A Guide To Arranging Cosmetic Surgery
The prospect of arranging cosmetic surgery may seem a little daunting, especially if this is something you are considering for the first time. We’ve put together a guide that explains what you can expect when choosing to have your surgery with us.
1. Contact us to arrange your first consultation
We understand the importance of choosing the right surgeon - not just in terms of their skill set but also ensuring you feel comfortable with them. Because we want to ensure that not only the surgery but also the surgeon is right for you, we offer free 10 minute “mini-appointments” to patients who are considering cosmetic surgery, but who would like an informal chat in the first instance just to get an understanding of what might be involved. There is no obligation to proceed with a full appointment. Please note that there will not be an examination or discussion surrounding your individual circumstances at this appointment. Just ask for the mini-consultation when you book, rather than a full consultation.
A booking for a consultation can be made by contacting my secretary directly (0113 2185971) or contacting the relevant hospital bookings team (see below for contact details). We can normally arrange an appointment for you within a couple of days, however this may be longer depending on which hospital you choose to proceed at.
The cost of an initial consultation is £150. This is a one-off fee which will also cover any subsequent appointments you may choose to have. We want you to feel confident that you are fully informed about any recommended treatment or surgery, in order to make the important decision of whether to proceed. You can pay either by cash on the day or you will be billed following your consultation via email or postal invoice from MEDSERV UK.
You do not need a GP referral to arrange cosmetic surgery, however it may be advisable if you have a complex medical history.
Out-patient clinics available at:
Spire Leeds Hospital – 0113 218 5967
Alternate Mondays 5.30-8pm, Thursday 9am-12noon, Saturday 8.30-10am
Nuffield Leeds Hospital – 0113 388 2111
Alternate Mondays 6-8pm, alternate Saturdays 11am-1pm
2. Initial consultation
What happens at an initial consultation?
Appointments last approx. half an hour, or as long as you need. Here you will be examined and advised on any recommended treatment or surgery. The nature of the treatment/surgery will be explained to you, along with any associated risks and complications and also what results you can expect afterwards. We may ask one of our nurse specialists to be present for your examination.
Any out-patient treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers will not be carried out at this consultation and we will ask you to return for this at a later date.
We ask for at least a 2 week “cooling off” period before proceeding to surgery, to allow time to consider the information that has been given to you, along with any potential risks and complications.
Depending on your past medical history, you may be asked to have a scan or other investigations e.g. mammogram, to ensure it is safe for you to proceed with surgery. This is something that you may be able to ask your GP to refer you for through the NHS.
3. Quote for treatment
Following your initial consultation, providing no diagnostic tests or scans are required, we will be able to confirm the final price of your treatment/procedure. A tailored written quote is sent to you via email or post, to confirm the cost of your surgery. For now, please refer to our “prices” page for a guide price of the treatment at your preferred hospital.
If surgery is required, each of the listed hospitals offer a “package price” which covers your pre-operative hospital assessment (if required) and the surgical fees of the hospital, your surgeon and anaesthetist. All follow up and dressings appointments until you are ready to be discharged will also be covered under your package.
4. Second consultation
If you are interested in a surgical procedure, you will require at least one more appointment before proceeding to surgery. This and any subsequent appointments you may choose to have will be free of charge as we want to ensure you are 100% happy with the information you have been given in order to make this important decision.
What happens at a second consultation?
We will recap on the initial discussions. More often than not, patients will return with further questions after having time to consider the information given at the initial consultation.
For patients who are considering breast augmentation surgery, an implant sizing exercise will be carried out with one of our specialist plastic surgery nurses.
If any diagnostic scans or tests were recommended at the initial consultation, the results of these will be discussed at the second appointment.
5. Booking your treatment / Surgery
Now you’re ready to book your recommended treatment / surgery. Please contact my secretary by email or phone to discuss potential dates for surgery, allowing for time to recover and allow time off work. We would recommend no long distance travel/flying for 4-6weeks before or after surgery.
You do not need to make a payment for your procedure in order to secure a treatment date. If you are booking in for surgery, the hospital will invoice you separately with your “package price” – payment of this is required approx. seven days prior to your surgery date.
If you are booking in to clinic for a treatment i.e. dermal fillers or Botox, this will be billed to you by the hospital following your appointment.
Once booked in, the hospital will send you an information pack about the admission, process and payment. Please contact my secretary if any advice is required or queries arise.
6. Pre-assessment
If you require surgery under a general anaesthetic, you will be asked to attend a pre-operative assessment. This will be carried out by one of our specialist plastic surgery nurses approx. 10 days prior to your surgery and involves a number of tests which assess your health before you have an anaesthetic.
Procedures which are carried out under a local anaesthetic do not generally require a pre-assessment. This is something which can be confirmed to you at the time of your initial consultation.
COVID - For all day-case and in-patient procedures, a PCR covid test may be required 3days prior to surgery, to be carried out at the same hospital location you are to have your surgery. This is arranged as part of your pre-admission process. There is an additional charge for this of £70 – 80 per test. You will also be required to isolate for a minimum of three full days prior to surgery, this will be confirmed on booking.
7. Medical illustrations
If you feel comfortable doing so, we ask that all patients have pre-operative photographs taken for their file by the local NHS Medical Illustration department. Post-operative photographs are generally requested also, but again this is entirely up to you. This service is part of your surgery package and at no extra charge to you. Medical illustrations are important to document the clinical problem prior to surgery; and are useful to compare to the postoperative outcome. Patients are welcome to ask my secretary for copies if they wish.
Once you have booked a date for surgery, we will send a referral to the Medical Illustration department, who will then call you to arrange a convenient date and time for your photos. They will then send you an email (if provided) or post a letter with the appointment details and directions to the chosen studio (St James’s, Leeds General Infirmary or Chapel Allerton Hospital).
We often recommend trying to tie in the appointment with your hospital pre-assessment or on the morning of surgery (if applicable) as there are studios close to both the Spire and Nuffield Hospitals. The appointment usually only takes about 10minutes.
Your photographs are stored in your patient records. Use of the photographs in a demonstration folder, or website, will only be undertaken after gaining consent and written patient authorisation.
Now you are ready to proceed with surgery!