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Mr Paul Thiruchelvam 2021-06-06 Person 5 5 0

I first met Mr Thiruchelvam on 1st April 2021 when he told me that my biopsy showed DCIS. Which means that cancer is in a breast duct and was grade 0, which means that it doesn't appear to have spread out of the duct. He arranged for me to have a second biopsy in a different area of the breast which thankfully did not show cancer. A few weeks later I met with Mr Thiruchelvam again and he explained in an unbiased way all the surgical options I had and that I would need radiotherapy six weeks after surgery He showed me detailed photographs of women who had these surgeries which was very helpful. He gave me time to think about what I thought was my best option. My breast care nurse Jess was there to give me extra support. I never felt isolated but felt well supported throughout this process. I remember the night before my next appointment with him, where I would discuss my surgical decision, I felt bewildered, its such a big decision to make, my breasts are so important to me, I breastfed my two sons and it was a marvellous experience. My breasts are very erogenous and I didn't know how I would accept an altered body image. I really was in a pickle by the time I saw him the next day and I was flip-flopping between the options. He gave me lots of time during that appointment, he really cared and didn't rush me. I had the support of Jess. I decided on LICAP flap, in two stages, firstly Mr Thiruchelvam would remove the cancer by breast conserving surgery( lumpectomy) and then two weeks later perform the LICAP surgery. He explained all the risks of surgery. In great detail he explained what LICAP is and he drew on my body where he would make incisions. In simple terms its a type of breast reconstruction, where fat/tissue from under the arm is used to replace lost breast tissue to give shape and size back. The first operation took just over an hour and I went home that day. The care from Doctors, anaesthetic team and nurses was exceptional and I felt well, I took antibiotics prophylactically for three days and only two paracetamol the night of the operation, I really didn't feel pain. The LICAP took about 2 hours and I felt very drowsy and quite nauseas till the evening but went home with a drain in-situ, to take away excess fluid. I felt much weaker this time but still went out for a walk the next afternoon. Mr Thiruchelvam telephoned me the next day, it was wonderful to hear his calm, concerned voice. He said the operation had been a success. That call meant so much to me. A breast care nurse called me daily to see how I was doing and checked how much was in the drain. After a week I came back to hospital to have it removed. My son saw me after the surgery and was beaming and remarked "Its a miracle Mum, your breast looks better than before" He wasn't wrong! I am so happy with how I look, I am amazed and truly grateful and thankful to my team at Charing Cross. I saw Mr Thiruchelvam 10 days after my surgery and I was so excited to show him how good I looked, we both beamed at each other with happiness and joy. Mr Thiruchelvam has been monumental throughout. He is indeed, such an enthusiastic, passionate and highly skilled surgeon(I have a tiny scar that can't be seen when wearing a bra). I feel extraordinarily lucky with the care I received at Charing Cross. Everyone has made me feel super important and special. This has I am sure affected my emotional and mental state. I have mostly felt euphoric with occasional short episodes of feeling flat and sad. What really helped me before I had surgery was to read reviews about Mr Thiruchelavm but after reading about five, the overwhelming conclusion is that he is second to none!