Planning your surgery

AT YOUR CONSULTATION

Mr Riaz, the medical and patient support teams are here to help you plan your surgery every step of the way. At your consultation you will be given the time that is needed to listen to your concerns and aspirations. An appropriate medical examination will be performed where necessary, including taking measurements, and photography (also known as medical illustration). If you attend on your own, a chaperone will be available if required and/or is necessary.

Mr Riaz routinely has a registered nurse working with him, who specialises in cosmetic surgery, during his Out-patient Clinics. At the Spire Hospital this may be Sister Karen Milton, and at St Hugh’s Hospital Grimsby this is Sister Sarah Grantham. Both are a valuable source of information also, and are very happy to talk to patients independently of Mr Riaz, if required.

It is important to discuss with Mr Riaz, what you are hoping and/or expecting to gain from the proposed surgery. Based on a full clinical assessment he will then be able to tell you what you can realistically expect. If these outcomes are not what you expected he will explain why.

You will receive an honest and professional opinion, based upon years of specialist training and experience. Not every person is suitable for surgery and you will be advised if in his expert opinion you should wait before embarking on surgery, or perhaps consider other options.

PRIOR TO SURGERY

If you decide to go ahead with surgery, you will receive a pre-admission questionnaire direct from the hospital, which you should complete as soon as possible and return, ideally within 3 days. This information is used to help the hospital staff plan your care by taking into consideration your previous medical history.

It helps to highlight any other risks that may not have been discussed previously, which can then be managed. You will receive detailed written information from the hospital on how to prepare for your operation, and your stay in hospital. Prior to surgery you will be contacted by the hospital, usually by telephone, to arrange a pre-operative-assessment.

This is an essential part of your plan of care. The Pre-assessment Nurse will discuss with you your completed pre-admission questionnaire. In addition to this you will need to tell her about any medication which you are taking. Depending on the procedure you are going to have, you may need to have some blood taken, for routine analysis.

THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE

When you arrive at the hospital and have made the Reception Staff aware, you will be shown to your room and you will be ‘admitted’ in a formal manner. The nurse will introduce herself, and she will look after you, along with a small number of other colleagues allocated to the team, until the end of her shift when she will hand-over to the nurse on the next shift.

Admission includes a barrage of questions (which you almost certainly WILL have answered before, and probably on more than one occasion!) and safety checks. There is always a raft of paperwork for the Nurses to complete so please bear with them! This is a mandatory requirement, both legislative and hospital policy and helps to ensure your safety throughout your stay.

You will be required to change into a theatre gown and remove all make-up and jewellery prior to going to Theatre. If you are having a general anaesthetic the attending anaesthetist will visit you and discuss your surgery and past medical history – again as a safety measure. Mr Riaz will see you also.

Depending on the type of surgery you are having, he may need to ‘mark’ you up with a marker pen. This is quite usual, and most patients experience this. These marks have largely disappeared by the end of surgery, but if not are easily removed.

POST OPERATION

Following major surgery Mr Riaz often returns to the hospital late at night for a final check on his patients. He lives locally and is never more than a phone-call away should there be any cause for concern.

The hospital staff are obliged to contact him if they have any concerns whatsoever. If the surgery has taken place later into the evening, he will return early the following morning to check on his patients, before engaging in any other commitments.