Breast lift

sugar_say

Asking for someone. She has implants, several years old now, implanted when she was dating a violent control freak who made her do it, despite her being very much opposed to it (she left him under police protection). Now they are leaking. The NHS has told her she needs them removing, and they will do it, but they will not give her a breast lift to stop them looking like spaniels ears. She's been physically and mentally beat up for years and this isn't helping. Her ex put her in massive debt too, so she can only put together so much money. She has asked the NHS to do the removal and the uplift at the same time, and she will pay for the uplift (so half the price of getting both done at the same time if she went private). They said no, she will have to have two separate operations, which seems crazy (especially since the surgeon doing the removal also does private uplifts!). Any thoughts anyone?

Emmia

The removal is a matter of her health, the uplift is likely in the eyes of the NHS to be seen as cosmetic... and the NHS isn't really in the business of subsidising cosmetic surgery (effectively giving her a half price uplift)

although I appreciate that her mental health may be affected by the look of her breasts after removal...

elsien

Cosmetic surgery is not generally provided on the NHS. The surgeon may do private work but she will be in an NHS facility with NHS staff using up NHS time for the additional work for the uplift. And how would they quantify which costs are NHS, and which are private in terms of time and equipment and recovery? And it will be taking time away from other NHS patients having necessary surgery. It’s not as simple as just paying half.

Unless she can prove that not having a procedure is going to cause severe psychological distress, I can’t see any way that this is going to happen other than going private for a second procedure.  And possibly not, even then. This will give you an idea of how stringent criteria.

https://bsw.icb.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/09/BSW-ICB-CP007-Breast-Surgery-Cosmetic.pdf

Grumpy_chap

The removal of the implant is likely an essential health matter and potentially has some urgency.
The uplift is likely considered as cosmetic and cosmetic surgery is rarely covered under the NHS. 

There are some routes around psychological distress or reconstructive surgery. 
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/advice/cosmetic-procedures-on-the-nhs/

I suspect the psychological distress would not qualify here as the implant has not yet been removed so the distress is not yet current (and the individual may never suffer the level of distress that warrants NHS intervention).

The reconstructive surgery probably does not apply as it would be the implant that is removed and the original breast remains (though whether some tissue is removed in the process I do not know), but it is not a complete mastectomy that is proposed (as I read the thread).  I don't know whether the failed implant would count as a reconstruction following an accident.

The individual may be able to speak with the Consultant about these options.

It may also be the case that, whether private or NHS, the medical approach would be two procedures in any case.  There is some logic to removing the failed implant and making good first, and verifying that operation as a success.
Then, if the outcome is unsatisfactory, considering possible reconstructive lift in the light of what actually has resulted once the healing has completed.

gwynlas

If you watch Botched they often refuse to do removal and implant at the same time to allow swelling to subside before doing recreation. She can use prosthetics in beween times for cosmetic enhancement. It is up to her if she removes her bra to be intimate with a new partner.

sugar_say

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply.