Whilst on the island for one of his regular monthly cosmetic surgery clinics, Mr Oliver was invited to return and speak live on air by BBC Radio Guernsey. He spoke about the provision of the cosmetic surgery service on the island now it has been in existence for over a year, in conjunction with the Centre for Modern Medicine and the Medical Specialist Group, and the excellent patient feedback that has been received.
Jenny Kendall-Tobias, BBC Radio Guernsey’s presenter also asked a variety of questions about the cosmetic surgery industry and asked him to comment on current media stories.
The beginning of 2012 was a busy time and saw the start of the PIP scandal. This, by chance, co-incided with the launch of the cosmetic surgery service with the Centre for Modern, Medicine, a subsidiary of the Medical Specialist Group in Guernsey, and Mount Stuart Hospital in Torquay, part of Ramsay Health Care. There were a number of patients affected from Guernsey who came for consultation and treatment and were relieved that the opportunity to see a Consultant Plastic Surgeon was available on the island.
The evidence had started to point to a high risk of failure of these PIP implants and there was also the uncertainty about the quality of the silicone gel contents. As a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) I was in full agreement with the recommendations of our association and I therefore advised women affected by these implants to have them removed. This did not have to be immediately and over the following few months I undertook procedures to remove and replace these patients’ implants. Some women chose removal without replacement but most chose to have their implants replaced.
Fortunately 80% of the implants that I removed were un-damaged but some had failed and leaked requiring removal of all the silicone from the breast capsule. Again fortunately only a few patients were affected by the silicone causing problems in the lymph glands. All these implants were replaced with high quality implants from two leading manufacturers, Allergan and Mentor that I use regularly and am very familiar with.
I have also undertaken a number of procedures following weight loss - some patients had lost weight through diet and exercise alone and others after weight loss surgery. Commonly affected areas are the chest, breasts and the abdomen in both males and females. These can often be quite extensive procedures that can take several hours. Breast reduction and enlargement surgery as well as abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) have also been procedures commonly requested.
As part of our service we have made the resources available for our patients to see a consultant anaesthetist on the island before travelling for surgery. This means everyone has an in-depth pre-operative assessment to determine that they are medically fit for surgery and so procedures can be performed on the day they arrive at the hospital, which is just a short drive from Exeter airport.
Because I hold regular clinics on the island I can see patients both before and after surgery locally to minimise the travel times involved in their cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, and give them the peace of mind that I will follow up their procedure with post-operative consultations. In addition I work closely with the excellent nursing team in Guernsey so there is a point of contact for anybody with concerns after their operation when they are back on the island.
We are drawing on our experience as time goes by to refine our patient pathways and to strive to offer a high quality service working with local health care professions at the CMM and Mount Stuart Hospital. We have had a very successful year and our intention is to build on this success and excellent reputation, and in the coming year we hope to do even better.
The most effective way of determining this is by the feedback from our patients, and at the end of the day that is the most important outcome measure for us. We are delighted to have received some glowing testimonials from patients in Guernsey.
The attached picture shows – left to right
Jo Denbow, Aesthetic Nurse at Mount Stuart Hospital, Sue Dawes, Medical Secretary at Mount Stuart Hospital, Mr David Oliver, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and Jeanette Mercer, General Manager at Mount Stuart – all standing outside the Centre for Modern Medicine’s premises in Guernsey.
Mount Stuart Hospital commenced their cosmetic surgery service to islanders of Guernsey in January with an extremely successful launch event. The hospital has developed a partnership with the Centre for Modern Medicine, a subsidiary of the Medical Specialist Group on the island, to provide services that are currently not offered locally. This initiative by the Centre for Modern Medicine is designed to reduce both the cost and the inconvenience for local patients who previously had to travel as far afield as South Africa for cosmetic surgery.
Mr David Oliver, Consultant Plastic Surgeon has worked at Mount Stuart Hospital for seven years and will be providing monthly clinics for consultations on the island, with surgery then taking place in Torquay. Already the clinics are proving highly successful and to date 40 patients have received consultations, with 5 patients having progressed to surgery.
Feedback from patients has been excellent with one lady offering to be a “Patient Ambassador” on the island and talk to any other people potentially interested in surgery, so that she can share her positive experience. The partnership with Ramsay Health care and Mount Stuart Hospital has meant that patients now have support throughout their patient pathway and importantly post-operatively on the island. The successful relationship has also uncovered other business opportunities which are all being progressed by the Senior Management Team at Mount Stuart Hospital with potential opportunities for Ramsay Health care nationally.
Privacy Policy & Cookies