Hi all I haven't posted much as I have been given the opportunity to go private to have a hip replacement. The op was due to be done on 9th July but it looks like the private hospital are getting cold feet because of my autoimmune skin condition. Just utterly devastated. I was emotionally struggling with the long wait for hip surgery on the NHS when a family member offered to pay for me to go private. I have been feeling so much better knowing there was an end in sight and my necrotic hip would be history just in time for my sons wedding in August. The tapering was going well the aid of Methotrexate and had got down to 4mg with no PMR symptoms. I hoping to see the surgeon and get a verdict. Have felt like throwing myself down the stairs. Sorry I wont just so frustrated 😤
Rug pulled from under me: Hi all I haven't posted... - PMRGCAuk
Rug pulled from under me
So sorry - hope it does work out OK xxxx
So sorry to hear your problems. This pmr is frustration at all times but I do wish you well..
I went private for my second hip during Covid and had to wait six months because the NHS took over the beds just in case they needed them. Have they told you it is because of your skin condition or did they just postpone the op?
At the moment it's just up in the air but it is my skin they are worried about. I have been very open with them from the start and showed the surgeon the Nodular prurigo but it was after the pre- op assessment that surgeon rang to postpone. I have no idea if I will ever have good enough skin for them. I have been battling to heal my skin for 3 years now, dermatology have discharged me but I know the private hospital have to do what is best for them. Just so frustrating having had a date to plan for.
It seems strange they should have cancelled over Nodular prurigo. Particularly as your surgeon already knew about it. Didn't the surgeon say anything when he rang? Ops can be postponed after pre-op for things like high blood pressure even. My surgeon was paranoid about me taking steroids! Can you phone the surgeon's secretary and find out the problem?
I was shocked when the surgeon rang laying it on thick about how serious it is when a wound becomes infected. I said that I wanted him to make the final decision as my skin is the best it has been in 3 years. I felt he was trying to frighten into pulling out. We had discussed the risk when I first saw him. This is a Spire hospital I would have rather he had said no from the start. Its a little better than cancelling on the day. Just wanted to go ahead so that I was out pain for my sons wedding. It all worked time wise. I might still get my way fingers crossed. But I am now very anxious either way.
I think it is a feature of private medicine cherry-picking the "safe" patients. They don't want to get involved with potentially difficult patients - they leave them to the NHS. It was ever thus ...
Sadly, it's the same here in Cyprus. People who are in private hospitals are quickly transferred to the local NHS General Hospital when they become a burden. As you say, it was ever thus...
Decades ago in Dundee a young woman elected to have a nose job done in the very posh private clinic - who wouldn't choose a well known and good NHS surgeon to do a "simple" op with all the home comforts and good food? But overnight post-op she started to bleed - all the night staff could do was dial 999 to transfer her to the NHS A&E a couple of miles away. The private clinic had no anaesthetist on duty, not even on call. Byt the time she got to A&E it was too late.
If you go privately always choose a private hospital that is close to an NHS one if things go wrong. They are not set up for emergencies.
Quite!!!! Preferably built in the grounds ... Oh for the days of pay beds in NHS hospitals. Chucking them out was a bad day's work. In Germany the state funded side is subsidised by the private stuff - all the privately funded high tec stuff is used for state patients out of hours. I was having scans at midnight - couldn't as private patients to stay up that late!
I went to a Spire hospital too for my second hip op after having the first on the NHS with the same surgeon. Surgeons do seem to panic over certain things. I suppose the best thing would be to find a surgeon who is happy to do the op. Did you choose the current one particularly or was he just offered?
He was just offered but I know he also works for the NHS. Not a lot of choice around hear. I chose the Spire as its just down the road from an NHS hospital.
Most surgeons also work for the NHS, only the very old ones seem not too!! It may be worth asking around about surgeons. I specifically asked for mine and spent a lot of time finding out about them. I think it is the most important thing getting the right surgeon for an operation.
Understand how very frustrating that must be. Hope you get a definite date soon x
Hi, l’m so sorry to read this - has the Surgeon definitely said they won’t do the surgery at this particular hospital? Can he make any recommendations for a way forward? I don’t have any experience or knowledge of your condition but maybe another Hospital would be willing to treat you? There are different Private Hospitals such as BUPA or Spire, plus some NHS Hospitals have Private Wings so there maybe other options.
I do hope you can get a solution & quickly.
Kind Regards
Best Wishes
MrsN
Fingers crossed that the surgeon feels they can do this op in time for your son’s wedding!
So sorry to hear this, im waiting for a new hip, sadly the NHS wait is 2 years .I hope they can resolve this for you,so close ! Best wishes Viv x
I have experienced being "cherry picked" by a private hospital. I needed some teeth extracted and got as far as pre-op. At my appointment the nurse took one look at me and said that I would not be able to have the procedure done at the Nuffield as my BMI was too high. They have a set limit. Her wording was not as polite as mine and I was humiliated.
The reason I was at Nuffield was that my consultant had no operating slots at my usual private hospital, The Ramsey Group where I have had several procedures under sedation or anaesthesia! My consultant obviously didn't know about the Nuffield's limits and was really apologetic and put me on his NHS list.
I made a complaint to the Nuffield about the way I had been spoken to and received an apology from both the Nuffield and the consultant!
As it turned out my tooth problems became a real issue during lockdown. My dentist referred me to another dentist in their group where they were able to get the teeth out thankfully. So didn't need to take up an NHS slot.
I still have my private medical insurance but if I need surgery I am more aware of the limitations of private hospitals.
Hope you can get your hip sorted so you can get out of pain. Will your consultant refer you to a private bed within the NHS so you can get it done? Might be worth getting a second opinion.
So sorry you had that experience. I am glad you got it sorted out. I am feeling a bit humiliated myself. I have alopecia as well as the skin condition and manage to put up a confident front when I have my wig on, but this has just tugged at all my hidden insecurities of feeling diseased and not very feminine or whole since I lost my hair as well as my skin being horrible. It's a bit like not being accepted into the human club, a tadge dramatic and self indulgent but all I wanted was to feel better and I have a right to want that as much as anyone else. Being in pain either through PMR or my deteriorating hip is exhausting I just want to feel well again. I have my appointment Friday I will see what they say.
Hope you feel better very soon x
Hi, Please don’t get despondent, it will come right, i too had my op cancelled twice, the first time was just after lockdown which I didn’t mind and the second one was very recently, it was because I take an inhaler for asthma/ copd, (nothing new) it’s strange as I’ve had so many operations on my hip before, suddenly they are coming up with things to delay the op. Anyway, just had the ok for the op next week..
Take care, it will happen.
Xx
Thank you for that positive vibe. I had felt very down before I got a date and the dispondent thoughts are there lurking just the other side of a thin vail. I have got my sons wedding to look forward to come what may. I just needed to get off my chest. Thank you as usual to everyone who has responded. I will find out on Friday xx
All the very best for Friday. Let us know how you get on. X💐
Oh Dear Hillbilly
I think an evaluation letter from the dermatologist who has been treating your skin problems, that would put your surgeon’s mind at rest.
An evaluation would release the surgeon from some of the doubts that he may have about performing your surgery.
Your dermatologist would be your best bet as to whether you should have hip surgery or not.
Good luck. 👍
YuliK
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