Getting Surgery on NHS

[DJB]

Hey guys,

After my initial appointment with my G.P and first meeting with a Consultant, which feels like it was about 10 years ago, I finally have an appointment through for a follow up appointment at the Hospital the op will take place.  This is on the NHS.

These forums are a fountain of knowledge, really giving you the important questions to ask the surgeon.  However there is one thing I need some advice on.  I have had this gyne since puberty, I have the hard lumps underneath my nipples.  I used to be a walking skeleton and the problem was still very visable, obviously excess weight I am carrying makes it appear worse, but I know for a fact the lumps are the problem, not body fat.

When I had my initial meeting with the consultant he said to begin with he wants to just go with lipo, as most are happy with the results after this.  I tried to argue at the time that I need excision, but he wasn't having any of it.  My follow up meeting with the consultant is next tuesday, how do I convince him to do excision?.  I was carrying alot more fat when I first met with him, I am currently cutting so getting leaner by the day and the problem is still just as bad.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks,
DJB

[NotFedup]

i was the same i was 6ft tall and 10 and a half stone and it was still noticable badly.

i got fed up with waiting and booked surgery priovately in poland and have to say its the best thing i have ever done

if you can afford the surgery i suggest that you read through thye Poland threads on this board as it will change your life forever


changed mine

im now looking for a new wardrobe of clothes

tight tops especially

[DJB]

Ok so had my meeting with the surgeon on wednesday and he has agreed to do excision and lipo.  He said on me hed rather do just lipo as my case isn't that bad, but he agreed there were lumps there and if I wanted excission it was up to me.  

I got a call today, thats 1 day later from the hospital asking if I wanted my surgery done on saturday.  Working full time that is just a little too soon for me, unfortunately.  But they understood and said I would hear from them soon with the next available date in the upcoming weeks.

Just wondering if anyone has ever heared/had experiences with the surgeon a Mr V Ramakrishnan? I am really stepping up my diet and exercise, I want to come into the surgery much lighter for when I go under, which I am terrified of :-(

[NotFedup]

well done on getting to this stage soo soon
id have snatched there hands off at saturday

dunno if this is your doc
http://www.nuffieldhospitals.org.uk/az_showconathosp.asp?cid=5123&hid=13&sid=1654&backto=cons


good luck and keep us informed

[Time_to_fix_it]

Hi DJB,

Reading many, many posts on these boards it appears that Lipo only often does not produce the results the patient hopes for.  If it were me, I would go with both Lipo AND Excision.

I’d agree with Notfedupgotnomoobs, you did well to get a date so soon on the NHS, some people seem to wait anything up to 2 years.

Good luck to you.

[DJB]

Well believe it or not they called me back today and I am now booked in for surgery on the 18th, so not this saturday but next!

I'm excited in that touch wood this horrible life haulting problem will be fixed forever, but also terrified of something going wrong.  I have a family I love that I couldn't bare to hurt if anything happened to me.  I will be dieting even stricter and jogging every night so I come in to the op as light as possible.  I'm also gutted that I'll be out of the gym for a month....I really hope I dont lose too much muscle mass in that time.

But excidedly ordered my compression vests today, hope they come in time!

[Time_to_fix_it]

Hi DJB,

Excellent news, you certainly have the NHS working for you.  Don’t be surprised if you get a lot of blokes here in the UK asking who your surgeon is, and how can they get to see him so quickly.

I had a thought though about your heavy dieting and exercise regime etc before surgery.  It is just a thought, but I am wondering if it is a good idea to put your body through a punishing routine of diet and exercise just before surgery.

I have no medical knowledge to back this up but I would have thought that so soon before surgery a person should be resting and building up reserves etc for the trauma that the body is about to undergo.  Wouldn’t depriving it of food and making it work physically hard beforehand put an even greater strain on the body and maybe delay the healing process afterwards?  If it were me I would talk to the surgeon and ask his opinion.  As I say, it’s just a thought.

Either way, all the very best on your big day and I hope it goes great for you.  One good thing is that the less you have to wait the less time you have to think about it  .

[NotFedup]

echoeing what time has said about not dieting.
start taking extra vitamin c and eating a healthy wholesome balanced diet.
Sod the gym as theres plenty of time for that when your healed.
help that healing process and leave it at least 2 weeks after the surgery before you diet.
Look after your self now and you wiull heal much faster

[Time_to_fix_it]

I’d agree with the Vitamin C suggestion and also suggest you think about Arnica prior to, and for a couple of weeks after surgery.  My surgeon gave me a folder at the time of the initial consultation, in it he says  ....

“Arnica is a herbal remedy that has gained a considerable reputation in recent years in helping to decrease bruising and swelling and to promote healing after surgery and trauma.  It is now used routinely in many branches of surgery and we now recommend it for all our patients”

Get it in TABLET form from any big chemist and health food shops.

All the best.

[DJB]

Thanks alot for the input guys.  I'll grab that arnica stuff before the big day (saturday).

If I think of something to say I'll say it.  But if not I shall drop in next sunday/monday night to let you know how the op went.  I'll be checking on here every day incase anyone has any questions or comments though.

DJB

[NotFedup]

Good luck kidda
hope all goes well.
and please do let us know as we will be anxous
bless ya

[DJB]

Well the big day is tmrw guys.

Very scared of not waking up or something going wrong.  So please keep me in your prayers.  Thank you all for your support.

God willing I will be online sunday/monday to let you know how it went.

Talk soon.

Dan

[DJB]

Well thats the op done and me home.

Not quite sure where to start lol.  When I woke up from the op, done in the recovery room, the first thing they said to me was "the op went very well, the surgeon only had to do lipo in in the end".  So very groggy 'm thinking WTF we agreed lipo and excision, so i said what about the lumps of breast tissue, they then instantly replied "that came out with the lipo, it broke up very well".

I did not have drains as apparently they were totally not needed. I was even told I could go home that very same day...I decided to stay the night though.  As far as pain goes, it was really quite sore when I got taken back up to the ward and is obviously very tender, I have not taken anything for pain relief as I feel I dont need it.  My mobility is good, I could instantly raise my arms above my head, albeit slowly and uncomfortably.  That same day I was back and forth to the toilet unassisted.

My compression vests have not arrived, so I am still in the one they gave me.  Obviously there are stitches, plasters, padding etc under it, so quite bulky.  Now heres the thing, I did not get seen by the surgeon or anyone else involved in the op.  The reason I stayed the night is so someone could come and talk to me the next day (sunday), but nobody did.  The nurses looked into and it seemed nobody was on duty.

So I have yet to have so much as a peak at the results.  The ward sister sat down with me and said the reports have come back with no problems and any changes to the proceedure were to produce the best aesthetic result.  

The hospital was very nice, clean, the nursing staff were very good, couldn't do enough for you.  I'm just left a little put out that the surgeon didn't come to see me, I know its not a sunday, but it would have been nice to talk about my op with the man that done it!

The ward sister and another doctor provided me with the necessary sick notes for work and at my request even being kind enough to be very discreet on the note, simply saying "recovering for surgery" as apposed to gyne blah blah blah.

I have to go back to the plastic surgery dressings clinic next week to have stitches removed and op assessed etc, so that will be my first peak at the results.  Thats an entire week of wondering if everything looks as good as it should.

[GynO_DuDe]

Wow, that was a super quick waiting time!

Ive done everything so far took about a month, just waiting for the letter to pop through the door with a date for me to go in to my NHS hospital to have my operation done.

At least the main things done. Fingers crossed everything will be good when you get to see the results. Wishin you luck m8.