Surgery on NHS

[ScotlandGuy]

After reading a lot of the posts on the forum (which have been really helpful, thanks!) I think a lot of people find it hard to get the surgery on the NHS in the UK, is this right?  After meeting with my GP she put me on the waiting list for a breast surgeon specialist (4 months to wait grr) without me even asking.  I'm assuming this means I'll be getting the surgery done for free on the NHS which is a great surprise to me because I thought it was gonna cost me £4000 or more privately!  I have a question though. How many people here have had the surgery on the NHS and were you happy with the results?  I'm thinking even though I may be able to get it for free on the NHS, I should still consider getting it done privately as the results may be better.  Another thought I had was I could get it done on the NHS, and then if I am not happy with the results I could get revision surgery, that way I would be saving a lot of money on the surgery if it does turn out well.

Anyones thoughts, opinions, and experiences with the NHS, or in similar situations, would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Chodel]

hello,

I went to my GP explained my situation and he didn't hesitate to refer me to a surgeon.  I always had my doubts about having the surgery on the NHS but wanted to at least meet the surgeon and see what he was like etc.  Personally I feel that it is such an important thing to get right aesthetically in order to feel mentally a lot better, therefore I want it to be a good as is possible within my means. 

I went to this surgeon my GP referred me to and then the surgeon referred me to another guy.  He said something about this other surgeon "wanting to get into this field".  That isn’t an exact quote but that’s what I understood by it.  Anyway I finally met this second surgeon and he knew all about it etc but I just didn’t feel that comfortable.  I don't know what it was, but anyway...I asked him all the usual questions.  And the key one being about how often he had conducted this procedure that turns out to be about 20-30 times...which frankly wasn't enough for me.

Fortunately for me my parents are more than happy to loan me the money.  So it looks like I will be going to Levick.  I can completely understand why people will opt for the NHS because £4000 is a hell of a lot of money, and for some this just isn't a sum they can afford.  I don’t feel comfortable borrowing the money at all but they seem happy to lend me it.  However, if there is the chance you can afford it with a lot of grind to pay it off I just think its worth going to the best.  Who knows one could get lucky on the NHS, but there are enough concerns just about having the operation without worrying about who is doing it. 

Think of the £4000 as an investment in your physical and mental well being, and frankly who can put a price on that? 

[ScotlandGuy]

Thanks very much for the quick reply!  Yeah thats pretty much the way I'm feeling right now, that it may well be worth paying £4000 because it's something that needs to be lived with forever.  I don't have £4000 can I borrow it from your parents too?  Hehe just kidding, thanks for your reply!  I am definitely going to meet with the surgeon on the NHS as I may be lucky and find they refer me to someone who has performed hundreds of these surgeries.  Any more opinions and experiences will be a great help, thanks!

[Time_to_fix_it]

I would suggest you post a question in the UK section asking for people who have used the NHS to let you know of their experiences.  If I was you I would also do a search using “NHS” and read any old posts that have come up before.  I have read of 3 or 4 people who have had the surgery on the NHS and are delighted with their results.  You might like to try to get a referral to the surgeon that they used.