Home & Away

By: Linda Briggs
Created on 09th November 2009

The UK's leading independent cosmetic surgery adviser, Linda Briggs, answers all your cosmetic surgery questions

Top tips for choosing a surgeon

A surgeon on your doorstep, who can do exactly what you want, be GMC specialist registered and have fantastic prices, is on everyone's wish list.

If price is a big consideration, then you might be looking at going abroad for surgery. You can still find a good surgeon, but you have to be very careful how you choose.

The internet can be a dangerous place, because anyone can put up a website. Don't take anything at face value. Question what you see and demand proof. Certainly don't just be guided by price. If it doesn't add up, then ask why?

Forums can also be dangerous. Find out who runs it and if they have an incentive to denigrate all practitioners, bar one surgeon! Remember everyone's experience of surgery is different.

You also need to research the individual surgeons, as well as the clinics, and certainly not rely on the thousands of agents who are springing up all over the world.

The GMC is a standard we are all familiar with and we know that if a surgeon is specialist registered, that's as good as it gets, so set that as your minimum requirement. There are many GMC specialist registered surgeons working abroad. No surgeon from abroad is allowed to carry out consultations and follow-ups in the UK unless they are registered.

Most surgeons will belong to organisations that require an annual fee. They have to meet the minimum standard of qualification, but it does not mean they are a better surgeon than a surgeon who is not a member of a particular organisation. See my website for a list of most of the organisations around the world.

My partner would like me to have a bigger bum. Are there any procedures available?

There are several ways this can be achieved depending on the amount of inconvenience you want to put yourself to for your man!
1. Buttock implants. These are like silicon breast implants inserted into the buttocks. This is the longest lasting option, but allow plenty of healing time.
2. Brazilian Butt Lift. This is a combination of liposuction and fat transfer. Firstly you have liposuction from the waist area, which gives definition, and then your own fat is injected into the butt cheeks. This gives a lovely sexy result and can be easily added to for a fuller butt.
3. Macrolane or a similar dermal filler can be used but this is a temporary procedure.

I have always been self-conscious of my vagina and suffer from bladder problems. What can I do?

You are not alone with this problem. The labia can be trimmed very easily and is commonly called a ‘designer vagina'.

Your bladder problems are probably due to childbirth and your pelvic floor needs repairing; generally if you suffer with this problem, then the vagina needs tightening as well.

It's possible to have all three procedures carried out at the same time and the best person for this is a gynaecologist.

SPOTLIGHT ON... FRANCE

France, generally, is very highly regulated as far as surgery is concerned. You will have great difficulty finding any information about French surgeons because they are not allowed to advertise their services.

Paris offers an array of exclusive clinics and some very specialised surgeons. A weekend trip to the Golden Triangle will enable you to shop in some very exclusive designer shops and have some injectables or other non-surgical procedures.

The law in France is that you must have a consultation with the anaesthetist 48 hours before surgery if you are having a general anaesthetic, so some forward planning is needed.

CS&AM