Best London nhs hospital for hysterectomy

[MyBeloved]

Hi ladies

Looking likely this is going to be an option. Can anyone recommend a hospital with a good reputation please? It's a blooming minefield out there.

Thanks x

[MaliaGrace]

Queen Charlottes was v good.

[MyBeloved]

Thank you malia. Did you see a particular consultant? I know on the nhs I can't really specify but I'm a complicated case so would like to state my case for doing so.

[tobee]

Kingston hospital was excellent. Mr Chow consultant.

[tobee]

Sorry just remembered. I had the op at Kingston but initial meeting with doctors and follow up at Queen Mary's Roehampton. So, for example, original referral and choose and book from GP to Queen Mary's.

[MyBeloved]

Perfect. How did you hear about Mr chow? Was he recommended?

[MaliaGrace]

I saw Professor D. Keith Edmonds - he was beyond brilliant. I had a procedure prior to the hysterectomy which went v wrong. It resulted in me suffering from a v rare condition, he was the only person who had hear of it and knew what to do! Aside from that he v pleasant, calm etc.

[MyBeloved]

I tend to turn into a bit of a nervous wreck when it comes to my gynaecological health due to past procedures that haven't gone as planned. I am terrified and really need to feel the person who is operating on me knows what they are doing and will listen to my concerns. You say prof edmonds is calm malia? Did you feel safe with him - medically speaking?

[MaliaGrace]

I won't go in to detail but I had previously had a lot of issues similar to those you've made reference to (eg I was advised to sue the hospital/NHS due to poor care, I chose not to but did submit a hefty complaint).

Anyway, the point is, Prof Edmunds was one of the v few people who understood what my concerns were because he listened to me and had the knowledge and experience to find the answers.

By the time I saw him, I had lost ALL faith and had seen 4 other Drs all of whom had attempted to minimise my issues. I ended up walking out of the fourth appointment (as the Dr was lying to me about the options available) and knocking on the Prof' door. I apologised for knocking/troubling him but explained what had happened. He asked the Dr what had happened and then v firmly told the Dr that he was wrong in terms of the advise given to me. He went through all of the options with both of us and then insisted that the Dr apologise to me. I was so relieved as had previously felt as if I was in some parallel universe, no one was listening to me and each Dr had insisted that a coil was the only answer to all of my problems!

So that was my intro to the Prof. He was the only person I trusted, he was the only person who made me feel safe and believe me, I received such poor treatment prior to seeing him that I was in the process of being treated for PTSD.

My GP specialises in gynae/womens health and she said that in terms of West London choices, the hospital was one of the best - that was her opinion, I don't know that for sure and had never used it for anything else but in terms of the Prof, I trusted him 100 percent. He is v calm, reassuring and never appears to be in a hurry.

I'm sorry you've had crap experiences and apologise my post is so flipping long - I rarely refer people to professionals that I've encountered but I honestly had no hesitation in mentioning the Prof.

[MyBeloved]

malia, thank you so very much - it means a lot to me that you have shared your story and gives me a good idea of the kind of person the Professor is. It sounds like you and I have been down similar paths with regards to 'care'. It certainly leaves its mark. You have my sympathy.

In terms of requesting the Prof via the nhs, do you think this is possible?

[MaliaGrace]

No worries. I honestly don't know the answer to your question. I can't see the harm in asking your GP. Presumably if you explain your concerns regarding previous experiences then they should at least try?

I wouldn't wish what I went through on anybody and I'm truly sorry you've had an awful time.

[MyBeloved]

Thank you. As you say, there is no harm in asking. I will wait until my next appointment and then test the water. Thanks again - you've been so helpful. I really hope your troubles are at an end now x

[Ankleswingers]

I knew somebody that had a hysterectomy with Mr Chow. He was very good apparently.

Good luck OP - hope all goes well.

[MyBeloved]

Thanks ankle

[MountainDweller]

I'm guessing you don't want to say why you're having the hysterectomy - but you should look for a specialist in your condition. For example if you have endometriosis, you need to be certain that the surgeon will remove all traces off the disease using excision, otherwise it is likely to reoccur, even after a total hysterectomy.

[MyBeloved]

I do not have endometriosis.

[MatildaTheCat]

You can ask to be referred to anyone you like. Some hospitals override this for example if one consultant gets double the referrals to another one so the letter needs to specifically request that you see Prof X and nobody else.

[MyBeloved]

That's very helpful indeed matilda - thank you. Will I be told pretty quickly if my request will he over ridden?

[MatildaTheCat]

In my experience, if a letter said, 'Dear Prof X, please see this patient for your opinion regarding X condition. She has very specifically asked for your opinion in view of your interest of this condition.' It would be unlikely to be passed over.

If the letter said, ' Dear Prof X, I would be grateful if you could review Mrs Y who has been suffering with a, b and c for some time now.' The the referral could be deemed suitable to be passed to a less busy individual.

Just be very clear to your GP that it isn't simply the hospital you want to be seen at. It's possible,of course that a popular specialist may have much longer waiting lists than a newer or more generalist consultant.

It is really important that you feel comfortable with your surgeon but even more important they are technically excellent.

[MyBeloved]

matilda that is excellent advice. I am very grateful and will definitely speak with my GP about it at my next appointment. I wish I could pen the letter myself!!

[tobee]

Hi. The reason I chose Queen Mary's originally was purely down to the fact that it was the quickest appointment on the choose and book system.. So I don't know the steps you would choose to specifically request Mr Chow.

Also, the anaesthetist at Kingston was very good. He used a combination of the normal general anaesthetic and an epidural, I believe, and so I barely suffered from the effects afterwards.

Obviously, I might have been lucky due to my particular circumstances, but I had minimal pain afterwards. Even though I was wired up to one of those morphine drips you press a button to self administer, I didn't need to use it once. Plus I mustn't forget to say that the nursing staff were lovely and efficient.