Looking for peace of mind (From The Northern Echo)

Looking for peace of mind

2:46pm Tuesday 6th September 2011 in Health

Silvie Adams, director of the private Spire Washington Hospital, offers some practical advice on making the right choice when to comes to having cosmetic surgery.

IN today’s world of glossy magazines, internet advertising and TV campaigns, the pressure is on to look good, says Silvie Adams. This means demand for cosmetic surgery – from treatments such as breast enlargements and reductions, face lifts, ear pinning and liposuction right through to rhinoplasty and thigh and buttock lifts as well as non-surgical treatments – is on the rise.

Unfortunately, cosmetic surgery is often regarded as trivial and therefore relatively riskfree.

However, nothing could be further from the truth, and it is very important for patients to research both their surgeon and proposed hospital very carefully before taking the plunge.

So what should you look for if you’re interested in changing the way you look?

Joe O’Donoghue, a consultant plastic surgeon at Spire Washington Hospital with more than ten years’ experience, shares his checklist to keep you on the straight and narrow.

"Make sure you are offered a coolingoff period before a date is given for your surgery."

Joe O'Donoghue

• To ensure the highest standards of care, always check that your surgeon is on the specialist register of the General Medical Council (GMC) and is therefore appropriately qualified to carry out the type of surgery you want undertaken. This can be done very easily by visiting the GMC website, wgmc-uk.org

• It is also worth checking whether the surgeon is a member of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) and/or the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) – membership of these professional associations is strictly controlled.

• When you have your initial consultation with your surgeon, make sure you are offered a cooling-off period before a date is given for your surgery. Ideally, you should be given the opportunity of another consultation before any surgery goes ahead (and the option of a second opinion if you think you need one), but all too frequently this is not the case.

• Obtain written quotations and terms and conditions and check these include any costs that could be incurred for the management of any complications from surgery, or the costs involved in managing any revisional surgery. This is where many people get caught out.

• In addition, you should be provided with additional written information about the proposed procedure, as well as information on pre-operative preparation and post-operative care. Don’t be afraid to ask your surgeon for the number of times he or she has done a particular procedure or their complication/revisional surgery rate, which can be useful information in the decision-making process.

While finding the right surgeon is critical, so is finding the right hospital.

Wherever you choose should be registered with the Care Quality Commission and they should publish their hospital infection rates and patient satisfaction rates on their websites.

While no cosmetic surgery is risk-free, it is important you investigate every aspect of the process thoroughly from beginning to end so that you have peace of mind that if problems do arise, they will be dealt with quickly, efficiently and with a high standard of care and compassion.