Confidence lost/making a huge financial decision

rpc

Given recent experience of mine with cosmetic surgery, I too think the NHS may fund this.

My daughter received a head injury that will inevitably scar. The plastic surgeon took the view that its hard to predict how it would heal with or without stitches. So rather than go through surgery and a general anaesthetic for the stitches we went home with steristrips on it.

If, later, we decide that the scar was bad then we can get a GP referral and they would look at repairing the scar (put her under, cut it out, stitch the wound neatly).

So the NHS does do cosmetic repairs to visible injuries in some circumstances.

DUTR

Cebass wrote: »

The title speaks volumes. To cut a long story short my nose is a complete mess. Seven years ago, when I was eighteen, I was caught in the crossfire of a fight at a pub. Someone threw a wine bottle, and it hit me in the face. The bottle didn't break, my nose did. The surgeons at hospital did all they could, but I'm left with a saddle nose deformity.

It affects my life in so many ways. I have no confidence left inside, and I always think people are staring at my nose. It has become unbearable over the past few months, to the point where I can't take it anymore. I have started proceedings for cosmetic surgery. It is going to cost £8950. I have £4000 in inheritance, and I have to convince my mother to be a guarantor on a loan for me. The loan is for £6000 at 39.9% APR which is not too bad. If she agrees, I will have the loan within 30 days and get my nose fixed ASAP.

Confidence is a funny thing and works differently for different people, however the loan thing is what is more concerning especially at the interest rate, the bank rates are around 10% and unsecured. It may harm your confidence even more being in bad debt.

VfM4meplse

FBaby wrote: »

Wrong advice. The NHS is not here to decide whether the OP is worthy of cosmetic surgery because of what happened. They are there to make sure it doesn't affect his ability to breath properly. The operated, the fact it is left with a deformity is not for them to deal with. That's why you sue people.

Its actually 100% correct. The NHS considers funding requests for cosmetic surgery for reasons other than physical / medical impairment.

Reconstructive surgery following mastectomy being a case in point. Medically, breasts serve no purpose in post-menopausal women.

jackomdj

FBaby wrote: »

Wrong advice. The NHS is not here to decide whether the OP is worthy of cosmetic surgery because of what happened. They are there to make sure it doesn't affect his ability to breath properly. The operated, the fact it is left with a deformity is not for them to deal with. That's why you sue people.

I do agree though with the costs being exceptional high and would definitely suggest to investigate.

If the NHS are happy to fund people for boob jobs, stapling stomachs etc because they are depressed about the way they look then surely OP is in the same situation where they are depressed (I gathered this because they said it was unbearable) due to their nose.

Person_one

Whether or not this can be funded by the NHS is going to depend entirely on the policies of the CCG in your area OP. You can often find these decisions/documents online so definitely worth a google.

Some won't fund any that are purely cosmetic, only where there is airway/function involvement. Some will fund cosmetic procedures if they are the result of trauma or cancer treatment but not otherwise. It varies so nobody on here can tell you whether its possible or not in your area.

BitterAndTwisted

FBaby wrote: »

Wrong advice. The NHS is not here to decide whether the OP is worthy of cosmetic surgery because of what happened. They are there to make sure it doesn't affect his ability to breath properly. They operated, the fact it is left with a deformity is not for them to deal with.

That is absolutely not correct! I suffered the same deformity, although it was not acquired in the same way as the OP. I got a referral from my GP to an NHS plastic surgeon because that deformity was having a most terrible affect on my mental well-being. The OP needs to focus on this aspect in order to persuade the GP and the NHS plastic surgeon they consult in order to get on a waiting list. In some cases the patient is referred to a psychiatrist first, to confirm the reason the patient is asking for the surgery. Just saying "look at the ruddy state I'm in!" sometimes won't be enough. This is a lesson I learned the hard way.

Having said that, I had to undergo more than one procedure to make me look anything approaching normal. The results of plastic surgery cannot be 100% guaranteed, which is also a lesson I learned the hard way.

I would try and dissuade the OP from considering a guarantor loan at such a shockingly interest rate, although I completely understand the total desperation. And it's true, people do stare. It's in the middle of your face so people cannot fail to notice it and they do make judgements about you based on it. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.

GoldenShadow

Person_one wrote: »

Whether or not this can be funded by the NHS is going to depend entirely on the policies of the CCG in your area OP. You can often find these decisions/documents online so definitely worth a google.

Some won't fund any that are purely cosmetic, only where there is airway/function involvement. Some will fund cosmetic procedures if they are the result of trauma or cancer treatment but not otherwise. It varies so nobody on here can tell you whether its possible or not in your area.

This. There might be a CCG which will do it, there will undoubtedly be some that wont unless breathing is adversely affected. Just like some areas provide IVF, and some don't. It will be local area dependent as to what the outcome is, but worth a shot going to the GP for a referral.

Soleil_lune

What did you decide to do Cebass?

I hope you get this sorted soon.

You sound unhappy and stressed.

jackyann

Another vote for seeing your GP. Should the NHS not fund your op they are the best professional to point you to cosmetic surgery.
As one poster has pointed out, this is NOT a simple "nose job"; you need to be very sure that the surgeon has experience with this deformity and can advise carefully on side-effects etc.
And at the moment, don't take the loan - getting into that kind of debt will knock your confidence even more!
There are charities that can help - I knew someone who greatly benefited from their advice but I can't call a name to mind as I type.
Good luck.

Noctu

My husband had something very similar happen to him at the age of 18. He was mugged and they broke his nose, which healed in a deformed way.

When he was 26 ish I convinced him to go to his gp to get referred to the hospital. Consultant saw him, said no problem we can fix it to what it was before, only stipulation was that they wouldn't do absolutely anything he wanted, they'd just make it look natural - the way it looked before the injury. Which was fine by us.

Hubby had the op and all is well. All on the NHS.