Case Study: Exchange of Implants

About 15 years ago, Abby underwent breast enlargement. Little did she know that years later, she’d run into a distressing problem.

“I had breast augmentation elsewhere, and, having a scan about four years ago, I discovered that one of my implants had ruptured. The shape of my breast was awful – the implant made my breast protrude out at the side. I felt so self-conscious… I wouldn’t wear anything tight-fitting and hated wearing a bikini on holiday or taking the children swimming. I lost my confidence again and started to feel how I did before I had that original procedure all those years ago.

“After much consideration I decided I wanted both implants removing and new ones put in place. I knew my surgery wasn’t going to be as straightforward as just replacing implants. I did some research and found that St Hugh’s Hospital came highly recommended, especially Mr Riaz. After speaking with friends and colleagues, it turned out that three different people I knew had used Mr Riaz for different procedures and each one couldn’t fault him. I decided to book an appointment.

“My first contact was with Cosmetics Sister Sarah Grantham, an absolutely lovely lady who is very friendly and professional. At my first consultation, Sarah made me feel really comfortable and less nervous. Mr Riaz too made me feel the same way. His confidence assured me that I wanted him to do the procedure. He was very professional and thorough with his explanation of how he would remove the implant, reconstruct my breast, and replace the implants. No stone was left unturned, and no question unanswered.”

Operation day arrived and Abby was feeling nervous. “Sarah met me in the waiting room at St Hugh’s and took me to my room. She was so reassuring and patient – I was worried about how I would recover, and her reassurance really helped. Mr Riaz came to see me, and he too reassured me, and I found that I was really excited. The thought of having my confidence back made me feel that way. I realized then that I was actually calm. I was lying on the bed reading a magazine just before I went into theatre and didn’t have a care in the world. It was wonderful.

“All the staff at St Hugh’s were brilliant and nothing was too much trouble. The room was lovely and clean. I was provided with towels, toiletries and a dressing gown. The food was freshly cooked and delicious. I slept really well and the nurses checked several times to see if I was comfortable and in need of anything.

“My surgery went really well. I didn’t vomit and found that I had hardly any pain and was able to move about better than expected. I was back to doing all my normal activities within less than two weeks. My recovery was a lot better than the first time around.

“That aside, I was so touched that Mr Riaz came to see me before he went home following the day of the operation and was straight back to check up on me the following morning. He is attentive and professional, which I think is hard to come by.

“The aftercare I received was second-to-none. I had a slight problem with the surgical bra being too tight and uncomfortable due to swelling. After speaking with Sarah, she told me to come straight to the hospital where she provided me with a better fitting one. While I was there, she looked at all my dressings and gave me the once-over even though I wasn’t booked in for that until another two days.

“I would absolutely recommend both Mr Riaz and St Hugh’s Hospital. Mr Riaz has given me my confidence back and for that I am truly grateful.”

*Abby is not the patient’s real name; permission has been granted share this story.