How to find surgeon information. - Endometriosis UK

Endometriosis UK

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How to find surgeon information.

Peachii profile image
7 Replies

Hi all!

I've recently been out on the waiting list and have my date for my second surgery (eek! ). But I'm feeling a little uneasy for a few different reasons.

I had an awful experience for my first surgery, and I had a horrible/uncaring consultant/surgeon while I was with that hospital that my current hospital thinks may have added to my current pain. Needless to say, it's left me with trauma surrounding my surgery.

To combat this, I wanted to do as much research as possible for the surgeon who is doing my up coming surgery at the new hospital I'm at which is meant to have a really good endometriosis bit. However, I tried searching on the hospitals Web page, and googling surgeons name but I found nothing.

So I emailed the hospital gyne teams receptionist, politely requesting information/links. And after nearly a week of waiting I got this as a reply:

"Dear Rhia,

Mr. Gallagher is a Locum Consultant here. All I can tell you is that he is a very capable surgeon.

Kind regards"

And... I just dunno, I just feel like this isn't good enough? But I don't know if that's just my own anxiety coming towards the surface. I've seen lots of doctor wepages/review pages for lots of different hospitals all over the country(I'm UK based). The hospital I'm with has lots of surgeons and consultants webpages on their site, other than this person's? And it's just sent my anxiety through the roof and I'm not sure how to find any information about them.

Has anyone got any tips or suggestions on how to find information regarding this surgeon?

Thank you all, and I hope everyone's doing well!

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Christin_a profile image
Christin_a

Hello

That would also make me nervous. Maybe try and find them on LinkedIn see if your can see previous places theyve worked and see if it lists the specialist interests?

If not I'd contact the hospital and quote the NICE guidelines for the diagnosising and treatment of endometriosis. Clearly states it must only be someone with a minimum of a specialist interest in endo who operates on someone. And more if you have severe endo. If you can't find anything on them and your uncomfortable with them doing your surgery, tell them and explain the minimum requirements that need to be merry and that you don't feel this Dr meets the requirements. So you want to see someone who does?

Peachii profile image
Peachii in reply to Christin_a

Hi there, thank you for your reply!

Tried on linked in but I can't find anything unfortunately. As it's such a common name I'm struggling to find anything. Even the hospital by the looks of it has two "Dr" Gallagher, one who has a page on the hospital Web page but is a woman who specialises in something different. And in my corrospondence with the hospital, as I've called a few times and emailed a few people and I basically just get the same answer, they've all refered to him as "Mr" Gallagher.

They've told me that they work in the gyne department, under the head surgeon and performs surgery for endo on a weekly basis. But that's all I can get out of the hospital, not even a first name. And it's just so weird and I feel like these are red flags if you get me?

I have asked for his qualifications, but they've just said that "he's qualified". So I'm very confused about the whole thing.

I was originally put on the head surgeons waiting list, but it's currently 1.5 years to see him and in too much pain to wait so I agreed to see one of his colleagues, but now I'm doubting that I did the right thing and as my surgery is at the start of sep I'm panicking as it's so close but I have no clue who my surgeon is 😂

Christin_a profile image
Christin_a in reply to Peachii

Yes I'd be second guessing myself too.

I guess you have a couple options.

1)hope they are telling the truth and go ahead with the surgery with him

2)contact PALs at the surgery and ask them for the information, and explain that no one else will give you the information. Even though your uncomfortable going ahead without actually knowing he is suitably specialised which is a requirement on the NICE guidelines.

3)ask to be out back on your original surgeons list and wait it out

Ohh do you know what stage you are as you said this is the second one? As that could change my advice.

Peachii profile image
Peachii in reply to Christin_a

Hi there, thank you for your reply!

Unfortunately I do not know my stage, as previously mentioned I had a bad experience with my last hospital. The surgeon there refused to see me after surgery to tell me what he found, and only gave me basic notes on my discharge form saying where they found it but no discussion about the severity or if they extracted it etc. A year later after being told to "see how my pain is in 3 months" over and over again with no management suggestions I asked if he may have missed some endo, to which he laughed at me and told me he cured me so I shouldn't have any pain. It was at that point I finally had enough and decided to go elsewhere, but it was only after this I found out he was standard gyne and rarely deals with endo patients... They also confirmed at my new hospital that the old hospital refuses to give them any images or information about my last surgery, so we're all in the dark really...

I've spoke with my sister(couldn't earlier as she was working) , who's a senior receptionist manager in a different nhs hospital and asked her if this is standard to get this reply, and she was horrified at how the receptionists responsed. So she's helping me put forward a Pals complaint to try and get the information, as the hospital apparently aren't allowed to withhold doctor information as long as its regarding a patients care!

I would really like to go ahead with this surgery, as I am in so much pain and my partners taken time off work in advance for it and I'm starting to get in the mindset and mentally prepped for it, but we'll see how the hospital responds.

Thank you so much for your help and suggestions!

Christin_a profile image
Christin_a in reply to Peachii

Oh wow. Yes that's awful what happened at the previous hospital. Did you complain about it to pals at that hospital to stop it from happening to others?

Have you tried to request your notes from the previous surgery through a freedom of information act letter they have 28 days to give you the records. And they can't deny it.

Yes your sister is really well placed to help write your complaint. As she knows the procedure etc. I hope you get some answers soon and hope he is actually qualified.

Peachii profile image
Peachii in reply to Christin_a

Well I tried, but I was told he followed standard procedure, and as I had not been diagnosed with endo at the time standard gyne was the right course to follow and he followed his training how he was meant to. Like they did apologise for not really giving me any information about my surgery but hey ho. At the time it was too hard mentally for me to really fight it and now it's too long past the date.

I know the new hospital has requested the information and they've refused to hand it over, I did ask to receive my info but they said that I would have to collect it (the area I'm in has a very very high covid rate, and lots of covid patients are at that hospital, tho in different buildings) so I'm very reluctant to go and collect it at the moment and they refuse to post me my information as they said its not secure. However I've asked consultants to look into my notes before and they just say exactly the same thing as my discharge letter, and other consultants from that hospital have been unable to find any detailed information about my surgery.

Yes fingers crossed it goes okay. Is the procedure different depending on your endo stage then?

Christin_a profile image
Christin_a in reply to Peachii

Wow sounds like the whole hospital is inept then. As they think that's a perfectly fine way to treat a patient.

Wow I can't believe they won't release the documents to the other hospital. That's awful,pretty sure they have to post them if you request but I'm not 100% sure as it's been a while since I had a request my own documents.

Yes so if you have stage 3 or 4/ also called moderate /severe then you should only be seen by a bsge endometriosis specialist centre gynaecologist. Only those listed on the bsge centres website are suitable no one else as the centre doesn't cover all the gynaecologists at the hospital just the ones listed. They work with other specialist like colorectal surgeons, pain clinics etc. But they have quite strict criteria to meet as they are busy with the more severe cases. Which is why not everyone is seen by these centres. As it would just increase their wait list.

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