Vik Khullar - pelvic floor reconstruction

[cardamomginger]

Hi Everyone,
I need to have pelvic floor reconstructive surgery and I was wondering if anyone had had this, or a similar, type of surgery by Vik Khullar. I really like him and find him very easy to talk to, but I want to reassure myself that he is the best surgeon for the job. Anyone had a great experience with a different surgeon? Would be grateful for any thoughts!
Thanks.

[NulliusInVerba]

Hi,
I dont know the surgeon you mention but didnt want your post to go unanswered! Are you having it on the NHS or private?

[first1]

Not heard of that surgeon either (are you in London?) but wanted to wish you luck. I've got to have a third (ffs!) surgery on my perineal scar as I have wound sinuses developed. Sooo bored of it all!

[first1]

I recommend Michelle fynes. She's treated me and I recommended her to my mum for pelvic floor reconstruction. She's lovely and an absolute professional. She gives lectures to other surgeons about pelvic floor issues. Her nhs hospital is st georges, and private at the lister in Chelsea and parkside in Wimbledon x

[cardamomginger]

Hi - thanks for the recommendation. Will look her up. Have health insurance so am going private. SO sorry that you are having to have yet more surgery . I have a build up of scar tissue which needs sorting, although I guess that'll happen at the same time as the reconstruction. XX

[first1]

I see her privately too, at Parkside, in fact I've always managed to get an appt with her the same day. She did my restitch, rectocele repair, will be doing my next op and my mum was treated by her for rectocele and cystocele surgery. Can't recommend her enough.

[afg71]

Hi
I have had lots of surgery following a missed 3rd degree tear at Barnet Hospital back in 98 due to very large baby. Subsequently needed anterior repair at northwick park and Sphincter repair at St marks. In 2007 i had a posterior repair and perineum repair performed by UCH with SIS mesh. I had severe pain for a year. Now they say i have pudendal nerve damage. I was given the name of doctors who specialise in Pelvic floor reconstruction and Urogynae. I was given 4 names from a doctor at the Royal Free who gave them high praise. 1, Michelle Fynes St Georges, 2, Vik Khullar at St Mary's
3< Abdul Sultan at may day Croydon 4, Linda Cardozo at Kings College. My Gastroenterologist who i trust says i should see Linda Cardozo or Abdul Sultan. I am hoping to see Abdul Sultan as. I wanted to see Michelle Fynes regarding the mesh i have inserted but she is on long term leave. i have been researching vik khullar and it seems he does do pelvic floor reconstruction. I have had such a bad experience with surgeries and i hope i get it right in my decision and hopfeully they will be able to help me although i hear that SIS mesh is difficult to remove.
Please do let me know how you get on with Vik Khullar and if anyone has had any surgery from Abdul Sultan please do let me know. Also if anyone else has had experience with SIS mesh please let me know.

[cardamomginger]

Hi,

So sorry to hear you have had such a bad time of it. It's awful .

I recently had my second operation with Vik - I needed 2 because my injuries were so extensive and I needed 5 procedures to repair them. I have nothing but the highest praise for him. I have found him to be extremely kind and sympathetic. He takes a holistic view of things to find the solution that will best fit that patient taking into account their lifestyle and needs. This seems obvious, but unfortunately it's not. I saw Linda for a second opinion and she had a one-size-fits all approach - she offered one solution, which was unacceptable to me. Take it or leave it. She was not particularly sympathetic or compassionate - for example she expressed complete surprise and incomprehension when I explained what I psychological toll the trauma of the birth and the subsequent injuries had taken on me.

Anyway, back to Vik. He is an extremely skilled diagnostician and surgeon. He spotted things that other urogynaes had missed and explored different surgical options to give me the result that would be best for me. Linda wanted to give me a hysterectomy. Vik has saved my uterus and I still have the possibility of having more children. Vik noticed a gap in my muscle wall. The others missed this. I really can't speak highly enough of him. I have referred two friend to him, one of whom ended up having surgery with him. They are both delighted. Yes, Vik does remove meshes.

Selecting the right gynae for this kind of surgery is a very personal matter and you have to feel comfortable with the surgeon and confident that they will do their best for you. I really would recommend getting at least an opinion from Vik, even if you decide to go with someone else. On teh NHS he heads the tertiary uro-gynae centre at St Mary's. Privately, he is at the Lindo Wing at St Mary's and in and around Harley Street. If you want his secretary's details, please PM me.

As an aside - Michelle Fynes has been suspended by the GMC, she is not exactly on 'long term leave'....

Please let me know if you want to talk about things further.

X

[Melodyrose]

Hi afg71,

Just read your post and I am going through similar difficulties. I have had terrible experiences with surgeries and have been in terrible pain for over 5 months since my last surgery performed by Michelle Fynes who has recently been suspended. I too have mesh which has eroded and Pudendal nerve damage. I am due for surgery on the mesh in a few weeks and I am terrified that somebody inexperienced will end up doing it and I will be in even more pain.

Unfortunately I do not have private health insurance although I did pay for the first prolapse surgery had done by Miss Fynes, sadly it failed within a few months. I have had nothing but cancelled operations and appointments for the past 3 years and I desperately want my life back. I am unable to work or do many things I used to enjoy and it is a massive strain on my marriage, family and social life plus not being at work has made life difficult financially.

I was hoping Miss Fynes would finally put things right and now I don't know what to do for best. I was under Vik Khullar at St Mary's 3 years ago but I never, ever got to see him, I saw a different doc each time. I was originally due to have the repair done at St Mary's but the operation was cancelled the evening before I was due to go due to lack of beds, hence the reason we contacted Miss Fynes in the first place.

I would be very interested to know what you decide to do. I do not even know what mesh was used in me as up until the morning of the op I was told the repair would be done abdominally using a graft but on the morning the Consultant changed her mind saying that the vaginal approach with mesh would be better and sadly I trusted her judgement.

I want to wish you all the very best as I know exactly what you are going through. Nobody really understands the pain and discomfort unless they have felt it.

Please keep me informed of your progress,

Best wishes,
Melody

[cardamomginger]

Melody - this is dreadful. I'm so so sorry . Who are you due to have surgery with? What is intended to be done? Not sure I can add anything more to the post I've already left on this thread in terms of surgical decisions and my experiences. But if you need to talk and some support, I am here - either on the thread, or PM.
X

[Melodyrose]

Hi cardomginger and thank you for replying. I honestly do not know who will do the op or what they intend to do. I was too upset to ask anything when they told me the mesh had eroded. That was 2 weeks ago. I was sent a date for surgery at the end of August but I have since tried to speak to someone and am not having any luck. I went to the PALS office and they said that I could ask as many questions as I like at the pre op but that is no help. They also said that they would get the last doctor I saw to call me. That was over a week ago and I've heard nothing. I rang PALS again and was told someone would definitely ring me today. If I don't hear by 2pm I was told to ring again. I really don't know who to turn to or what to do. My GP says he can't get involved as he has no power over the hospital. I don't know if they simply intend to trim the mesh or try to remove it, nor do I know if somebody experienced will do it or if I'll be left with a whole bunch of students (the thought of which terrifies me). Do you have any advice, what would you do? I don't know what my rights are under these curcumstances. All this is making me ill but I am so grateful to have you to talk to. X

[cardamomginger]

Oh God Melody . I was in pieces when I had all my injuries and was facing surgery so I can't imagine what you must be going through and .

I don't know what to say that's of any help. I think you have to find out what it is that they are intending to do and whether there are any other options before your pre-op assessment so you can think things through, what the relative risks and benefits of the procedures are and make your decision. After everything you have been through, you need to feel that you are making the right decision and the uncertainty at the moment must be killing you.

I think that PALS can and should be more helpful. It's fine to say you can ask as many questions as you like at pre-op, but it's a bit late to then decide that you need to do your own reading and research round the area. Can you go back to them and explain that you did not have sufficient time or emotional strength to discuss what will be happening and that you do not feel that, even with a pre-op discussion, you are in the position to give informed consent to this surgical procedure? Can you go to the hospital and physically sit in their office? Cry if you need to? Refuse to leave if you need to?

Which hospital is this at? I think Michelle was at St Georges? Even though you had this done privately, if your repair is at St George's then I think they owe you an 'extra' duty of care to make sure you have all the time and information you need to make the correct decision. Maybe stress this point? In any case, even if it's not at St George's (and it's only my hazy recollection that Michelle was there), can you stress to PALS that this surgery is because of poor practice by a surgeon who is currently suspended by the GMC and is under investigation?

If you were my friend in RL, I'd say get pay for a private consultation with Vik. tell him what's gone wrong. Tell him that you only went to Michelle because your surgery was cancelled at Mary's and you couldn't cope any longer. Tell him that you were referred to him but never saw him. See what he says. And see what he recommends.

I know seeing another doctor may be more than you can stand right now. And going 'back' to him may be distressing. But Vik really does care and may be able to help. He and his team do mesh removals and sort out surgical procedures performed by other teams that has gone wrong. If you want his secretary's details, PM me.

I feel so bad for you.

XX

[OhEmGee24]

Michelle fynes has been suspended by the GMC whilst they complete an investigation.

[daisyji]

Gosh so sorry Melody and really hope you get sorted out asap.

I'm really interested in your experience cardamom ginger.

I have had uterine resuspension with Mr Fayyad, which seems to have worked buty I am now incontinent with a large cystocele and he has suggested I have an anterior repair with mesh and tvt tape. I have read sooo many awful stories about vaginal mesh...

And saw that Linda Cardozo was top of her field, but now Vik Khullar as well, it's such a scary minefield. But doing nothing and staying incontinent doesn't seem so good either.

Any comments or advice greatfully received, mesh or no mesh?

Many thanks

[cardamomginger]

Hi daisy,
Will make this quick as my internet connection is beign an absolute £$%&@ today and I may lose it before I finish!
DO NOT EVER LET ANYONE PUT A POLYPROPOLENE MESH IN YOUR VAGINA. EVER!!!!! This is bad practice and, as I understand it, is now banned on the NHS. If he is talking of using a collagen mesh (that absorbs into the body and provides just a bit more strength and security, particularly during healing) that is fine and is in fact much better than using nothing.
Linda is highly skilled and highly competent in what she does. But she won;t think outside the box to give you a more individualised approach. What she does will be excellent, but it may not be what you prefer for your lifestyle, IYSWIM. In my case, she said she'd consent me for hysterectomy, which would have been a surgically appropriate thing to do in my case and would have solved my problems. But it was not an acceptable option for me, and Vik Khullar, recognising this gave me an alternative way to go forward, which was to suspend the uterus. Obviously, this doesn't apply in your case - just an e.g. of how Linda looks at things. Another caveat with Linda is that she has had a sympathy/empathy bypass. Complete lack of bedside manner may or may not matter to you!
Don't know anything about Mr Fayyad - which hospital is he at? My recommendation would always be to at least get an opinion from Vik Khullar and probably from a couple of other surgeons if you can. Despite what I've said, Linda is an excellent surgeon, and it might be worth hearing what she has to say. You've got to get this right and you;ve got to feel confident in the person who is operating. That's so important.
OK. going to see if I still have internet and try and post this! More than happy to talk either on this thread or PM if you want.
And I am so so sorry this is happening to you. It's dreadful. XX

[daisyji]

Thanks so much for your reply cardomginger, I have PM d you. x

[Dandeliondust]

Hello all. 1st time poster. Was just about to try to rebook my follow up with Miss Fynes only to see this and other info to say she has been suspended???! Does anyone have any further info on this - if it's is actually true and the reason why? I have nothing but 100% good things to say about her - she looked after me so well before, during and after my prolapse repair (following traumatic birth) at 32 years when I was a total depressed and shocked wreck. Anyone who used Miss Fynes - can they suggest a close 2nd? I would like it to be female preferably after being dismissed by a top male gynae. Thanks for any advice!

[cardamomginger]

Hi Dandelion,
That must be unsettling for you! You can look Miss Fynes up on the GMC website and you will find as much information as is publicly accessible right now. As you will see, she had undertakings imposed on her practice and has now been suspended pending investigation. This is usually because of allegations of malpractice or negligence, which could be because of inappropriate or inadequate treatment of patients.
I don't have any recommendations for a female gynae. My only experience was of Linda Cardozo and I would not recommend her if you are concerned about feeling dismissed or otherwise treated without respect.... I have had very positive experiences of Vik Khullar, but if you are set on a female gynae (and I understand this), then he wouldn't be suitable for you.
Could you go back to Miss Fynes's practice and ask who they are referring her patients to? There must be something set up to take care of her patients who need follow-up or who are mid-treatment?
Good luck!

[yh75]

Hi Melodyrose,
I hope you are well now ! I just read your post and I almost had the same problem as afg71.I had my son in Jun last year in Northwickpark Hospital and I had a forceps delivery and 3rd tear .I have not recovered since then .The wound became infected and broke down and discharged pus .My GP always gave me Antibiotic and it does not help me .I saw my GP in November last year and told me my wound developed a permanent sinus .I can not get an appointment from my hospital right now . I am in pain every day .So I went to a private hospital and they recommend Vik Khullar for me and I will see him next week . I want to get my normal life back and I have to pay myself I have not had chose .

[yh75]

Hi Melodyrose,
I hope you are well now ! I just read your post and I almost had the same problem as afg71.I had my son in Jun last year in Northwickpark Hospital and I had a forceps delivery and 3rd tear .I have not recovered since then .The wound became infected and broke down and discharged pus .My GP always gave me Antibiotic and it does not help me .I saw my GP in November last year and told me my wound developed a permanent sinus .I can not get an appointment from my hospital right now . I am in pain every day .So I went to a private hospital and they recommend Vik Khullar for me and I will see him next week . I want to get my normal life back and I have to pay myself I have not had chose .

[Kitsilano]

I have seen Vik Khullar and cannot recommend him highly enough. He was incredibly kind, thoughtful and thorough in trying to understand my individual situation.

For me too he identified an issue that others had missed and which turned out to be the root cause of all the issues I was having.

[yh75]

Hi kitsilano,
How are you ?hope you are well now ! I am new this talking and thank you for replying .I am so scared about my trouble and I suffered too long .can I know more about your issues?
Thank you!

[Kitsilano]

Hi yh75,

Really sorry to hear about your problems. I had a severe bladder prolapse following the birth of DD2. Was severely incontinent. Minor surgery (TVT) did nothing to fix the problem and eventually I had a colposuspension. This fixed the incontinence bit I was left with what felt like a bladder infection the whole time - for almost 2 years. In the end I couldn't go out, and had to sleep on my knees, was in absolute misery. My gynae tried a few different drugs but nothing worked. Had a bladder biopsy and was referred to Vik Khullar.

He was completely amazing in his focus and determination to get to the bottom of the problem, was incredibly kind, gentle and understanding, reassured me that it would be solved, that I did not have to live like this, and after asking lots of questions he realised that I had a genetic disorder that not only explained what I was experiencing but also explained many of the health problems I have experienced through my life. Knowing this helped tailor the treatment and I am now I would say 90% fine.

I highly recommend him. Best of luck.

[yh75]

Hi kitsilano,
Many thanks for your help !
I am so sorry to hear your problem too ! I know that what difficult you have been though and how hard it is ! I just wish you are getting better day by day and enjoy your life !
I am going to see him this week .
Please keep in touch !
Best wishes !

[footmum]

I strongly recommend Claudine Domoney consultant urogynaecologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. She trained with Miss Fynes and I saw both of them for my pelvis floor reconstruction and prolapse repair as Miss Fynes who I originally saw was not covered by Axa PPP. They are both excellent and for those of you who are missing Miss Fynes, she practices in a very similar way.

[polly1970]

Hi Dandelion,
I was recently treated by Stergios Doumouchstis, he was recommended to me through my GP as I was keen to be treated asap. I was having terrible problems with prolapse and also incontinence :( also my relationship was really suffering! Anyway, I was seen very quickly and he was spot on with his assessment. I saw him at Parkside in Wimbledon. I think he also sees women at the Lister Hospital in Chelsea. Anyway good luck, I hope you get yourself sorted :)