Some hand and arm surgery procedures are undertaken after a local anaesthetic injection around the shoulder, known as a brachial plexus block, which numbs the whole arm. You are awake but cannot feel the arm at all. The advantage is that recovery time following this type of regional anaesthetic is much speedier than compared with a general anaesthetic, and there is no discomfort in the early postoperative period.

After the operation the nurses on the ward will look after you to make sure you are well and confortable. Usually you are able go home the same day, once you have recovered (day surgery). For larger operations you may need or want to spend one to two nights afterwards in hospital. Some surgery involves the use of drains, thin plastic tubes which come out of the edge of the operation site, and these are usually removed before you go home. This simply involves cutting a stitch and the drain slides out painlessly.

Before you go home you will be given some pain relief medication and provided with a date and time for your follow-up appointment in clinic.

Afterare

You will have a consultation one to two weeks after surgery in order to make sure you are healing and recovering well. Any dressings will be checked and replaced if required. The majority of operations involve dissolving absorbable stitches, which do not need removing. Only occasionally, perhaps for procedures on the face or scalp, there may be some stiches to remove, but this is relatively painless.

You may need another post-operative consultation some weeks to months later once all the normal bruising and swelling has settled, and when the scars are beginning to soften and fade. I will want to check the final results of surgery and confirm that you are happy and satisfied with the outcome.

If you have any concerns at any stage following surgery, contact the hospital directly, and I’ll make any necessary arrangements.