Your consultations: what to expect

Your initial consultation

Mr Ali Alhamdani offers many different surgical procedures to treat a variety of health conditions. The first step towards your treatment will be an initial consultation to discuss the problem you want to tackle.

Mr Alhamdani will spend up to an hour with you, talking about your symptoms and medical history and will arrange any necessary diagnostic tests or tests required in preparation for surgery. He will also explain in detail any complications that could occur with any surgery and the specific complications that can occur with the type of surgery you might have.

He will reassure you that the complication rate is low and that the majority of operations go well. However, it is important that you understand the risks associated with surgery and ask questions if there is anything you are worried about.

“The initial consultation is one of the most important visits that any patient makes. I feel it is very important to create a rapport with each patient as well as taking their full medical, social and dietetic history.”

Mr Alhamdani will discuss the treatment options available, suggesting which is most suitable for you. In some cases the final decision will depend on your preference as well as how suitable the treatment is for you. You will also receive detailed information about the overall treatment plan, the postoperative care required and the follow-up advice and treatment that you will need from a specialist dietician.

The final decision about which form of surgery will be performed is based on three factors: the best available advice from evidence-based medicine and national guidelines, my personal experience of dealing with the patient’s condition and the patient’s own choice and preference. .

This decision is a very important one and is not usually taken during the initial consultation. Mr Alhamdani prefers to give patients the opportunity and time to discuss their plans with family and friends. The necessary tests that are required to prepare for surgery can then be arranged to ensure that each patient is able to go ahead with the procedure.

Our multidisciplinary team approach

Mr Alhamdani works within a bariatric multi-disciplinary team and you will see other members of the team before and after the operation. Mrs Toni Jenkins, Bariatric Specialist Nurse and Mrs Lucy Jones, Bariatric Specialist Dietitian, will give you information about your care during and after the operation and will advise you on what supplements and multivitamins to take. A team of specialist bariatric anaesthetists will also see you before surgery to assess your individual needs.

Your follow-up consultations

You will see Mr Alhamdani at your initial consultation and before you have surgery. He will invite you to ask questions and discuss the procedure and any concerns that you have at each consultation. After surgery, you will be cared for by the nursing staff within either The Wellington Hospital or The Highgate Hospital under the direct supervision of Mr Alhamdani. He will see you the day after your surgery and then just before you are discharged. Follow-up consultations will then be arranged.