Dr. H, Dr. Lara Hodson, Dr. Lara…or just Lara! I graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2018 after 5 tough years of studying – but even before I started my medical degree, I knew I wanted to be a surgeon from a young age. I was particularly drawn to Trauma surgery, the idealist in me keen to help people both physically in fixing their injuries as well as emotionally, helping them deal with the invisible consequences. Of course, the reality is not so simple, but I do enjoy both the hands-on aspects of my job as well as the times spent talking to my patients to figure out what they need from me individually.
Since completing my initial Foundation Training, I have spent many years working across a variety of surgical specialties. I spent 3 years working in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, before settling, nearly 2 years ago, in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – dealing with facial trauma specifically, alongside a lot of other head and neck pathology. As such, I have a keen eye for detail and an intricate understanding of the anatomy of the face, skin, how wounds heal and how scarring works. I won’t say I know it all, not by any means! But I know more than enough to do excellent work in the treatments I currently offer as I built my knowledge and expertise in more complex scar management techniques.
The NHS is a wonderful organisation, and I am proud to continue my day-to-day job within Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. However, there are plenty of treatments which are not available on the NHS due to being ‘cosmetic’, which is where Dr. H comes in. I started this clinic so that I could provide a more extensive service to patients, from seeing them acutely in A&E to dealing with more elective (but often very worrying) issues such as skin lesions, scarring and general skin health and condition that just aren’t available in the NHS.
