"Cosmetic surgery on NHS" question

[JumboBeef]

I was asked a question by a patient which I could not answer, anyone here know please?

A person who has had a gastric reduction on the NHS and then has had a large reduction (close on 50%) in weight, will have an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) operation on the NHS as part of the treatment (once weight has stabilised).

The question is: could that person pay for "extra" cosmetic surgery whilst undergoing the abdominoplasty? She has lost a lot of weight off her neck and breasts and would like some sort of neck and boob job and understands these needs to be done privately. Could she pay the extra to have them done at the same time? Common sense seems to say it has to be cheaper to get it all done at the same time....?

(In Scotland, if this makes a difference).

Thanks.

[MacGee]

Would doubt they'd do at same time. Question of liability if complications. And maybe different surgeons...only a guess.

[mph1977]

MacGee said:

Would doubt they'd do at same time. Question of liability if complications. And maybe different surgeons...only a guess.

I suspect you are correct in that assumption. In theory if the NHS unit in question has a private patient facility the person could have it done at a suitable point by the relevant nHS teamas a private patient.

Private units within NHS hospitals offer the best of both worlds, although if you have a modern / refurbed hospital a lot of the benefits of amenity room/ NHS private patient unit are increasingly negated ( with a 50/50 chance of a getting a single room and if you don;t you'll be a 2 or 4 bed room rather than 6 or 8 beddded bays of the 60s-80s builds or the open 'nightingale' wards of the legacy estate.

[JumboBeef]

Thanks for the replies.

I suppose I'm looking at it like a car service: "while you've got her up on the ramps, could you do an oil/filter change while you're under there"

[drfrank]

As a plastic surgeon i can say it depends on the CCG criteria for cosmetic surgery following weight loss surgery. Some will fund abdominoplasty, thigh lift, brachioplasty, belt lipectomy, mastopexy it really does depend.
If the patient is only funded for abdominoplasty he/she may well be able to pay for other procedures to be done at the same time. It really depends on what surgeries the patient wants and if there are other issues that raise concerns.

Post-bariatric body contouring on the NHS is going to become a big issue with the rising trend of bariatric surgery. Once the bariatric surgery has been performed the patients are often left with skin literally falling off them, the question is...does the NHS have a responsibility to correct this 'side effect' of bariatric surgery ??

[JumboBeef]

Ok thanks.

[Psycho Warren]

The other issue with this is do people who loose the weight themselves get the same cosmetic surgery funding on the NHS?

ie 2 patients equally as obese, one gets a gastric band, one does it old school.

Morals would say the person who did it themselves without a band would be more deserving - although it would likely take them longer so the skin thing might not be such a big issue.