Northern Ireland confusion - finally saw Mr Mohammad Ali Jawad

[CAP]

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

Hi niguy,

I sometimes wish I had done something about it 10 years ago when I was in my early 20s... but then reading things about how it was operated on then (and also now it seems from your post) by the Ulster Hospital's own people I'm glad I didn't know something could be done about it.

The 'cutting your chest to bits' option that you were given seems to be either a way to scare people off, or perhaps that the Ulster Hospital is stuck in some kind of medical time-warp.

I can't understand how, as you've been waiting even longer than me, why they didn't include you as part of the clean sweep of the waiting list by handing you over to a private firm (although as you've read, this isn't exactly plain sailing either).

The NHS in NI is a real shambles.  Going off on a tangent... I've just received a letter regarding a referral to a physio that my GP made for me 7 months ago about my right ankle.  Of course it's not an appointment... it's just a letter telling me I can give them a call if I like to discuss things!!!  My ankle seems to have almost healed now, so I'm not gonna bother with them... really, what are they going to do to help now?  If I had have had an appointment with them when I needed it, I probably wouldn't have taken 7 months to heal.

Anyway, back on topic... don't feel pressurised by them into taking any old operation.  Tell them what you want (you've done your homework on here I'm sure), ask for 'before and after' photos of previous work they've done on gyne', if they start to get shirty about it... make a formal complaint.  Tell them you've been waiting longer than some people who have been dealt with by the recent waiting list clear-up.

Best of luck mate... will keep you up to date with what happens with me... let me know how things go with you.

Paul

[CAP]

Thought it about time I put up a pic of what I want rid of...

http://www.imagebucket.net/bucket/19786/DSC00577.JPG

I this pic they look quite rounded... but the shape changes, and is often pointed/puffy.

[GynO_DuDe]

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.

Im actually scared now ... hope my op goes well and as expected!

[Time_to_fix_it]

Im actually scared now ... hope my op goes well and as expected!

Don’t be scared.  A lot of us felt that the surgery was the easy bit.  The hard part is waiting months for your body to heal.

The success of your surgery will depend on a number of factors.

•   The skill and experience of the surgeon.
•   Your bodies ability to heal.
•   Luck
•   And not least your expectations.

Don’t expect a perfect chest, for therein probably lies disappointment (although some people do get one).  All surgery and surgeons have successes and failures and can be due to any or all of the above.  Do expect significant improvement though so that you can look forward to the rest of your life being able to wear what you want and do what you want. 

[niguy13]

Cheers for the tips there Paul. I agree the system doesn't seem to work. I think they mess you about so much in the hope that you'll give up and go away. I'm ready though to fight tooth and nail if i have to because i think unless you suffer from the condition nobody can really understand the problems/pressure it can cause. I've though about getting a loan and going private and cut out all the hassle. But my girlfriend would kill me and i wouldn't give the NHS the satisfaction!

My appointment is for Wednesday 15th August. Actually looking forward to it now. I've had it long enough and although admittedly it is a mild case:

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php/topic,9293.msg66206.html#msg66206

i would give anything to have a flat chest and not worry how i look from this angle or that etc..
My main concerns are mostly about the surgeon as i couldn't find any info out on him and the fact that it may actually take place in the Ulster Hospital. The place isn't the cleanest tbh. I'm glad your surgeon was able to provide before/after pictures as that is a weight of your mind at least. Anyway i'll keep you up to speed on whats happening with me etc.

Lets hope both our cases are coming to a conclusion one way or another.
All the best mate, speak to ya soon!
Gerard

[CAP]

Cheers for the tips there Paul. I agree the system doesn't seem to work. I think they mess you about so much in the hope that you'll give up and go away. I'm ready though to fight tooth and nail if i have to because i think unless you suffer from the condition nobody can really understand the problems/pressure it can cause. I've though about getting a loan and going private and cut out all the hassle. But my girlfriend would kill me and i wouldn't give the NHS the satisfaction!

My appointment is for Wednesday 15th August. Actually looking forward to it now. I've had it long enough and although admittedly it is a mild case:

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php/topic,9293.msg66206.html#msg66206

i would give anything to have a flat chest and not worry how i look from this angle or that etc..
My main concerns are mostly about the surgeon as i couldn't find any info out on him and the fact that it may actually take place in the Ulster Hospital. The place isn't the cleanest tbh. I'm glad your surgeon was able to provide before/after pictures as that is a weight of your mind at least. Anyway i'll keep you up to speed on whats happening with me etc.

Lets hope both our cases are coming to a conclusion one way or another.
All the best mate, speak to ya soon!
Gerard

Hey Gerard, best of luck with the appointment.  Hope the surgeon is on the ball and gives you the answers you're looking for. 

Looking at the pics your gyne doesn't look just a bad as mine did (when I was slim like yourself) though is kind of similar... I have one side worse than the other.  It's good that you're taking control of it now.  I stupidly tried putting on weight and also doing weights to hide it... both of which made it worse than it was. 

Anyway, I'm now trying to loose a bit of weight for the op... which hopefully will be about 2 or 3 weeks away at most (though no date through yet).  Surgeon told me to loose half a stone... well, have now shifted that half a stone in just over 2 weeks... quite pleased with myself... gonna keep it going, want to help the surgeon get a good result.

Let me know how things go next Wednesday.

Paul

[niguy13]

Hi Paul, sorry its taken so long to get back to you. Anyway heres how it went.

Arrived at the city and went to the plastic surgery ward, which is about 2 meters away from the previous place i was seen, didn't have to wait too long. Got called to see Mr Khan and i went into the room with a young blond nurse. He was sitting on his chair. A stocky guy,quite tall - typical surgeon look about him. The nurse stood at the side. I was thinking ' ok you can go now', but she remained. As well as that there was another women in there, sitting on the chair facing him. She was wearing a suit and was obviously some trainee surgeon shadowing him for experience etc..

So after he introduced himself this is the basic conversation:

Khan: so how long have you had this problem?
Me: about 3-4 years at least
K: and it bothers you
M: yes, i cant do the things i enjoy, take my top off, wear certain clothes. Subject to nicknames and abuse etc etc.
K: are you in good health?
M: yes
K: are you taking any medication?
M: no
K: any steroids or supplements.
M: no steroids, just Creatine  >>>(this was a mistake~)
K: thats a steroid, yes?
M: no its a supplement for increasing performance in atheletes.
K: what is the name?? Creat-?
M: Creatine,
(he turns bewildered to the nurse and student)-k: have u heard of this?
the nurse stated that it is available in health food stores. Then the student said - 'maybe it is in the book.' She went away and grabbed a medical book, after 2 minutes 'no its not there'
M: its produced naturally in the body.
K: ok, im not sure if its a steroid
M: its not a steroid, definitely not!
K: ok, can we have a look then?
I took my top off an he pondered for about 5 seconds,
K: hmmm - we may have a problem here.
I thought he was talking about my chest and i started to get excited that maybe things may finally be moving in the right direction.
K: the problem is,(he poked around for about ten seconds) a procedure like this may leave a concave effect, and you may end up with your chest looking worse. (to me this was a like a flashing red light- it gave me the impression that although he was correct about the possibility of leaving an indent,he wasn't confident in his ability to do the procedure!)
k: i don't think there is anything i can do for you.
M: is it because of the size? or..?
K: i just dont think you would get good results. I think you could go the gym and work on it but i cant do anything for you?
M: it is pretty noticeable, i have tried working at the gym, it doesn't help.
K:yes, it wont help it may make it look worse, (then why 5 minutes ago did he tell me to go to the gym?) The reason i believe this side is bigger is because the muscle is bigger on that side. because you are right-handed (which he asked). My advice is to stop whatever exercise you do for chest.
(i couldn't believe it!. The argument continued for a while back back and forth, i was clutching at straws- i hadn't wasted my time sitting around waiting rooms etc to be told this)
M: do you thinks its noticeable.
K: not really - i would happy if i had a chest like you. (well then you can cut it off and take it home for all i care!- He made a pitiful attempt at a muscular pose- bringing his 2 fists together to his waist. I wasnt seeing the funny side. I felt like i was in a 1970s horror movie where the camera spins round and round and floating heads are zooming in and out laughing at you from all directions.)
M: have you done many procedures for this? (pointless asking this now!)
K: A little (yeah right!), There was guy in before and his problem was obvious and i looked and said yes, straight on the waiting list,(this isn't what i wanted to hear and god help that guy if he has this clown standing over him, scalpel in hand!)
M: there is fibrous tissue there which you can feel, isn't there?
K: no there is not, i don't really know what the options are, but surgery is not for you. ( i felt like saying, i 'll tell you the options. i can spend the rest of my life miserable and sweating with t-shirts on at the beach, on holiday etc or you can lend me a fiver for a length of rope! Sorry, of course i wouldn't do that but he pissed me off big time!)

On that note i left, rejected and embarrassed. I contemplated my next move and have been since. Any advice on where to go from here? My GP had said when he referred me back to the City that if they wont do it then he would refer me White-Abbey hospital. Only problem is i don't want to go there knowing the same may happen or get stuck with an inexperienced surgeon. I've been thinking about private, but with 2 children and a household to support i really cant afford it!!

[outertrial]

Sorry to hear your sad  but all too common tale of a visit to an NHS funded surgeon. Surgeons specialise in different things, like you wouldnt go to a roofer to repair your boiler or a plumber to fit new double glazing. But with the NHS you do, surgeons who have a lot of experience and aptitude to do procedures X Y and Z get sent patients who need A B C and F performing. Believe me he was doing you a favour by declining to perform the op, though it would have been a lot better if he'd just admitted he couldnt do it.

As far as not  being able to afford to go private, I say you can't afford not to.

One I went for a job interview for a good job I had the skills to do in an organisation I knew well. Walked into the interview room, it was like a sweatbox. "The air conditioners broken I'm afraid" Said one of the interviewers "So feel free to take off your jacket".

I froze while they looked at me waiting for me to take off my jacket in this baking room. All I could think was, oh god, I'm wearing a white shirt with no pockets, and told them I was fine. I then sat in this room for 45 minutes with sweat pouring down my face worrying about what they thought. Needless to say I didnt get the job.

Fast forward one gyne op and several jobs later and Im doing much better. I'm so much more confident in a lot of situations both professional and private and I now do a job which requires a lot of confident face to face contact, exactly the kind of stuff that gyners are self conscious with.

Seriously bro, unyoke yourself from the burden of the NHS, get a loan out and go and see a private surgeon. Itll be the best 3 grand you ever spent.

[CAP]

Hi Paul, sorry its taken so long to get back to you. Anyway heres how it went.

Arrived at the city and went to the plastic surgery ward, which is about 2 meters away from the previous place i was seen, didn't have to wait too long. Got called to see Mr Khan and i went into the room with a young blond nurse. He was sitting on his chair. A stocky guy,quite tall - typical surgeon look about him. The nurse stood at the side. I was thinking ' ok you can go now', but she remained. As well as that there was another women in there, sitting on the chair facing him. She was wearing a suit and was obviously some trainee surgeon shadowing him for experience etc..

So after he introduced himself this is the basic conversation:

Khan: so how long have you had this problem?
Me: about 3-4 years at least
K: and it bothers you
M: yes, i cant do the things i enjoy, take my top off, wear certain clothes. Subject to nicknames and abuse etc etc.
K: are you in good health?
M: yes
K: are you taking any medication?
M: no
K: any steroids or supplements.
M: no steroids, just Creatine  >>>(this was a mistake~)
K: thats a steroid, yes?
M: no its a supplement for increasing performance in atheletes.
K: what is the name?? Creat-?
M: Creatine,
(he turns bewildered to the nurse and student)-k: have u heard of this?
the nurse stated that it is available in health food stores. Then the student said - 'maybe it is in the book.' She went away and grabbed a medical book, after 2 minutes 'no its not there'
M: its produced naturally in the body.
K: ok, im not sure if its a steroid
M: its not a steroid, definitely not!
K: ok, can we have a look then?
I took my top off an he pondered for about 5 seconds,
K: hmmm - we may have a problem here.
I thought he was talking about my chest and i started to get excited that maybe things may finally be moving in the right direction.
K: the problem is,(he poked around for about ten seconds) a procedure like this may leave a concave effect, and you may end up with your chest looking worse. (to me this was a like a flashing red light- it gave me the impression that although he was correct about the possibility of leaving an indent,he wasn't confident in his ability to do the procedure!)
k: i don't think there is anything i can do for you.
M: is it because of the size? or..?
K: i just dont think you would get good results. I think you could go the gym and work on it but i cant do anything for you?
M: it is pretty noticeable, i have tried working at the gym, it doesn't help.
K:yes, it wont help it may make it look worse, (then why 5 minutes ago did he tell me to go to the gym?) The reason i believe this side is bigger is because the muscle is bigger on that side. because you are right-handed (which he asked). My advice is to stop whatever exercise you do for chest.
(i couldn't believe it!. The argument continued for a while back back and forth, i was clutching at straws- i hadn't wasted my time sitting around waiting rooms etc to be told this)
M: do you thinks its noticeable.
K: not really - i would happy if i had a chest like you. (well then you can cut it off and take it home for all i care!- He made a pitiful attempt at a muscular pose- bringing his 2 fists together to his waist. I wasnt seeing the funny side. I felt like i was in a 1970s horror movie where the camera spins round and round and floating heads are zooming in and out laughing at you from all directions.)
M: have you done many procedures for this? (pointless asking this now!)
K: A little (yeah right!), There was guy in before and his problem was obvious and i looked and said yes, straight on the waiting list,(this isn't what i wanted to hear and god help that guy if he has this clown standing over him, scalpel in hand!)
M: there is fibrous tissue there which you can feel, isn't there?
K: no there is not, i don't really know what the options are, but surgery is not for you. ( i felt like saying, i 'll tell you the options. i can spend the rest of my life miserable and sweating with t-shirts on at the beach, on holiday etc or you can lend me a fiver for a length of rope! Sorry, of course i wouldn't do that but he pissed me off big time!)

On that note i left, rejected and embarrassed. I contemplated my next move and have been since. Any advice on where to go from here? My GP had said when he referred me back to the City that if they wont do it then he would refer me White-Abbey hospital. Only problem is i don't want to go there knowing the same may happen or get stuck with an inexperienced surgeon. I've been thinking about private, but with 2 children and a household to support i really cant afford it!!

God Gerard, that sounds a bloody nightmare.  I'm so sorry mate.

It's kinda what I was expecting when I went to the Ulster Hospital the first time... guess I was lucky I saw a private Plastic Surgeon who they'd dumped me on.  The second guy I saw wasn't great... but nowhere near as awful as what they put you through.  It makes me so damn angry they way they treat people.  And as far as Creatine being a steroid... I've no idea if it could cause gyne problems... but if it was a bloody steroid, the idiot surgeon should have realised you wouldn't be able to buy it at Holland and Barratt! 

I wonder if this is the same person?  http://www.balmoralclinic.com/consultant-detail.asp?cid=85&sid=3

What's the betting that if you were offering to pay him, he'd be confident of a great result???  I'm not saying either way... just throwing the question out there!  Just sounds to me, from what you've said, like he was thinking up any old excuse to refuse the operation.

I don't know what to say, or advice to offer really.  Like you, I can't really afford to go private... but if this process drags out much longer I may just saddle myself with some debt in order to improve my life.  I'm starting to go a bit mad with this wait.

I last saw the consultant 6 weeks ago this coming Saturday (when he told me I'd be having my op in 4 weeks time!)... well, there's a surprise... I've heard nothing!  I'm sick of constantly being told it'll be in a few weeks time... I've put my life on hold this year since Feb, waiting by the phone.  One good thing is that I've managed to loose just over half a stone so far in the last 5 weeks.  I'm really trying hard not to let the uncertainty get me down.

Thinking about it... when did you first approach your GP about gyne?  I saw mine just over 2 years ago.  If yours was within the same kinda time... you should ask why you weren't included in this private firm sweep up of the waiting list.  Insist they contact the board and fight your case to be seen by a private surgeon.  Though, I have to say... this ain't exactly a speedy process either... but at least the consultant seems interested in me.

All the best mate... feel free to pvt message me if you ever need to chat off-forum ok!... in any case let me know how you get on, and I'll keep you posted on here.

Paul

[CAP]

Not directly relevant... but of interest to read... assuming it's the same Mr Khan.  It just shows up the state of the NHS in NI.


http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/record/reports/010116.htm

There is also a massive shortage of skilled doctors. Mr John Kelly spoke about Khalid Khan. I was directly involved in that matter, and, on the matter of skilled jobs, his case is relevant.

Dr Khalid Khan resigned from the post of locum heading the burns unit in the Royal. He headed the burns unit yet was only an locum, and he had been a locum for about two years. He applied for a job in England and was about to go there. It was not he who went to the media to get something done. It was the people in Omagh who suffered from the terrible ravages of the bomb there. Donna Marie McGullion and her father Malachy Keyes led the campaign and involved politicians. My colleague Joe Byrne took a lead in that, and Oliver Gibson was very supportive as well.

Political pressure was applied. The people concerned came to Stormont and met some of us. They also met the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Discussions were held with the Royal Victoria Hospital, with the deputy chief executive, Dr Ian Carson, and eventually with Dr Khan himself. The job was not only re-advertised, but the job description was rewritten. Dr Khan told me that his job had been to deal with the huge waiting list for treatment for burns and scalds. There is no way in which one man could do that, and Mr Khan has a wife and two children. An appointment is being made to a complementary post, but that was achieved by political pressure.

Mr J Kelly:

I was not making a criticism of Dr Khan. My point was that we should not be dependent on one person to fill such a sensitive post. There really ought to be a number of people there. We cannot have a situation in which anaesthetists and heart surgeons can hold the rest of the Health Service to ransom. That is the fault of the training regime and the lack of skills rather than of an individual.

Dr Hendron:

I totally accept what Mr Kelly has said. I was not being critical of that point at all. Without political pressure, Dr Khan would still be there, trying in a lonely way to give support to the people of Omagh and treat the ravages of the bomb. That skills shortage also affected women with breast cancer who needed breast reconstruction. They too looked to Khalid Khan for help and were here at Stormont as well.

[Dub]

Hi Paul, sorry its taken so long to get back to you. Anyway heres how it went.

Arrived at the city and went to the plastic surgery ward, which is about 2 meters away from the previous place i was seen, didn't have to wait too long. Got called to see Mr Khan and i went into the room with a young blond nurse. He was sitting on his chair. A stocky guy,quite tall - typical surgeon look about him. The nurse stood at the side. I was thinking ' ok you can go now', but she remained. As well as that there was another women in there, sitting on the chair facing him. She was wearing a suit and was obviously some trainee surgeon shadowing him for experience etc..

So after he introduced himself this is the basic conversation:

Khan: so how long have you had this problem?
Me: about 3-4 years at least
K: and it bothers you
M: yes, i cant do the things i enjoy, take my top off, wear certain clothes. Subject to nicknames and abuse etc etc.
K: are you in good health?
M: yes
K: are you taking any medication?
M: no
K: any steroids or supplements.
M: no steroids, just Creatine  >>>(this was a mistake~)
K: thats a steroid, yes?
M: no its a supplement for increasing performance in atheletes.
K: what is the name?? Creat-?
M: Creatine,
(he turns bewildered to the nurse and student)-k: have u heard of this?
the nurse stated that it is available in health food stores. Then the student said - 'maybe it is in the book.' She went away and grabbed a medical book, after 2 minutes 'no its not there'
M: its produced naturally in the body.
K: ok, im not sure if its a steroid
M: its not a steroid, definitely not!
K: ok, can we have a look then?
I took my top off an he pondered for about 5 seconds,
K: hmmm - we may have a problem here.
I thought he was talking about my chest and i started to get excited that maybe things may finally be moving in the right direction.
K: the problem is,(he poked around for about ten seconds) a procedure like this may leave a concave effect, and you may end up with your chest looking worse. (to me this was a like a flashing red light- it gave me the impression that although he was correct about the possibility of leaving an indent,he wasn't confident in his ability to do the procedure!)
k: i don't think there is anything i can do for you.
M: is it because of the size? or..?
K: i just dont think you would get good results. I think you could go the gym and work on it but i cant do anything for you?
M: it is pretty noticeable, i have tried working at the gym, it doesn't help.
K:yes, it wont help it may make it look worse, (then why 5 minutes ago did he tell me to go to the gym?) The reason i believe this side is bigger is because the muscle is bigger on that side. because you are right-handed (which he asked). My advice is to stop whatever exercise you do for chest.
(i couldn't believe it!. The argument continued for a while back back and forth, i was clutching at straws- i hadn't wasted my time sitting around waiting rooms etc to be told this)
M: do you thinks its noticeable.
K: not really - i would happy if i had a chest like you. (well then you can cut it off and take it home for all i care!- He made a pitiful attempt at a muscular pose- bringing his 2 fists together to his waist. I wasnt seeing the funny side. I felt like i was in a 1970s horror movie where the camera spins round and round and floating heads are zooming in and out laughing at you from all directions.)
M: have you done many procedures for this? (pointless asking this now!)
K: A little (yeah right!), There was guy in before and his problem was obvious and i looked and said yes, straight on the waiting list,(this isn't what i wanted to hear and god help that guy if he has this clown standing over him, scalpel in hand!)
M: there is fibrous tissue there which you can feel, isn't there?
K: no there is not, i don't really know what the options are, but surgery is not for you. ( i felt like saying, i 'll tell you the options. i can spend the rest of my life miserable and sweating with t-shirts on at the beach, on holiday etc or you can lend me a fiver for a length of rope! Sorry, of course i wouldn't do that but he pissed me off big time!)

On that note i left, rejected and embarrassed. I contemplated my next move and have been since. Any advice on where to go from here? My GP had said when he referred me back to the City that if they wont do it then he would refer me White-Abbey hospital. Only problem is i don't want to go there knowing the same may happen or get stuck with an inexperienced surgeon. I've been thinking about private, but with 2 children and a household to support i really cant afford it!!

I can't imagine what its like building yourself up mentally for the operation and then to have something like that to happen. I had an embarrassing and humiliating experience with a doctor a few years previous to my surgery. The doctor I went to didn't have a clue, asked another doctor to come in for a second opinion. He told me I was healthy and not to be worrying about it. The other doctor told me to just go to the gym. Both of them were trying desperatly to hold back smiles. Because of that experience I didn't speak about the problem to any member of the medical profession until I saw Dr Levick five years later.

You know yourself the problems I faced for those five years as a result. Couldn't take my top off, couldn't do sports, couldn't go to the beach or go swimming on sun holidays, couldn't feel comfortable being sexual with girls. So, while you've had a shit experience, don't let it put you off solving the problem.

I almost had the operation done in Dublin, but I'm so glad that I didn't. After spending hours for days on end reading the discussions on this website I realised that I knew more about the condition that they did. I realised that needed to take out gland tissue, but they didn't even realise this. There's simply nobody in Dublin with the expertise to carry out the procedure properly. I'd be concerned that its the same in Belfast and Derry.

I went to Dr Levick in the end. I'm 6 months post op now and I'm about 90% happy with my results so far. I know there's still more healing to be done, but if I remained as I am I'd be content. I'm just back from travelling where, for the first time in my life, I felt comfortable wearing tee shirts, felt comfortable taking my top off around friends and felt comfortable with girls. I know there's one or two people on this site who feel let down by Dr Levick, but he does appear to be the most experience surgeon for this in the UK, perhaps even in Europe. He had the same problem so he understands what its like. I think thats what makes him different to the rest.

I'd strongly recommend both you guys to book a flight to Birmingham for a consultation. I flew over and back in the one day. It costs £100 for the consultation, but if you say you only have a credit card they don't charge you and add it on to your bill when you do decide to have the procedure. So if you decide against going with Dr Levick, you won't have to pay!

Don't do nothing and have this problem linger on for years.

[outertrial]

Its worth mentioning as well that Levick does several hundred of these operations a year.

[CAP]

I've had it!  Not the operation... that would be too much to hope for... I've had it with this whole bloody process.  There's only so much being 'treated like a turd' one person can take.

I saw the consultant (Jawad) 8 weeks ago this coming Saturday.... when he told me to loose half a stone and that the operation would be in 4 weeks time.  Well after waiting nearly twice as long as he said (and having lost nearly a stone) I decided to call Medinet today to see what on earth is happening.  Not very much it seems.

The girl I spoke to told me that she could book me in now for the operation, on the 28th October!... ok, another 6 weeks of waiting I could put up with... but here's the killer.  It would not be with Mr Jawad... it would be with Mr Vadodaria... whoever on earth he is.  A consultant who I've never seen.  What was the point of seeing Jawad in February... and again in July... if they are going to get someone else to do it.  And were they ever intending to contact me to tell me?

I said NO; that I wanted Mr Jawad who I'd talked too and trusted to do the op... and asked why I was being offer this other bloke.  Apparently there are no appointments with Jawad in September or October!  I asked if I could have an appointment after that.  She didn't know what his available dates would be after that... and didn't know when she would know.

So at my reckoning... the earliest I could possibly get the op with Jawad would be 4 month after I last saw him.  And the reason he wanted to see again last time was because it was 5 months since he previously saw me in February.  After another gap of 4 months he's bound to want to assess me again before considering an op... so what does that mean?  Another wait between seeing him and the op taking place?  At this rate it'll be next year!  Part of me wants to scream and smash something up... another part feels completely empty and emotionless about it.

I'm so tired of this year... it's been on hold since February when I first saw him... you would have though the NHS passing this on to the private sector would have sped things up.  I just want to get on with life.