360 DEGREE CIRCUMFERENTIAL BODY LIFT & LATERAL THIGH LIFT This operation for me was a functional one, albeit elective surgery, it was extremely necessary to improve my quality of life. Surgery booked for 4th July 2021, A life changing day for me and one I will never forget. Went for routine blood tests on Thursday 1st July. Got notified on 2nd July that my blood was a bit naughty and contained antibodies, therefore I had to be admitted a day earlier than planned on the 3rdJuly as to get ready a same match blood for the day of the operation incase of needing a blood transfusion. Operation went well on Sunday 04th July, well so they said. And yes I thought so at the time. 6 hrs on the operating table and my body was looking better. Although, after previous discussions to arrange to get surgical compression garments ready for my surgery,?that hadn’t been done and I was left with a far too small garment put on me, post op, adapted to fit me by cutting down the front seam to make a few sizes bigger,(I still have this garment to this day) Only to experience pain from the garment later that evening as my body began to swell and the garment became far too tight, my right hand side of my stomach was being squashed up and through the extra space made by the adapted cut. This proved very painful by morning and had to be adapted again with a further cut ( by female consultant)to make larger only to be removed at a later time as the pain proved unbearable to continue wearing the adapted garment. There has been a garment left on the windowsill which was only a band which covered just the stomach area only which I decided to adopt as my means Of support as there was nothing else offered and I felt that my long hard surgery was being wasted by lack of support. My inner thighs were left open to the elements. I emailed my consultants secretary to be told that the garments would be couriered the following day. Didn’t get up to much the following day, made attempts but blood pressure to the floor ( lowest point 75/43) made me feel sick and sweaty. Finally catheter came out on the tues 6th, leaving day, so had to make sure I was urinating before I left. Every attempt followed by sweats and heavy vomiting. Female consultant came to do final visit even tho I had rearranged my leaving time from 11.00 to 14.00 as I had been told by the man himself, Mr Roblin, he would come to see me off, but sadly, no sign of him. The female consultant had taken one look at me and said that I didn’t look well enough to leave but on asking nursing staff the cost of an extra night would result in a bill for approximately £1000 per night, it was time to leave as that money wasn’t available. Successfuly returned to my friends house that day (due to the fact that my daughter and her partner were both poorly with colds and not being able to return home)to make myself comfortable for recovery. As promised I received my new compression garments on 7th July 2021, one XL and one XXL but soon the initial excitement changed to disappointment as the smallest of the two sizes was far too big and offered very little support. I emailed the consultants secretary advising her of my situation to be told I would receive a smaller garment the following day and to return the larger sized one on my nxt appt to Mr Roblin as they were £100 each. On awaking on thurs 8th July 2021, I realised the red suction concertina was raised on my right flank drain bottle. I changed it immediately , but within 15 min, the suction part raised again. Another bottle change and a repeat performance, leaving me with no further spare bottles. At this time I emailed consultants secretary advising of situation, to later get a reply stating that the bottle would freely drain and to phone the following day to arrange an appt to maybe get it removed. Arranged a pick up of 2 spare bottles from st Thomas that day which I received later that evening. Changed yet again for the 3rd time that evening but the inevitable happened again. Not happy with the situation and the thought of going to bed with a blocked drain pipe, I actively called 111, only to be told that a nursing team and an out of hrs team would not take the case on. The best advise was to travel to St George’s in Tooting and they would deal with it. I followed their instructions and landed around 00.17 in St George’s only to be assessed there and told shortly after that I would benefit from actually being back in St Thomas’s where it all began for potentially a blood transfusion as my haemaglobin levels were extremely low. I was transferred within the nxt few hours, by ambulance from St George’s back to St Thomas’s. On arrival there I was assessed and admitted shortly after to an NHS ward until my female consultant could come and see me. After her assessment I was advised that I would be having a blood transfusion and I had a large haematoma in my front right flank and stomach which would be washed out and that all this would be done under anaesthetic. A second operation loomed but seemed to be very necessary. Later that morning at around 11.30 I was taken down to theatre were I was met by Mr Roblin who placed his hand on my arm in a sympathetic manner to then tell me, “Sarah I’m so sorry, I’m not too sure what’s happened “ The surgery commenced and approximately 4 hrs later I’m awoken from my slumber to find myself dressed in appropriate compression garments, unlike after my first procedure. I remember looking at the clock and it was approximately 15.45, but I spent some time recovering and a need for a wee before returning to the ward, (even tho it seemed that the staff on my ward were unwilling to send someone to collect me) at around 17.00. I eventually got back to the ward to recover. Receiving pain meds at regular intervals became a major issue. Keeping on top of pain killers is always a good idea but I remember being in a fair amount of pain through the night. Awaking in the morning to start the whole processs of asking for pain relief at 7am, going on to 10.30 and becoming very tearful because of the continuous agony, then to finally be given some. (once pain kicks in, it’s so much more difficult to get comfortable with the initial dose) My consultant came @07.00am, shock/horror, very early or just maybe guilty conscious to advise me that I would be ok to leave later that morning. I asked, on remembrance, of something that my Mum had said, if I could have some blood thinning injections as I hadn’t been offered these the first time round. Mr Roblin said “ohhhh yes, that might be a good idea for 7 days” to the present nurse. This shouldn’t take too long as I just needed to wait for these from pharmacy, therefore my expected leaving time would be around 11am. Immediately I made plans for pick up around that time. 11am came and went, still waiting for injections and discharge docs. I had to repeatedly ask. Was told at one stage that there was no need for a discharge letter as I would be returning in a few days. My point was that my return appt was over near Harley Street and that I needed the documents for a policy I had through work to make a claim for a hospital stay. Eventually I received all my requests and the necessary documents and pharmaceuticals, albeit 3 hrs later and we left to start recovery all over again. On looking at discharge documents, no reason had been given for my stay, leading me to think that certain information was being hidden.????? The date I left hospital was 10/07/21, home for recovery yet again. Fabulous feeling getting home. Anyway following my 2nd surgery, my next follow up appt was 14/07/21 with Mr Roblin, wound kind of ok, but not looking great. Then follow up appt on 16/07/21 with the nurse at Harley St, redressed wound and still kind of ok but pictures sent to Mr Roblin. Yet another follow up appt on 20/07/21 with nurse Roz at Harley St, wound deteriorating, yellow matter coming from wound and wound opens up like a wide mouth, (left side) and blood blister on right side collapses also into hole and large cavity. Vacuum pump put on to improve both wounds but even before leaving the area starts to leak, machine not capable of draining both areas. I was still charged £400 for the weekly hire of the pump. The following week is much of the same, leaking puss and blood continuously to the point of needing to wear 3-4 sanitary towels to contain the leakage. The week goes by, can’t do much as the leakage is holding me back, my clothes smothered, best to stay still, very demoralising. Back to St Thomas on 26/07/21, dressings and pump to be changed by Mr Roblin. Not the most amazing experience ever. Bought to tears as sponge removed from larger wound and whole area poked and prodded about, very sore and eye watering experience. My stomach had opened up from one side to the other, absolutely gaping. Also advised that further surgery needed to clean wound as can’t be done while I’m awake. Uggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh Back into St Thomas’s on 29/07/21, had to be there for 9am for Covid Test. Tested just after 9, advised maybe a 2-3 hour wait, but only took just over an hour, a short wait for Porter to take me back to Howard ward to be admitted. Had to wait on ward until @18.15 to go down to Theatre for wound to be cleaned and partly stitched. All went smoothly and back on ward around 20.30. Mr Roblin advised that it would be ok for me to go home that evening. After taking sometime to come down from the surgery and have coffee and biscuits and get medication and spare dressings, we finally left at around 00.20 to arrive back home at @01.30. Had a good nights sleep and a good day chilling on the Friday 30th July 2021. More surgery needed on Tuesday 03rd August 2021, more to report later next week. Returned from surgery late night on Tuesday 3rd August 2021, all went well. More wound cleaning and new vacuum pump fitted, still open across abdomen but pump working well. On last surgery a swab was taken and it appeared that I have two infections (Pseudomonas and Ecoli) which were resilient to my antibiotics. New antibiotics given and on my way to recovery yet again. Although more surgery planned for next Monday 9th August 2021. Update to follow !!!!! The day comes, 9th August 2021, get to hospital at 08.30am, Covid swab taken early, negative results follow 2hrs later. Taken on to ward, maybe earlier today as Mr Roblin only has clinic today (info. given by Natalie). Sadly not, Natalie rings at 18.50 to say that the anaesthetist is running late and will be @19.30. Got taken down to theatre @19.40, came around at @20.40 to find I’m finally all stitched up, no drains or vacuum pumps. In quite a bit of pain as wound very sore. Cannula in left hand not in vein and morphine being put in, hand very very swollen. New cannula put into right hand to rectify issue. Pain level bought down to around a 2, taken back to ward by recovery nurses as no porter available. Bit if chill time and recuperation and leave hospital around midnight. Fully stitched up, 9th August 2021, hope to arrange to see consultant in around a weeks time, may the recovery begin. Mr Roblin away on holidays for a few weeks and arrangements made for another consultant to see me while he is away. Someone was meant to call me on 12th/13th August 2021. They didn’t ring until 16th at @9am to arrange for me to go for an appt that day at 1pm. I explained I couldn’t go at such late notice, but all ok for now. Natalie phoned on 27th August 2021 to arrange a review appt and to remove stitches on 1st September 2021. Appt complete and not to see Mr Roblin for another 2-3 months. Months later I had a suture abscess, I could only send pictures to Mr Roblins secretary as he was away and there weren’t any appts available, although if it had worsened I was told I could attend. I had my review appointment on 2nd March 2022, finally. From March 2022 it took me until later that year to come to an agreement with regards to further costs for correctional scar revision and to remove further tissue as not enough had been removed initially. A further cost of £3539 was needed for yet another operation. This took place on the 10th January 2023. Yet again, complications of infection followed, Staphylococcus this time around, antibiotics given for infection. Once the swelling had started to go down from this surgery it revealed yet another issue. My bottom on the right hand side hanging approximately 2 inches lower than the left and on looking through from the front it now looked that I could possible be of male gender. This was very concerning for me as I couldn’t quite work out how on earth this had happened. Discussions followed with Mr Roblin with regards to this issue. The only way forward was further surgery, at more cost. The money wasn’t available for another hospital stay at @2,500-£3,000, therefore I endured a certain amount of pain and had a large section of my buttock cheek removed and lifted under a local anaesthetic in the surgeons clinic in Queen Anne Street, off of Harley Street, London. Surgery seemed to go well, although quite traumatic for me. I returned approximately a week later for a review. I hadn’t put a dressing on that morning as the wound was quite dry and I knew it would be removed immediately for Mr Roblin to look at. All was well with my wound and before I left I handed Mr Roblin a new dressing that I had bought from home and asked him to put it over my wound for me. He did so, without any hand washing or cleansing/disinfecting of my wound.In the following few days the wound started getting infected, I attended my own GP for them to review and to get antibiotics and a swab was taken. (Staphylococcus again) I completed this course of antibiotics, only to need yet another course shortly after as the infection continued. I have recently been medically retired from my job of being a bus driver for 12 years as I’ve had so much time off due to the amount of surgery I’ve had done and infections that have delayed my recovery after. My employment felt that as I couldn’t guarantee a return to work date that it was necessary for them to dismiss me. This has all left me quite disappointed and very anxious as to what the future holds. My question is, should someone be held responsible as I believe some of the trauma I have suffered could have been avoided with better after care and procedures at the time. If u can prevent anyone else from going through this then it will be worth me speaking out.
