www.bddstory.co.uk

[bddstory]

My story about a dangerous dental surgeon in London UK, for anyone interested. Thanks.

[letsconnect]

Umm, the story isn't about a DENTAL surgeon, but a plastic surgeon? I have to say that I did find it a bit rich to go after the guy who actually advised against the rhinoplasty... the Healthcare Commission might have taken your complaints against Nasser more seriously if it hadn't been for your complaint against someone who really wasn't at fault. JMO.

[bddstory]

The surgeon is also a dental surgeon. The Healthcare Commission weren't involved.

If the GMC disregarded the complaint against Nasser because they disagreed with the complaint against Veale, that is hardly fair thinking.

Veale recommended a very dangerous and irrational surgeon, after a drawn-out process whereby my defences and judgment were seriously impaired. He was also paid a lot of money for this. I call that a serious misjudgment on his part, and not ''a bit rich'' on mine. Perhaps you should have read it a bit more carefully before passing judgment yourself.

[letsconnect]

I tried to read it, but some of the presentation was somewhat confusing.

Let's put it this way (analogy) - if you asked a GP for a dentist recommendation and the dentist turned out to be crap, I don't think you could sue the GP, because it is the dentist who would be at fault. You weren't unhappy that your psychiatrist referred you to a plastic surgeon, but rather, that the plastic surgeon made a botch job of it. You wouldn't stand a chance suing the GP in the aforementioned scenario, because he has to rely on the GDC to regulate dentists. ALL UK dentists are supposed to abide by GDC rules, and if they don't, the GP who made the recommendation cannot be faulted. Likewise, Nasser is bound by the rules of the GMC to act ethically (which could have included dissuading you from undergoing this surgery), and if he didn't do so, he's at fault. The reports regarding health and safety issues at Nasser's Harley Street clinic are from 2003/2004 (from memory) - after Veale said you might try him for a consult. So he wouldn't have known about these concerns.

It might be a different matter if Veale had profited from the "referral" to Nasser.

It may be true that Veale didn't discourage you strongly enough, then again, it sounds like he was in a position where he had to weigh up a high suicide risk against an unnecessary operation, and the latter struck him as more ethical at the time. Apart from the moral anguish a suicide would cause to the treating doctor, your family might then have come after him for NOT referring you to a surgeon. It looks like he's learnt his lesson though and will no longer refer BDD patients to surgeons, even if it might mean a suicide or two along the line. There's a huge moral and ethical dilemma involved here, and while personally, I would not agree with referring to a surgeon, arguments can be made either way.

So really, it would depend on what guidelines were in place at the time (2000) in relation to treatment of BDD patients. Maybe he did violate the rules, I don't know. But there is clear evidence of a letter from Veale to you which states: "I am aware of your desperate desire for cosmetic surgery and you are also aware of my advice that you are likely to be dissatisfied with such an operation." Seems to me like he was just at the end of his tether and didn't know how he could help you any more. He also made it clear to Nasser that you were "convinced that the last rhinoplasty was done incorrectly. My view is that he has a rather distorted image about his nose and that no amount of cosmetic surgery is going to change his internal image." Obviously, he was hoping that Nasser would concur and try and dissuade you, but that didn't happen.

Nasser is not registered as a dental surgeon in the UK. I suppose this is why my reaction was somewhat ascerbic (the opening statement of your post suggests that your case is somehow related to dentists, when in fact, it's not) - Nasser's qualifications are: LMSSA Lond 1977; MRCS Eng LRCP Lond 1977

(LMSSA = Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery, Society of Apothecaries London
MRCS = MRCS - Member of the Royal College of Surgeons
LRCP =Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians)

Good luck with going after Nasser, though - those reports regarding handling emergencies and lack of hygiene are very disconcerting indeed!

[bddstory]

I don't see in what way I could make the presentation clearer.

I know that Veale isn't legally liable for the referral, but that doesn't mean he didn't make some serious mistakes - he certainly did. The Health Commission reports were made after the event, but this doesn't change the mistakes Veale made, and are only a small part of the site - not the reasons why I believe Nasser should be struck-off. The whole point about cosmetic surgery for people with BDD (at least in Veale's definition) is that it is supposed to make things worse for them, so your idea that Veale making the decision not to refer any more BDD patients for cosmetic surgery as a result of this experience could cause some suicides is a misunderstanding. Nasser operating on me despite my BDD diagnosis is not enough to get him struck-off - it's the clinically pointless incisions which are the main point of contention.

[letsconnect]

I still don't see how any of this relates to dental phobia (the topic of this board), but anyway...

The presentation would be clearer if you had a page listing dates (in chronological order) and corresponding events (an overview).

With regards to Nasser, I don't feel anyone should be allowed to practice if they don't follow proper sterilization guidelines and have no real idea of how to deal with emergencies. He was warned in 2003 and by 2004, things still hadn't changed. Pretty damn lenient in my book. I'm not an expert on the topic of nose jobs, so I can't really comment in the rhinoplasty department.

From that health and safety report I read, I don't think he should practice, as simple as that. With regards to rhinoplasty, it's really only medical experts who are in a position to comment on your case.

So - best of luck !

[bddstory]

Thanks