Mr Hilal Bahia 2017-03-04 Person 5 5 0

From the time that I first phoned Spire to ask about reducing the size of my bust, to when I met one of the plastic surgery specialty nurses to discuss it, I knew that this was a better quality hospital than the other place I had been to in Edinburgh. I was very embarrassed by my condition, but the nurses really made me feel at ease and never rushed me, taking time to listen to all my concerns. They didn't pressurise me into anything and I was able to think about things for a few weeks, before booking in for an appointment with Dr Bahia. He also listened to my concerns and answered all my questions and offered me a second consultation at no extra cost in case I remembered any other things that I had forgotten to ask. He was very professional and put me at ease and said that I could book in for surgery whenever I was ready by phoning his secretary. On the day of surgery, all the staff on the ward were great and the anaesthetic doctor made me laugh, which helped with my nerves. Dr Bahia saw me and did lots of measurements and drew on me before my operation. Afterwards I remember being sore and sleepy, but the nurses gave me plenty of pain-killers, which controlled the pain and helped me sleep on and off over night, but the room was a bit stuffy. My partner told me that Dr Bahia came to see me at about 9pm and told me how the operation had gone and how much tissue had been removed, although I don't really remember much of that conversation. Dr Bahia came to see me again at 7am the next morning and said that I could go home later if I felt ok, which I did. I was given some strong pain-killers to take home with me, a phone number to call 24/7 if I had any concerns and appointments to be seen back for a check up a week later. I remember that when I got out of bed I realised how much lighter my chest felt and how much easier it was to do certain things (although a little bit painful in the first few days!). Everything after that went well, although I needed to be seen a few times in the clinic by the nurses for dressings as there was a small area of the scar on my left breast that was a bit slow to heal. Dr Bahia came in to examine me a couple of times in the dressing clinic and was very reassuring that everything was going well. When I was finally discharged by Dr Bahia 8 weeks after my operation I remember feeling so pleased with the final result and I am still enjoying the novelty of not having the great weight around my neck. I can't believe I waited until my mid forties to have this surgery, I wish I had done it years ago, it has really changed my life.