How To: Find Your Perfect Surgeon

How To:

Find Your Perfect Surgeon

When someone tells you they are a doctor, you probably trust you are in safe hands. While this is true in most instances, unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Earlier this year, it was reported that a 79-year-old man from Birmingham experienced botched plastic surgery, leaving him unable to close his eyes for Mr Naveen Cavale, consultant plastic and nearly three years! reconstructive surgeon, But how do you know who to go to? REAL Plastics, Battersea IG: @realplastics Here, consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon Mr Naveen Cavale puts together a checklist for anyone considering plastic surgery in the UK, to ensure a safe and successful treatment.

Checklist to ask clinics offering plastic surgery

1. Do your research

In the UK, you can search for any doctor on the General

Medical Council’s (GMC) website, which regulates all doctors in the UK. The person performing your surgery must be listed on the GMC’s specialist register for plastic surgery. If they’re not, then this is a massive red flag! It’s also a great idea to find out about the experiences of other patients by visiting reputable review websites.

2. Find out their complications protocol

What are the arrangements if there is a complication? Does the clinic/practitioner have facilities to take you back into the operating theatre to correct things even in the middle of the night? You should be given a number by the clinic to contact should any issues arise.

3. Ask how experienced the surgeon is

Find out how frequently the surgeon performs the particular procedure you intend to book in for. They should be performing it every month at the very least and have many years of experience. 4. See if the surgeon has insurance

Insurance is extremely important because if things don’t go to plan, and you decide to seek compensation, the surgeon must have adequate cover that pays out. Your surgeon must be covered for this so make sure you ask. Again, if they’re not, it’s a definite red flag.

5. Know where the operation would take place

In England it’s a legal requirement for cosmetic surgery to be performed in a CQC-regulated establishment so be sure to check their register. You can even read the hospital’s latest inspection report! For Wales, check out Care Inspectorate Wales, The

Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern

Ireland and in Scotland it’s Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

6. Listen to your gut

Does the practitioner seem ‘nice’ and ‘normal’? If you are getting a bad feeling about them, then it’s worth listening to your gut and finding someone who you relate to better! You can check out if they have a social media profile to get a feel for them before your consultation to find out how they come across. You should also check out their before and after images, you can also ask the clinic to show you some results and the surgeon should also be able to show you photographs.

7. Understand cooling-off periods

A cooling-off period is the time a surgeon must give a patient to go away and think about the decision of whether or not to have a procedure. As per the surgeon’s regulatory guidelines, this should be a minimum of two weeks, and they should not be pushing you into having the procedure.

8. Check they are involved with the surgery community

In the UK, there are several associations that a plastic surgeon may be a part of. Every surgeon who is a part of these groups have undergone extensive checks, so you can be confident that they have a high level of standards. These associations include ISAPS, BAAPS and BAPRAS, turn to p.67 to see all Reputable Organisations.