A Specialist Consultant Breast Surgeon should also, therefore, have held a substantive post in a UK hospital as a Specialist Breast Surgeon.
Details can be checked on most UK surgeons to see the area they operate on most frequently as an NHS consultant by looking up their details at their local hospital, and also by looking at the Specialist Info web site.
Cosmetic surgery covers a range of specialities, including not only plastic, otorhinolaryngological, maxillofacial and general surgery, the sub-specialty of breast surgery, but also ophthalmology, dermatology, dentistry, anaesthesia and clinical psychology.
Mr Turton will only provide cosmetic breast surgery services- ie keeping in line with his specialist area.
Operations performed by a surgeon should reflect their area of Specialisation. All doctors setting up as cosmetic surgeons for the first time from April 2002 must be on the GMC’s specialist register. They should also become Certified in Cosmetic Surgery by the Royal College of Surgeons. Mr Turton was the first UK breast surgeon to achieve this Certification!
See what the Care Quality Commission says about the regulation of Cosmetic Breast Surgery, and review the Department of Health advice on finding a specialist for Cosmetic Surgery.
The MHRA also provides a lot of useful information about silicone implants and the curbs recommended to rid the industry of unscrupulous sales techniques and the reformation of the whole industry.
Don’t be afraid to ask a surgeon about his/her qualifications, experience and specialities. The GMC (www.gmc-uk.org) holds general and specialist registers of doctors practising in the UK. Contact them to check if the doctor or surgeon you have chosen is on their register.