best Cesarean surgeon london

[SaintTropez]

I am nearly 50 years old.
I am planning my third elective C section at St Marys due to my research on ICU and general quality service.
As we all know obstetricians are not cosmetic surgeons.

I am searching for a top abdo surgeon with best stitching / tissue welding, muscle tissue connection, and scar tissue removal skills.
Using latest techniques.
Will work along side my Obstetrician.
Any ideas?

I am planning my third elective C section at St Marys due to my research on ICU and general quality service.
As we all know obstetricians are not cosmetic surgeons.

I am searching for a top abdo surgeon with best stitching / tissue welding, muscle tissue connection, and scar tissue removal skills.
Using latest techniques.
Will work along side my Obstetrician.
Any ideas?

Hi, I have never heard of a plastic surgeon taking over from an obstetrician but my ob did an amazing job on both my c sectioon internally and externally. During mysecond she removed the old scar and used glue rather than stitches for the external repair which made recovery much quicker and I do not have the hardness like I did with my old scar which was also invisible but felt hard. It also faded much quicker and no overhang whatsoever. She only practises at the Portland but it is perfectly reasonable to quiz obs on surgical preferences so ask a few and the midwives on the Lindo wing should be able to help as well.

Forgot to add, I assume you are intending to go private, if not it will be the luck of the draw who you get and you may not get a consultant performing the section. I also cannot see the NHS entertaining the idea of you bringing in a cosmetic surgeon. At the Portland this also would not happen as all consultants have to pass a criteria to gain admitting rights so a random surgeon would not be allowed.

Thank you fgr,
yes of course private.
I had a nightmare 16 years ago at the Chelsea and Westminster. I went into labour 14 days early and my private obs was not around, fell into the hands of the National Health Service. All was going well on oxygen, over 10cm dilated, family around. Then came along a very young looking guy who claimed I had asked for epidural. He got out a horse needle made me lay on my side and stabbed me twice missing the target (huge pain). Then he hit and injected straight into my spinal cord (instead of the gap). Apparently in 3/5 people this stops their heart. Unfortunately I was one of the three. My last memory was the wind on my face as me gurney was rushed down the corridor, emergency staff counting down my heart beat; at 32 I passed out, they said "save the baby" and my brother said she likes to wear bikinis.
I was 4 hours on life support. They had performed a slash and grab cutting straight through all my muscles. The stitching was morgue quality.
The service was so bad I checked myself out a day and a half later in a terrible state.
They refused to give me my file and later said they had lost it (presumably so I could sue them)
It was diabolical, and I never want to repeat the experience.
I had another baby one year later in Kenya at the Aga Khan hospital. Very civilised in comparison.
But this time round, I really need some muscle tissue reconnection, a professional plastic surgeon as an obs real job is to deliver babies not stitch and reconnect muscle tissue.
I agree the obs should be in charge, but I need someone looking after my stomach too, not just the baby this time.
I need a general anaesthetic with catheter put in after, not before —which is their usual preference.
Basically I know what I need I just wanted to know if anyone else had a similar crew at the birth. And if so who.
An obs on his or her own unless he's cross trained (unlikely in UK) I fear is not going to be sufficient. Any ideas?

First of all I am so sorry for your other experience, it is totally understandable that you need your stomach sorting out.
Regarding the catheter on bith iccassions I had mine inserted after the spinal so that should not be an issue
Regarding the surgeon I do think the best way forward would be to find an ob you like and see what they say. Like I said mine only practises st the Portland but my scans were performed by Guy Thorpe Beeston who practises at the Lindo as well and he was lovely and easy to talk to, apparently he was one of the doctors who delivered Prince George. .

So sorry for your awful experience.

I think you need to listen to what people are saying though - which is that (at least in the UK) you would rarely get a plastic surgeon working alongside an obstetrician in the way you want. So I think you need to go through the obstetrician first and see if you can find anyone who is willing to work in this way. If that is viable, you can then look for recommendations. Even if the Ob is willing, it may be that there are only a couple of plastic surgeons he/she is willing to work with.

If it isn't viable, you will need to start thinking about them as separate procedures. Like a previous poster, I have heard that cosmetic/reconstructive procedures are generally not as successful if performed at the same time as the section (because everything is out of place and distended) and that the best plastic surgeons tend to ask you to wait some months after the birth.

Thank you. I tried Guy Thorpe Beeston, but he hung up his forceps after Prince George and now only does Gynae.
Am still on the hunt for OBS who is not on holiday in August.
Will keep you posted.

If you are going down the private route would you be prepared to give the Portland a go? Only reason I say this is that there sre a lot more consultants based there.

You may need to have separate procedures. Good abdominoplasty (muscle work and suturing only, not including excess tissue removal) can take 2-3 hours. Do you really want that after having a baby?

Why do you want the catheter put in after the op? It is a big op, the catheter is put in pre-op to keep an eye on your fluid output during the op.

You may be hard pushed to find a theatre that will allow this to happen in one go. A 'list' is booked. Say you are on a morning list of three ladies having c-section then you would have to be last as you require more time. If there is an afternoon list then they will want to start on time. Theatre's are booked in 'slots' iyswim?

I mean I dont want the Catheter inserted after the anaesthetic is administered (it has to be in before the op).
If they put it in before administering anaesthetic its extremely painful but they prefer this for certain reasons.
If you're having epidural first thats ok but I can't.

The main problem is my stomach and womb and muscles need serious stitching. We are not talking tummy tuck, we are talking survival. So the best would be an obs who is a plastic surgeon too. I know all obs are surgeons, but an obs main interest is delivering babies not sorting out mothers tummy tissue.
I am not having a delivery I am having surgery and this is where the problem lies.

Have you met any obstetricians yet? What has been suggested to you so far? Given your circumstances you need to be seeing as many obstetricians as possible until you find one you like. I can recommend lots as have lots of friends who delivered privately like myself but they don't deliver at Lindo.

I've never known them to put in a catheter before the patient is asleep.

Having read through all your posts again I'll just say - good luck.

Yes they like to if you are having a general for the C as it minimises time under anaesthetic before they remove the baby.
Its excruciating!!!

I really like Tom Setchell,
any one heard anything either way about him please??

Hi there
Is there any chance you could share the name of the obstetrician who carried out your c section ?
Many thanks