Facelift and fat transfer: Marilyn’s story
Marilyn had always kept fit and healthy, regularly going to the gym, practicing yoga and walking her two dogs. However she began to feel unhappy with how her face was when she looked at herself in the mirror.
“I hated the wrinkles in my cheeks and I had jowls, so when at New Year, my husband asked me what I wanted to do this year, I answered: a facelift!"
Doing her research, Marilyn visited various clinics enquiring about having a facelift before coming to Spire Cheshire Hospital. She says, “All the other clinics I visited prior said they could book me in within a matter of days. There was no discussion of potential complications, and it all sounded too easy.”
Marilyn met with the cosmetic specialist nurse at Spire Cheshire Hospital and she was advised of some of the drawbacks of cosmetic surgery. Marilyn explains, “The cosmetic nurse at Spire told me I would have two black eyes, and would I be ok with that? I found her very professional and it very assuring that I was told of all the potential side effects as well as the positives.”
After seeing the nurse, cosmetic surgeon Mr Tim Blackburn met with Marilyn. As she still wanted to find out more about the procedure, Mr Blackburn arranged for Marilyn to meet with a patient who had had a facelift six months ago, to talk about her experiences first-hand.
Marilyn says, “This really helped my decision. Being able to talk to someone about the positives and negatives, seeing the scars and the fantastic results made me realise I wanted to go ahead.”
Mr Blackburn suggested Marilyn would also benefit from fat transfer surgery, where fat is taken from the abdomen and injected into the face to plump up the skin and compliment the face and neck lift she decided on.
Marilyn explains how she felt after the procedures, which were done under one anaesthetic and took six hours: “I was swollen, but even with the bruising, I could see the difference in my skin. I think I was the only person walking around with two black eyes who thought I looked great!”
Marilyn stayed overnight in the hospital before recovering at home. Within 10 days, she was able to go out with friends and show off her new look. She says, “Everything has healed really well and I’m just feeling happier with how I look, and why shouldn’t I look good?!”
