Northern Ireland confusion - finally saw Mr Mohammad Ali Jawad

[CAP]

Well, it's been 20 months since I last posted here, and 20 months since I saw my GP.

I received a letter from a company called Medinet at the start of January, as it seems the Ulster Hospital has got them in to deal with the huge waiting list backlogs here.

Anyway, my appointment was for this morning at 9:40am, however I got a call from Medinet during the week telling me the consultant was seriously ill and the appointment had been cancelled.  They also asked me what I was meant to be seeing the consultant for... when I told them gynecomastia, they asked me if I could spell it!

Then, this morning, at 9:35am, I got a call from Medinet asking me if I'd received a call earlier in the week cancelling my appointment.  I said yes... they said it was a mistake and could I come to the Ulster Hospital ASAP.  I got there to find the place in a complete shambles.  Again I was asked what I was there to see the consulatant about, as they didn't have my GP's referal letter etc.

Anyway, after waiting over an hour I saw Mr Mohammad Ali Jawad.  He seems quite a nice guy... just Googled him http://www.privatehealth.co.uk/privatespecialists/find-a-doctor/cosmetic-surgeons/mohammad-ali-jawad

Have any of you guys had any experience of him?

I asked when they are likely to do the op... but he didn't know.  He didn't know where they would be doing it either.

I'm getting nervous now.  Any other guys from Northern Ireland in the same boat?

[elderkid]

it seems anything to do with the NHS is a shambles!!!

[NotFedup]

whoa 20 months waiting???
your here and now and with a problem here and now
this is not a dress rehearsal
get it sorted asap and good luck with muhamed ali

[CAP]

I asked Mr Jawed when I'd be having the op.  He said I should ask my health minister... I assume he was joking/being flippent... but it wasn't really an answer.  I then asked where it would be performed (at the Ulster Hospital or elsewhere) and he said he didn't know.

I wish I had of had the confidence or wherewithall to ask better questions, and also ask to see pics of his previous work etc... but the whole thing was landed on me with less than an hour to get up and get to the hospital that I didn't have time to think things through.

[Dub]

I originally planned a consulatation with a company in Dublin. They seemed very yellow-pack, kind of like your experience. It made me wonder how many times the surgeon would have done the procedure before. I decided to go over to Levick for piece of money. It costs a fortune and having to fly is a pain on the ass, but I'm getting a surgeon who has done this on countless occassions and that puts my mind to ease. I can't imagine how I'd feel if surgery actually made me look worse (especially after paying thousands!) so I glad I'm going for the safe choice.

[AK]

I originally planned a consulatation with a company in Dublin. They seemed very yellow-pack, kind of like your experience. It made me wonder how many times the surgeon would have done the procedure before. I decided to go over to Levick for piece of money. It costs a fortune and having to fly is a pain on the ass, but I'm getting a surgeon who has done this on countless occassions and that puts my mind to ease. I can't imagine how I'd feel if surgery actually made me look worse (especially after paying thousands!) so I glad I'm going for the safe choice.

not being funny,  but after reading a hell of a lot of stuff on here i wouldn't be trusting levick to do my op.

i went to poland in the end.

too many stories of levick butchering people, and the level of pain/discomfort and recovery period is always reported to be much worse by levick patients than poland patients.

[CAP]

Help...

I'm even more confused now.  I got a call this morning from teh McIndoe Surgical Centre at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, telling me I have an out-patients appointment this coming Sunday at the Ulster Hospital with one of McIndoe's plastic surgeons Mr Mark Pickford.  Any of you guys have any experience of him?

I told the woman who called that I had already seen someone last weekend, she was very confused, but said I should take the appointment anyway and see which surgery date comes up first.

[Dub]

Go and talk to him. Ask him how many times he has performed the procedure in the last 6 months. Have a good read through the threads on this discussion board to help inform your decision

[CAP]

Thanks for the advice, will do that.

[CAP]

Well, the saga continues...

I saw Mr Pickford, who managed not to make eye contact at all with me... unlike Mr Jawad he did not take photos... in answer to my many questions he told that: 
he does not use drains,
recommends using a compression garment for a fortnight as any longer is pointless,
would only do lipo (Mr Jawad said he would make the decission if excission was needed during the op),
wanted to make four incissions around each breast (my Jawad said two).

I really was left with no confidence in Mr Pickford, and was quite depressed by the whole thing.

Then, a few weeks ago (yes the consultations were months ago) I was informed that Mr Pickford from McIndoe would be doing the op.  I told my GP that I wasn't happy with him and would prefer Mr Jawad (my GP still couldn't find out how I eneded up on the books of two different surgeons).  After contacting the hospital my GP told me that Mr Jawad would not be an option as the hospital no longer had a contract with Medinet.  I said to forget it and I would save up to go private.  However McIndoe are still calling to ask for chest measurments etc... then today a call from my hospital asking if I still wanted the surgery, with Mr Jawad.  They still have a contract with Medinet and I'm still on Mr Jawad's books.  Talk about being confused.

I just hope the op with Jawad goes through ok... and I hope I've made the right decission to go with him.

[NotFedup]

Blimey you have been through the mangle.
id not go with the 2nd surgeon as making 4 incisions will leave 4 scars.
seems that you really need to be asking the surgeon if he has any past photos of patients that have had the operation.
And more importantly if your thinking of going private read these boards and see which surgeon you find best for the job.
once you find that surgeons name google him and do a search for him on here and look for pro's and con's of each surgeon.
its your chest and getting it operated on badly could give bad irreversible damage.

[CAP]

Well... the saga continues...

I saw my Jawad again today (I was given a whole 26 hours notice of the appointment... anyone would think they didn't want you to be available to take the appointment!).

He was very nice, as usual, as was the nurse at the private clinic.  When she was checking my weight and height she discovered that the wonderful Ulster Hospital, where I had my original appointment with Mr Jawad (5 or 6 months ago), had recorded my height as 5'1"... I'm 5'8"... not a bit of wonder my BMI was completely wrong.

I asked to see some before and after pictures of his work... he showed me some without any hesitation... looks like he does a good job, so that has made me feel a good deal better.

He says I should be having surgery sometime in the next 4 to 6 weeks, and wants me to loose half a stone if I can, in order to achieve a better result... so I guess I'll be hitting the gym hard for the next few weeks.  It also seems that I will be having the surgery in NI, either Belfast or Derry... which is good news, as I really don't want to have to fly so soon after surgery.

After 2 years at the mercy of the NHS I hope this goes well.

[Time_to_fix_it]

not being funny,  but after reading a hell of a lot of stuff on here i wouldn't be trusting levick to do my op.

i went to poland in the end.

too many stories of levick butchering people, and the level of pain/discomfort and recovery period is always reported to be much worse by levick patients than poland patients.

I couldn’t disagree more .. he did a pretty good job on me and hundreds of other people.  Most of them have left these boards and gotten on with their lives.  It’s a shame really as you often only really get to hear about people who are unhappy with their surgery on here as they continue to post and seek revisions.

[Time_to_fix_it]

it seems anything to do with the NHS is a shambles!!!

Sadly I couldn’t agree more.

[niguy13]

Hi Cap,

Have been reading your thread for a wee while now. I'm in the same boat although not quite as far on in the process.

I first went for a consultation at the Ulster Hospital about 3 years ago. I was 20 and had Gyno for about 2-3 years prior. I was due to see a surgeon although he wasn't available and instead seen another consultant. She told me that i should hit the Gym and that it will flatten my chest etc... Needless to say i was naive about the whole situation and that was probably the answer i was looking for at the time. A little peeved about it now though when i think of how easily they thought they'd fobbed me off!

A year and a half passed and having learned more knowledge of the subject decided that i would put my fears of surgery aside and bite the bullet or complain about it for the rest of my life without resolve. So i went back again and this time saw the surgeon i was meant to see. He told me that he would have to make an incision below the chest and work up towards the gland.  I questioned this as i didn't like the sound of having a large scar underneath my chest. I asked was the natural procedure not to go in around the nipple. He went on the defensive a bit saying that there wouldn't be any other way for him to get to it as a breast surgeon. So hes now referred me to a plastic surgeon Mr K Khan saying that i would be a candidate for lipo. I've waited a few months on an appointment but am finally seeing him on 15th August. Hoping he wont turn me away as admittedly my case is mild but troublesome none the less. Apart from my GP i have yet to meet anyone to allay me fears of the surgery/ outcome etc...

I suppose 1 plus is that at least i don't have to sit among all the women at the breast surgery bit now

Please keep us updated on the situation and let us know how surgery goes. I'd also be interested to know if it takes place in the Ulster hospital etc..

Cheers