What happens, step by step

1. First contact

Most patients get in touch with Helen Wood, my private secretary, by telephone on 07757 310098 or by email at pa@migynaecology.com, or book directly through one of the hospitals. Some are referred by their GP or a fertility unit. If you are unsure which of my four clinics suits you, Helen will help you choose.

If you have private medical insurance, check with your insurer before booking whether they need a referral from your GP, and obtain a pre-authorisation number. If you are paying for yourself, you can book directly. The fees and insurance page has the details.

2. Consultation and scan

Your first consultation is unhurried: a new consultation lasts about 30 minutes, and a follow-up about 20 minutes. I will ask about your symptoms and how they affect your life, your medical and surgical history, any pregnancies, your plans for a family and the treatments you have already tried. With your permission, and with a chaperone present, I will examine you.

You can decline any examination or scan, or ask me to stop at any time. If you have had a difficult experience in the past, or have a disability or any other needs, please tell my secretary, Helen, when you book, so that we can make the appointment work for you.

At Parkside Hospital in Wimbledon and the CRP Clinic in Epsom I can perform an ultrasound scan during your consultation, so that we can usually discuss the findings at the same visit. At my other clinics, scans are arranged separately: I order the scan, you have it at the hospital, and I then see you again to go through the results. Sometimes I recommend further tests, such as blood tests or an MRI scan, and I will explain why.

3. Your plan and my letter

I will explain what I have found in plain language, set out every reasonable option, including the option of no surgery, and give you my recommendation. The decision stays with you, and there is never any pressure to decide on the day. Many women find it helpful to go away and think, or to talk things over with family, and you are welcome to contact my secretary, Helen, with further questions.

You will receive a detailed letter, usually emailed within 30 minutes of your appointment, setting out what we discussed, the findings, the options and my recommendation. With your permission, a copy goes to your GP, and to your fertility clinic or other specialist if you have one.

4. Surgery, if you choose it

If you decide to go ahead with an operation, my secretary, Helen, will arrange a date that suits you at the appropriate hospital. You will receive full written information about the procedure, its risks and the recovery to expect well before the operation, so that you have time to read it and ask questions. If you are paying for yourself, the hospital will give you a fixed-price quotation in advance.

On the day, I will see you before the operation to go through the plan again and answer any last questions. I carry out the operation myself, and I see you afterwards to explain how it went and what I found.

5. Review

After surgery I see you again, usually a few weeks later, to go through the findings, any results from the laboratory and your recovery, and to agree any further treatment. You can contact my secretary, Helen, at any point if you have concerns, and when you leave hospital the ward will give you a number to call at any time of day or night in the days after your operation.

Continuity of care

The same surgeon at every stage is the promise at the heart of my practice. You will see me at your first consultation, for your operation, when the results come back and at your review afterwards. You will not be passed between doctors, and you will always know who to contact: my secretary, Helen, who knows my patients and my diary.

Letters and written information

Good decisions need good information. After every consultation you receive a detailed letter, usually emailed within 30 minutes of your appointment, and before any operation you receive full written information about the procedure and recovery. If you would like information about a particular condition or procedure before your appointment, my secretary, Helen, can send it to you. Some of my leaflets are on the patient information page.

Video, telephone and Arabic consultations

I hold video clinics on Monday and Wednesday evenings. If you live further away or abroad, we can begin with a video or telephone consultation. I can review your scans and reports beforehand, and if you need to be examined, scanned or treated, we can plan your visit so that you spend as little time travelling as possible. Follow-up consultations can also be by video or telephone when an examination is not needed.

Consultations are available in English or Arabic. Please let my secretary, Helen, know when you book if you would prefer to speak in Arabic.

What to bring

• Previous scan reports, and the images themselves if you have them on a disc or a link
• Operation notes and discharge letters from any previous surgery
• Letters from your GP or other specialists, and recent blood results
• Your insurer's pre-authorisation number, if you are using private medical insurance
• A list of your current medicines and any allergies
• A note of your questions, and someone to accompany you if you would like

If you can, send copies of reports and notes before your appointment, so that I can review them in advance. My secretary, Helen, will send you a secure link to upload them.