Breast Surgery Consultation

Your consultation is the time to explain what you want to achieve from surgery and for me to give you my honest, informed opinion on whether or not cosmetic surgery can achieve your expectations.

I will take a full medical history, give you an examination and take photographs, which I will use to plan the procedure.

You will have ample opportunity to ask me any questions you may have and I will explain all about the planned procedure, any associated risks or complications and the recovery period.

Anesthetic

There are two common types of anesthetic:

Local anesthetic – An injection which numbs the area. You stay awake but feel no pain. Local anesthetics are given by me.

General anesthetic – Given by a Consultant Anesthetist, a general anesthetic means you sleep throughout the procedure.

Pre-admission

Once you have decided to go ahead with surgery and have booked a date, you will be sent an information pack by the hospital.

You may need to have blood tests done and possibly a chest X-ray or trace of your heart (ECG). You will be given an appointment to attend the hospital for this in the days/weeks leading up to your operation.

The cost of your surgery should be paid in full (and cleared) before the morning of surgery.

Fixed Cost Surgery

With fixed cost surgery, the price quoted covers all hospital and theatre costs, anaesthetists and surgeon’s fees and also covers the cost of treating any possible complications which may arise in the first month or so after surgery, so there are no hidden costs.

All follow up consultations after surgery are included in this cost. The only additional cost is that of the initial consultation which is £200, and the cost of any further pre-operative consultations you may need, which are again are charged at £200.

Your Hospital Stay

If you’re having a general anaesthetic, you should not eat or drink anything after the time specified in your admission letter (usually midnight for surgery in the morning; or 6 am for surgery afternoon surgery).

If you’re having a local anaesthetic, you can eat and drink as normal.

If you’re taking medicines, you should take them as usual, unless I have specifically asked you not to.

Once in your room, a nurse will measure your blood pressure and pulse. I will come and see you ahead of your operation and if you’re having a general anaesthetic, your anaesthetist will also come and talk to you. I shall then come and see you, confirm consent and mark you up for your proposed operation. You will then get an opportunity to ask any last minute questions. 

The operating theatre

Once in the operating department (theatre), your identification bracelet, name and date of birth will be checked.

Your anesthetic will be given in the anesthetic room. Your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels will be monitored throughout the procedure.

After the operation, you will be taken to the recovery room and one the recovery team are satisfied you have recovered safely from your anesthetic, you will be taken back to your room.

Pain Relief Afterwards

After your operation you will be given painkillers to keep you comfortable. Good pain relief is important to your recovery so it’s important to talk to the nursing staff about how you are feeling. Some people need more pain relief than others.

Booking your procedure

After the consultation I will send a detailed letter to you and your family doctor, explaining what was discussed at consultation. You will also receive an information pack via email with more information about your procedure, a consent form and a quotation.

A two week “cooling off” period after your consultation allows you to consider what was said and to change your mind if necessary.

If you think of other questions you would like to ask before making up your mind, it’s advisable to arrange a second consultation, so we can go through these in detail.

To book a date for your operation, you need to read the consent form, initial each page and sign and date the last page. You must return this signed consent form before you can book a date for surgery. The completed form can be scanned and returned by email to kate@guysterne.co.uk or posted to Mr Sterne, c/o West Midlands Hospital, Colman Hill, Halesowen, B63 2AH.

Once this completed consent form has been returned, my team will be in contact to confirm the theatre date and to take a non-refundable deposit to secure this date.

Arranging a consultation

If you would like to arrange a consultation, please call my friendly team on 0121 361 8008.

Preparing for surgery

There are several things you can do to prepare for your surgery. Giving up smoking, losing weight, reducing alcohol consumption and getting fit will all help you recover more quickly from the procedure.

There are some specific things you need to do too, but we will send you information about this ahead of any procedure.

Visit my contact page to get in touch by telephone or email.