EAST Lancashire patients of one of Britain's top plastic surgeons are seeking legal advice after claiming their operations went wrong.

Preston-based specialist David Herbert, is being investigated by the General Medical Council after some patients claimed they were left with excessive scarring and medical complications from tummy tuck, nose reshaping and breast operations.

Now, leading medical negligence lawyers Alexander Harris, of Manchester, have taken several calls from dissatisfied plastic surgery patients in East Lancashire.

Lesley Herbertson, the firm's expert in plastic surgery cases, said: "People who have plastic surgery generally have low self-esteem and aren't very self-confident and go for plastic surgery to boost their confidence and make them look and feel better.

"But if something goes wrong the psychological effects can be much worse than any physical scarring and victims of this can get substantial compensation.

"There is a risk with plastic surgery, but if the job is botched, or the scarring is not cosmetically pleasing, then people can complain."

Mr Herbert, 62, works at clinics in Huntingdon, London and Nottingham, as well as at Northern Clinic, at Broughton Park Private Hospital, Preston. Lawyers at Alexander Harris are acting for some of Mr Herbert's patients and are investigating complaints from several others who claim to have suffered problems.

Linda Hanson, managing director of the National Independent Cosmetic Surgery Organisation, which employs Dr Herbert, said the number of complaints about the surgeon compared to the number of operations he performed is very small.

She said: "Mr Herbert's skills are widely acknowledged and even experienced plastic surgeons request access to the theatres where Mr Herbert is operating in order to learn how to perform procedures as satisfactorily, safely and quickly.

"Although we employ the services of four cosmetic surgeons, Mr Herbert's are the most in demand, due to his success with us over the last seven years. It is a pity that the other side of the story from his happy patients, the silent majority, may never be heard."

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