Cosmetic Surgery FAQs

Posted on 24th January 20209th March 2022 by Pau Webley

We sat down with our Coordinators to go through the cosmetic surgery FAQs that you want answers to.

Q: Is under the muscle better?

A: There is no right or wrong when it comes to placing implants as each patient is different.

If you have enough breast tissue, the surgeon will go under the muscle to give that more natural look and to minimalise the risk of seeing implant edging.

Q: Does it hurt?

A: Yes, but this is mainly due to discomfort, after all, you are having surgery! However, we always give you pain relief and advise you to keep on top of it to ease the pain.

Q: Do I have to buy the bra you recommend?

A: YES! The bra is vital as it is part of your recovery process. This is not your everyday sports bra, it is a medical bra designed for Cosmetic Breast procedures.

Q: Who is the best?

A: We get this question a lot, and our answer is always the same – ALL our Surgeons are fantastic!! They all give different opinions and views on the procedure and the person.

We cannot advise you who to go with so we advise you to do your research.

Q: What is a Pre Op?

A: A pre-op is a pre-examination to prove you are physically fit for surgery. Depending on the procedure you are undergoing, it normally consists of; height, weight, BP, heart rate oxygen levels, MRSA swabs. It is VERY important you attend this examination, as without the results your surgery will be placed on hold OR Cancelled.

Q: Is the surgeon at my consultation, the same consultant performing my surgery?

A: Yes! Whichever surgeon you see at consultation is the same surgeon performing your surgery!

Q: Do you offer a discount?

A: We don’t offer discounts willy nilly unfortunately. However, we have plenty of offers throughout the year for you to take advantage of.

Q: Do you have before and after pictures?

A: Yes we have these pictures on our social media. However, we DO NOT post anything without the patient’s written consent.

If your question was not mentioned in this cosmetic surgery FAQs don’t fret! Get in touch with our fantastic team. They will answer any of your questions you may have.

The Questions You Should Always Ask In A Consultation

Posted on 13th June 20189th March 2022 by Pau Webley

We all get excited at the prospect of our ‘new look’ and how this will benefit our lives, but that doesn’t mean we should forget about the importance of safety and the processes involved. Before your surgery comes the consultation, and we’ve compiled a list of important questions you should always ask your surgeon to ensure a positive experience, pre, during and post-surgery.

1. What experience and qualifications do you have?

It’s imperative your surgery is performed by a fully-qualified surgeon found on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Specialist Register for Plastic Surgery, who has been specially trained and can provide you with advice and guidance. They must also be insured to carry out the procedure in the UK.

Ask them how frequently they perform the surgery, success rates and how happy patients are with their performance. A surgeon who regularly performs the procedure will have worked with various body types and therefore know how best to operate on you. Viewing before and after pictures is a good idea too.

2. Where will the surgery or procedure take place?

We recommend you check that the hospital or clinic is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which regulates health services within England. The CQC warns against having a cosmetic surgery at a location that can’t prove they are registered with them. You can also research their quality of service by reading the latest CQC inspection report found on their website.

And obviously, you’ll need to ask this question so you’ll know where to go!

3. What will the surgery or procedure involve?

Ensure you fully understand the extent of your surgery, the method your surgeon will use and why they favour that one.

4. How long will it take?

This will help you plan your day effectively. For example, if you’re having breast surgery, you’ll have measurements drawn on your chest and pre-tests to complete before the actual surgery. Knowing the approximate length of your visit is good for pick-ups too.

You should also ask whether you’ll need to stay in hospital, and how long for.

5. What type of anaesthesia will I receive?

You’ll be told whether a local or general anaesthesia will be used and why this type is chosen for your surgery. You should also check that a qualified anaesthetist or nurse anaesthetist will be administering the anaesthesia for safety purposes. They’ll be with you throughout your whole procedure, monitoring and helping take care of you.

Knowing which type will be used will also help you prepare for recovery.

6. What results are reasonable to expect and how long do they last?

This is important to help you manage your expectations and decide whether the procedure is worth it, especially if it’s a costly one. Ask your surgeon to clearly define a ‘’significant improvement’’, how long these results will last and whether you’ll need repeat procedures in the future.

Ask if there’s anything you can do to prolong your new look too. For example, if you’re having a tummy tuck, maintaining a healthy lifestyle will keep you looking trim.

7. What are the benefits of the surgery?

Will it give you the result you want? Will you look younger/thinner/bigger? Will you feel more confident? What have previous patients stated? Talking to these patients and looking up online reviews can be useful too.

8. What are the risks and potential complications?

No surgery is 100% risk-free no matter how qualified the surgeon is, and it’s important you know what could go wrong. Ask your surgeon what the risks are, what you can do to reduce risk and what they’ll do, as well as the effects.

As is stated on the British Association Of Plastic, Reconstructive And Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS)’s website:

‘’BAPRAS recommends… that you only visit a plastic surgeon who does not shy away from talking about the risks or potential complications for each procedure. All good plastic surgeons should dedicate time during your initial consultation to discuss this and should be able to answer any questions you have.’’

9. What medical conditions do you need to be aware of / Am I a good candidate for surgery?

You must tell your surgeon if you suffer from any health issues, such as:

Heart or Lung Disease.
Diabetes.
Hypertension.
Allergies.

These issues could lead to a higher complications rate should you go ahead with the surgery.

Your surgeon should also ask you about your lifestyle: whether you smoke; your alcohol and caffeine intake; how regularly you exercise. This will help them determine your suitability, and provide you with advice on necessary lifestyle changes prior to and following on from surgery.

10. What can I do to minimize pain post-surgery?

Can you take medication? Can you recommend any home remedies? Should you wear/avoid wearing certain clothing?

For example, after a breast lift, enlargement or reduction, your surgeon may recommend you wear a breast surgery recovery bra to reduce any swelling and bleeding.

11. What aftercare is available?

This is especially important in case of complications. Ensure you know who to contact, what their support entails (e.g. check-ups) and how long their support lasts.

‘’BAPRAS recommends… that you only visit a plastic surgeon who can give you a detailed account of the aftercare that you are entitled to following surgery. All good plastic surgeons and the hospitals in which they work should provide you with a clear pathway for advice and care if there are any problems’’

12. How long will my recovery last and what will it involve?

Especially if you’re working, have children to take of and/or other important obligations, you’ll need to know how your surgery could impact your daily schedule. What environments or situations (e.g. work, the gym, driving or flying) should you avoid and how long for?

Recovery may also involve side effects so it’s important you’re aware of them, and don’t confuse them with more serious complications.

If the recovery process worries you, ask if there are alternative treatments or surgeries that are less time-consuming and debilitating.

13. How much does the procedure cost?

Ensure you ask what the procedure costs and what this price covers, in case there are any hidden extras. Ask whether the price covers the procedure, the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s fees, operating room/facility expenses, all materials involved, and if not, how much more this will cost. A seemingly reasonable deal may end up costing you more in the long run.

14. Your Concerns

We also recommend you bring up any concerns you may have, as your surgeon will be able to provide guidance and support should you require it.

Would you like to discuss a procedure with us? Call us today to discuss your options.

Interview With A Patient Co-ordinator: Breast Surgery

Posted on 12th April 20188th March 2022 by Pau Webley

Working as a patient co-ordinator at a leading cosmetic and plastic surgeons’ is certainly an exciting, encouraging and rewarding role for Jodie. From providing patients with pre-surgery support and advice to liaising with surgeons and nurses for beneficial aftercare, there’s always much to be done. As many patients considering breast surgery want to understand the whole process, we recently sat down with Jodie to discuss just that. Who better than someone who oversees these surgeries on a regular basis?

I: Let’s start with the basics. A patient calls up. What are the typical questions they will ask?

J: They’ll ask lots of things. Surgery availability, prices, where procedures are held and how long after surgery can they go on holiday are common, as well as where we’re located, our surgeons’ names and how long we’ve been here. Successfully answering these questions is imperative to building trust with potential patients.

I: A prospective patient visits a clinic for a breast surgery consultation. How long will this last and what information will they be provided with?

J: Patients will see the surgeon for approximately 20-30 minutes and then the co-ordinator for another 30. The surgeon will go through any of the risks and complications of surgery and take patients’ breast measurements. They can also (and usually like to) try implants in a bra. A co-ordinator will discuss their pre-op, what happens prior to surgery and coming in for an MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) test. Some people may also need blood taking. We’ll also discuss with them what happens on the day of the procedure and aftercare. We offer a 1-year aftercare warranty and then we also offer a 20-year cover at an additional £599.

I: It sounds very thorough and well done.

J: It is. It’s a very thorough consultation. On their 1^st visit they get all the information that they could possibly require to help them make the decision about going ahead.

I: What breast surgery concerns do patients have, if any?

J: I think a main concern for patients is probably if they’ve chosen the right implant size. It’s probably the biggest decision on the day of consultation that patients make. So, the surgeon will take all of the breast measurements and he will advise an implant that’s suitable for those measurements. It’s not just a guessing game. He doesn’t just pick out a number and say, you know, you have a ‘325’. It’s all science. When the surgeon does the measurements, he’ll tell them what implant they can have and a lot of people will say, ‘No. I want to go bigger’, because of what their friends have told them to say. It’s obviously the surgeons’ job and our job to make them aware of the limits of what implant size they can have.

They then try implants in a bra with a vest on in front of a mirror and then they are told that what they see in the mirror is how their breasts will look naked. With a bra you can enhance them and make them look bigger. If the patient is unsure or a bit dubious about the size then we’d never let them go ahead with the surgery until they were completely happy. So, if they saw the surgeon and then came through to see a co-ordinator and were still ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ about the size, we’d send them back to see the surgeon again, or we’d make them an appointment to see a surgeon again so they can have a think about it.

I: That’s good. How long after a consultation will a patient typically come in for surgery?

J: They have to have a 2-week cooling off period. So, from the day of their consultation, they must wait 2 weeks until they can have the operation. Some people go ahead after 2 weeks. Some people go away, have a think about it and then call up and book a date. A lot of people have to take their time, you know, checking with work to see what holiday availability they can have.

The consultation, and all of the associated paperwork lasts 6 months, allowing a patient to go ahead with surgery within that time. But if they decide to go ahead after 6 months, they’d have to come back and do it all again.

I: What kind of things are patients asked to do pre-surgery?

J:1 week before their surgery date, we’ll email them an admission letter. On that admission letter, it tells them what time to arrive the day of surgery, it tells them what time to stop eating and drinking and what to bring with them. We always advise patients to bring something comfortable to travel home in, so something that zips up or buttons and nothing that they pull over their head. We also advise they bring some slip-on shoes so they haven’t got to bend over to put them on, and we’ll also discuss a post-op bra with them. They do have to bring a post-op bra with them and we’ll give them details about which one to order, depending on their size.

I: What should a patient expect on the day of their breast surgery?

J: On the day of surgery, the surgeon and the anaesthetist will both come onto the ward and speak with the patient. The surgeon will draw his measurements on the patient’s chest and the nurse will do some observations. She’ll take the oxygen levels and ion levels for example. Once the surgeon and anaesthetist are happy, then the patient will be gowned up and will walk down to theatre.

Everyone in theatre will introduce themselves to the patient, and the anaesthetist will then put a cannula in the patient’s hand and the patient will be asked to count down from 100 and then she’ll be asleep. The anaesthetist is stood by the side of the patient throughout the whole procedure. The surgeon makes an incision underneath the breast pocket. He makes a pocket inside the breast for the implant to go into. He’ll wash the pocket out, he’ll put the implant in and then close the pocket. He does obviously the same on both sides and then the patient will be taken to recovery and be woken up and taken back to bed to rest for between 4-6 hours before she’s discharged.

We have 3 rooms. A room with 4 beds, a room with 2 beds and a single room. The nurse manager will decide who’s going onto which ward. She’ll decide that the week before and it’ll be dependent on what procedure they’re having, what medication they’re on and any special care they may need.

I: Are they always discharged the same day, or is dependent on each person?

J: Most of our theatre lists are all planned as day cases, so if it’s just a straightforward breast augmentation, then yes, it’s just a day case. If it’s an uplift or breast reduction then they may be required to stay overnight.

I: How do patients usually feel after the surgery?

J: Very, very sleepy.

I: What post-surgery support do New Birkdale Clinic provide?

J: When they’re discharged they are given an out-of-hours phone number (24-hour care line) for the nurse manager. They are given antibiotics and painkillers and they take that for a week. They’re also given a post-op care leaflet and it tells them things such as not to shower and not to take the resins off. It gives them a date and time to come back and see the nurse, which is normally 1 week after surgery. At the appointment, the nurse will remove the dressings and just check that everything is healing ok. She may redress them, but most of the time, everyone should be healing ok enough to leave the dressings off. However, they must continue to wear a sports bra day and night for 6 weeks.

They’ll see the surgeon between 4 and 6 weeks post-op and if everything is fine at that appointment then the surgeon will discharge the patient and there’s no need for them to come back. But if they do want to come back, or if they have any concerns or worries, then they’re more than welcome to. They have aftercare cover for 1 year, with all appointments to see the surgeon, nurse and staff within that year free of charge.

I: Do you have any advice for those considering breast surgery?

J: I think I’d probably say don’t listen to friends and family, and listen to only your surgeon, because the surgeon will take your breast measurements and they advise on the best possible implant size for you. A lot of people come with a pre-conceptive idea about what implant size they want and it’s not always suitable for them.

Do some research. Make sure it is the right thing for you and that you have the time afterwards to rest and recover. Remember, no heavy-lifting for at least 6 weeks post-op and no holidays within that time because you can’t wear bikinis or go in chlorine water.

Discover our range of breast surgery procedures here.