Mr Paul Goldsmith

Written by a private patient at Spire Manchester Hospital

I have been a sufferer or gerd since I was 15. I was told at 15 that my sphincter muscle at the bottom of my esophagus was weak. I spent years on medications and drank gaviscon by the gallon. I drank that much when I was pregnant with my children that I thought they would be coming out pink! As the years went on I got worse, sleeping on 2/3 pillows, couldn’t lean down within an hour of eating without stuff coming up in my throat. Pains in the centre of my chest. It made my life miserable. It got to the point where it did not matter what I ate, it was gonna cause me trouble. Then I met Mr Goldsmith. I was worried he was just going to fob me off with more medicine. Then he told me about this little device. The Linx. He told me the ins and outs, the ups and downs. And reassured me. I had the op. Mr Goldsmith came to see me after and sent me home telling me any issues he would literally be at the end of a call or email. After a couple of weeks of worrying that I couldn’t swallow properly, I had a follow up. Told him my concerns and again he reassured me, gave me tips to help me out etc. I’m not 14 weeks post op and I am absolutely over the moon. I have had no symptoms of gerd whatsoever. I have no nasty acid in my throat, pains in my chest, burning sensations. I sleep on my nice flat pillow and I can eat ANYTHING I want without any trouble at all. And true to his word anything I wanted to ask I just dropped him a mail and he got back to me quickly. I am so very grateful for everything he has done and would highly recommend him. Thank you so much Mr Goldsmith.

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Written by a private patient at Spire Manchester Hospital

Having started suffering with bouts of heartburn 3yrs ago I was given ppi’s and eventually sent for an endoscopy by my GP. This revealed a small hiatus hernia and was told that I had Gerd and to remain on meds. Over the following year my symptoms changed steadily from heartburn, this all but disappeared in to a constant very sore red throat, loss of voice, constant throat clearing, ear, jawand sinus pain, sore mouth and sensitive teeth, headaches, eye ache, post nasal drip, horrible taste in mouth, globus and constantly feeling unwell and tired. Laying down was not possible, I was having to sleep sat up. I totally changed my diet. I cut dairy, caffeine, wheat, chocolate, spicy foods. Anything to get relief but nothing worked. Even water caused a reaction. My life was becoming unbearable. Tried various meds, none of which worked. My GP was at a loss as to what to do, so suggested that I go see a specialist. I made an appointment to see Mr Goldsmith. He is very down to earth and approachable. He listened very carefully to my symptoms. From the start he put me at ease saying that he could help but I would need to go through certain tests, as he needed to make a correct diagnosis. He didn’t want to make me worse. Which he explained could happen. For a start he told me to come off ppi’s immediately as they weren’t working. I was sent to the Functional Gut Clinic for a 24hr manometry and ph study. These came back within normal parameters but did confirm that my oesophagus motility was good and I had a small hiatus hernia. This was disheartening for me but he said that he would like me to have another test done there called a ResTech study. This measures for acid higher up in the throat. The results confirmed that I had very high levels of silent reflux (LPR) and the pepsin was destroying my tissues. This fell in line with all my symptoms. It was a great relief to have a diagnosis! Mr Goldsmith explained my results and then my options very carefully, which was a Nissen Fundoplication, Linx or to do nothing, he made me aware of the pros and cons of each procedure and talked me through everything with diagrams and presentations. Based on the information given I decided to go ahead with the Linx and hernia repair and was booked in for 6 weeks time. The procedure went well and recovery has been a long slow journey of ups and many downs, all of which was explained prior. It’s certainly not a quick fix. I could contact Mr Goldsmith at any point for reassurance or if I had any questions or problems, which I did, he replied immediately and I was reassured that all was well. The results in 4 months have been great. My symptoms vary between 85-100% improved, which if it gets no better than this I am more than happy, but have been told 6-12 months to get the full result. I am having regular post operative check ups. I would have no hesitation in recommending Mr Goldsmith and have done so already. He has given me my quality of life back. Thank you

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Written by a private patient at Spire Manchester Hospital

In October 2018 I was diagnosed with a small hiatus hernia after suffering from acid reflux for a number of months. I was prescribed 20mg of omeprazole daily and everything was fairly manageable until February 2020 when suddenly, new and severe symptoms emerged. After trying a whole range of medication and having had an endoscopy I was still no further to finding a solution. My symptoms were affecting the quality of my life and the local NHS hospital said there was nothing wrong and discharged me. I had previously used Spire Hospitals for another medical problem and decided to do some research into help for my silent reflux. I was both surprised and relieved to discover there is actually a Reflux Clinic. I spoke to the co-ordinator who asked me to forward my clinical history for the team to peruse. Within 24 hrs I had been contacted and an appointment for me was arranged with Mr Paul Goldsmith. He explained to me that from all my symptoms listed he was the best person to care for me and he immediately gave me a diagnosis. I remember being amazed that someone knew exactly what the problem was, how to prove it and then how to fix it. I come from a medical background myself and I am use to how good people are in their roles but this was still very impressive. It was such a relief to finally find someone who could help me. After a variety of tests at the Functional Gut Clinic and the hospital, the results confirmed Mr Goldsmith's diagnosis. Armed with all this information the Linz device was my best way forward. I bombarded Mr Goldsmith with a huge amount of questions at my appointments after doing my research. He had a explanation for all my questions and concerns and I trusted him completely. I had Linz surgery just over 3 months ago and I am progressing very well. Mr Goldsmith was very honest about how long it would take for my symptoms clear, mainly because they were silent reflux symptoms and I had had them for a number of years. Before my 3 month post op appointment I remember thinking, "what on earth would I have done if I hadn't found Mr Goldsmith?" I could not imagine having to live the rest of my life feeling so unwell. I cannot speak highly enough of Mr Paul Goldsmith and the Reflux Clinic Team.

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Written by a NHS patient at Manchester Royal Infirmary

Two years ago I experienced a serious complication from a bowel condition and spent several weeks in an induced coma.Mr Goldsmith took over my care since then and basically saved my life. My treatment plan was thorough , whilst I was in hospital he reviewed my care consistently involved my family in discussions for next steps to enable me at 81 years of age at that time to reach 84. The referrals Mr Goldsmith made always occurred when he said they would, his expertise made my recovery what it is today. I feel cared for, I’m still under his care at Manchester Royal Infirmary and recommend him as a consultant whether a private patient National Health because his consistent professional integrity is second to none . His secretary is reliable, always rings back when she says she will making sure your messages or requests are dealt with efficiently.

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Written by a private patient at Manchester Royal Infirmary

I was referred to see Doctor Paul Goldsmith following a diagnosis with anaemia caused by bleeding in my small intestine. He took the time to phone me and explained the reason why it needed to be done surgically via my abdomen as opposed to keyhole. I was very afraid and shocked that my surgery was going to be such a major operation and naturally very worried and shocked as it meant a 5 day stay in hospital and a 6 week recovery. Doctor Goldsmith then met me for a face to face consultation at Spire Manchester where he explained in further detail about my operation and exactly what to expect. He put my nerves at ease and I left reassured and felt like this was exactly the right thing to be doing and he was definitely the best man for the job. He took the time to listen to me and answered my big list of questions. I never once felt like I was an inconvenience or he was too busy to listen or speak to me. When my operation day arrived, he visited me beforehand in the dayroom to say hello (and obviously to sign my consent form). I felt nervous and apprehensive as this was the biggest operation I was ever about to have in my life. As soon as the surgery had finished and I had woke up, I was taken to Critical Care where I spent the rest of the day and evening to be monitored. Doctor Goldsmith had explained this would happen and even though it was quite daunting to be there, I felt in very capable hands. Meanwhile, Doctor Goldsmith rang my husband to personally tell him the operation had been a success and he had found the cause of the bleed. The rest of the team in Critical Care were outstanding. Doctor Goldsmith visited me every single day during my stay in hospital. I was in for 6 days. He even took the time to come and see me during the weekend days. He explained what the 'menace' was inside my intestine and that it had been sent to histology for review. I was delighted as he was, to learn that it was nothing sinister and was now gone for good. My blood level increased during my hospital stay and I have had no further anaemic symptoms following my surgery. Doctor Paul Goldsmith is simply AMAZING and fantastic at his job. I would highly recommend him to anyone who needs an expert in this field. I know I will be keeping his details to pass to anyone that may need him in the future. His personality is an additional bonus as he is funny and made me laugh which is also very important to patients who are feeling nervous and anxious. He has excellent clear communication skills and a lovely personality to compliment. Doctor Goldsmith ... "THANK YOU SO MUCH"!!!!!!!!!

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