Last year I had an eye lid lift and neck lift done at a private clinic. I have been very unhappy with the results - the scars are obvious and look awful. I have been treated for this by the local hospital and they have reduced the scarring with revision surgery, but the scars are still horrible.
I have a friend who is a nurse who said I should do something about it but I don’t know who to bring an action against as it wasn’t done on the NHS, although all the corrective surgery was.
I am so upset by it all – I look worse now than I did before the surgery. What should I do?
If the surgery was not done to the expected standard such that you have been left scarred, then you may be able to bring a claim against the doctor who treated you. You don’t say what discussions you had prior to the surgery or what your expectation was but if the scarring was so severe you required further surgery, then it is possible the surgery was not carried out to a reasonable standard.
It is important to look at what was said to you prior to the operation however. For example, some skin types are more prone to keloid scarring which is an over growth of scar tissue. If you were warned of the possibility of this developing and advised of the limitations of the surgery, then there may be no blame to attach to your treating doctor.
As your surgery was carried out at a private clinic, any claim would be against the surgeon who operated on you. Doctors who treat privately should be members of, and insured by, one of the medical unions. Therefore any claim is met from this fund.
It is vital to get hold of your records and seek legal advice if you wish to pursue an action.
