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Is it worth paying privately to have spine surgery?

Posted , 7 users are following.

gabriella44865
gabriella44865

Hi I'd like to know people's opinion on private surgery vs NHS please?

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • gerwyn_77540
    gerwyn_77540 gabriella44865

    Posted

    If I had the money I would go private. I had my first opp on L4 L5 S1 in 2014. I had further surgery the beginning of this year. And I am now waiting to have my 3rd. I am sure if I payed private 1 opp is all I would have needed. Hope

    This helps.

    • annette1005
      annette1005 gerwyn_77540

      Posted

      If it helps.. i fint think it eould stop at 1 i have had 6.. 1 private to see if it made any difference.. most nhs hospitals a equipt with a spinal ward and they are soecialists.. the aftercare in private is ususlly a general surgery wardy nurses only knew the basics.. thats all.. nothing to do with backs.. i would say almost all of the private spinal syrgeons are nhs onez too at the top of there field.. infact my syrgeon was so disgusted eith the care i had paid £25 grand for mo ed me to a room on an nhs spinal ward .. they were great xx hope this helps u xx

  • buggsy1000
    buggsy1000 gabriella44865

    Posted

    Hi Gabriella

    What type of surgery do you need, ?? In my view whatever the type of surgery you need, will most of the time be done by the same or one of his colleges from the same hospital, the only reason to pay privately is to a, get it done quicker and b, the recovery process might let you stay in a few extra days as your paying.

    Re my comments on the surgeon check the surgeons at your local hospital and then check the clinic your thinking of going to and see if they are listed.

    Regards

    George (UK)

  • Tuckerraz
    Tuckerraz gabriella44865

    Posted

    Hi Gabriella,

    I can can only speak from personal experience. I had my ACDF (C6/7) done privately, simply because I had health insurance through work. I saw the same surgeon that I would probably have seen on the NHS through choice, but it was just quicker. My GP refused to even believe there was something wrong with me (problems manifesting in shoulder but turned out to be caused by neck) until I told him I had healthcare. He suddenly had a change of heart and recommended a referral.

    Anyway, my experience was that the surgeon was brilliant, as was the anaesthetist etc. Most, if not all, practice in the NHS but also work privately. HOWEVER, the nursing after care I received was appalling. Turns out that if you have surgery privately you'll simply be put into a general ward, not specialist spinal care. They messed my meds up, kept forgetting to re-attach the DVT prevention pumps to my legs after I'd been to the loo etc etc. They just didn't seem to know what they were doing. They also released me with no medication plan and I had many MANY pills that I had to work out my own schedule for - not easy when you're on the likes of tramadol, gabapentin etc. 

    It's possible that this was simply the private hospital I was in, but I would investigate. My op actually became an emergency in the end, so I may well have ended up elsewhere had I not already been in the private healthcare system. I think it comes down to timing (how quickly can you be seen on the NHS) and also who can treat you/ operate. Do your research and see what options are available to you. Personally speaking the aftercare was a real let down for me and I struggled massively. I don't know how this would have been on the NHS. 

    Hope this helps.

    Tammy

     

    • annette1005
      annette1005 Tuckerraz

      Posted

      U have said the same as me on after care x hope ur doing ok xx
  • Carolineq8
    Carolineq8 gabriella44865

    Posted

    I went private 13 years ago sent home with no aftercare, no follow up, I was in an old part of a hospital with the old fashioned pull down chains on the loos, I was taking into the loos to have my drain removed and passed out in the loot after l4/5 fussion, Iv struggled with daily life since and never returned back to work as a result, I also have a cyst compressing my thiracic spine as a result of surgery and also have cervical degeneration, so much more but not going to bore you, I think it comes down to research and ask docs questions on there success rate, don't be shy it's your life at the end of the day, good luck 😊

  • gabriella44865
    gabriella44865

    Posted

    Thank you it doesn't really seem worth going private then as long as I'm prepared to wait which I am because surgery is still a last resort and I want to try more things first

    • Carolineq8
      Carolineq8 gabriella44865

      Posted

      Have you tried chiro practor or Bowen therapy, iv just tried both the latter today and found it brilliant, early days yet tho, chiro treatment has been brilliant also but make sure you get a good one x
    • steven12310
      steven12310 Carolineq8

      Posted

      I agree re the Bowen therapy as I have used it and found it helped enormously
  • steven12310
    steven12310 gabriella44865

    Posted

    It depends on the problem hun, I paid privately to go to a specialised spinal hospital with the top surgeon in the UK and it was worth it but you could find that in the NHS you could have the same surgeon who would be doing it privately so you need to check it out. It is not a cheap option to go private so you need to know you have spent your money wisely.
    • Carolineq8
      Carolineq8 steven12310

      Posted

      I totally agree, I paid but my doc is an nhs doc also, when they found a mass in my spine and wernt sure what it was they wanted to take 3 inch bone out my spine cut through major deltoid muscles just to investigate when I said no and asked for a second opinion they sent me to another doc which happened to be my original surgeon and guess what he passed me back and refused to see me (this is 7 years later) alarm bells!!

      It's a difficult one for anyone facing surgery you just have to do your homework x

  • annette1005
    annette1005 gabriella44865

    Posted

    Hi.. we paid £25,000 for a spinal fusion..decrompression and dislcsectomy.. q1 hour op at the park nottingham.. all i can say is..please make sure u know the hospital has spinal trained nurses fir after care.. thdy have the correct beds ie.. electric.. tbe phsio knows how to deal with a major op.. the problem we found was private hospitals are used to dealing with breast inplants face lifts.. etv etc.. and even medical things like kidney stones.. but spinal surgery is complex i reseached the best surgeon but the after care was not good or professional.. so look from beginni h to end.. tbe main positive is u get in quick..😊 goid luck c

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