I always thought plastic surgery was for footballers wives, neurotic models and sad wanna-be celebs. But I was wrong; it was
narrow-minded of me. If like me you spend 20 years overweight, then you lo
I always thought plastic surgery was for footballers wives, neurotic models and sad wanna-be celebs. But I was wrong; it was
narrow-minded of me. If like me you spend 20 years overweight, then you lose huge amounts (5+st) of weight, it doesn t matter how much
exercise you do for the next 4 years; the apron , a quivering bag of leftover skin, still flaps and slaps around. If you don t spend
your life in an old lady s girdle, that is. //
Abdominoplasty is the only way to move on. I consulted with the local UK surgeon,
expensive and dismissive. I saw two Belgian surgeons, both young and trendy, one very kind and thoughtful, an expert in his specialist
field, clearly; the other I thought dangerously out of his depth (no way was this going to be day surgery) and arrogant, less than
polite. //
Then I met Dr Tytgat and it all fell into place: superbly confident, as he has a right to be, since he has a decade s
experience more his colleagues, and he is particularly good with vascularisation (blood vessels and blood supply), which is perfect for
this operation. But I never found him arrogant. I wanted a surgeon who was absolutely sure of himself; but I really don t like the God
s gift type. Dr T is a bit older, and spends less on designer shirts and glasses, and on swanky off-Harley Street consulting rooms; and
guess what, that also was reflected in his fee slightly lower than his younger peers. //
But Dr T made me feel at all times that I
could ask anything from the technical to the downright silly, even make a joke. He has always answered questions fully and honestly and
still does now, by email, weeks afterwards; I trust and like him and he made me feel as safe as I ever could, taking this daunting step
into the unknown. //
The operation itself went well, with just one complication; somewhat more than anticipated blood loss, which meant
some difficult additional after-effects in terms of energy and recovery speed in the first two weeks. Apart from that, the surgery was
superb not that it was a fun experience, oh no, but the quality of work was amazing. I am lucky to have a qualified nurse as a
partner, who removed my sutures at days 7 & 10, and she was just full of astonishment and praise for the finesse of the work (and nurses
aren t always fans of doctors!) //
Dr Tytgat is truly an artist; he has technical expertise beyond anything I could imagine, and an
amazing vision of how my body will look in a few months time, once the post-op swelling has all subsided, even though I have never seen
this new body and find it hard to envisage. //
He is an artist and not a bureaucrat, by the way. As more of a suggestion than a
criticism, I would say this: I found all the TYTGAT website info really useful, but I would have liked just a bit more of a clerical
framework what happens & what you need when, coming into surgery when do you have pre-op appointment, when do you pay, when do you
register with hospital and ensure you have passport, that sort of thing. Something which feels like an established process will
alway makes me feel more secure. But Dr Tytgat is a typical doctor and dislikes paperwork; and as he has no secretary, there isn t a
nice simple checklist or framework to hold onto. Still, I would much rather have an artist with vision, performing surgery on me, than a
librarian with a rubber-stamp! And maybe clients more familiar with cosmetic surgery are less typically concerned with formality. //
The
surgery was excellent, then, and the care was impeccable too. The hospital was spotless, and its staff were calm and easy-going and yet
extremely professional; from the jolly orderlies who brought/took the food trolleys (never mind if you re naked at the time and the
incision above your shaven bits being examined these people are almost Dutch after all, and not at all hung up, like we poor Brits!),
to the lovely junior who gave me the most difficult wash of my life, to the night nurse who popped in 4 or 5 times to ensure I was
comfortable and pain-free, to the ward manager/charge nurse who came and introduced himself, to the excellent senior nurse who dressed
the surgical wound for discharge (they use much more expensive kit than our NHS colleagues) and even when I was leaving, the nurses on
station who were really concerned that I take things slowly and in stages. //
So, on balance, a very positive experience, and I can t
praise highly enough the professional skills and personal charm of Dr Tytgat, who was so much more reassuring and experienced than other
surgeons I met. The care given by the hospital team was very good. The fee was half the UK quote I d had; the standard of surgical
practice is surely comparable if not higher; and the obvious hygiene standards of the hospital made me feel much safer than in an NHS
facility. All in all I know I made the right choice with Dr Tytgat and I wouldn t hesitate to recommend him for this procedure.
Reviewer: |
Username: | Anonymous |
Age: | 35-44 |
Location: | SE UK |
Gender: | female |
Operation or treatment: | Abdominoplasty (apronectomy) |
|
Ratings: |
Outcome of treatment: |
|
Quality of care: |
|
Value for money: |
|
Patient Communication: |
|
Hospital/clinic environment: |
|
|
Read less