Facelift etc..

[Stuckoncrossroads]

I’m looking to have face “refreshment” surgery in Nordesthetics Clinic in Lithuania. (lift,upper lid reduction and possibly brow lift) …i’m ( suddenly!) in late 50’s and after few tough years and losing few stones I want to feel good and reward myself for once.
I’m fatigued after researching uk options, and not finding a clear winner for me, but I’ve found this clinic to have excellent reviews and the least percentage of poor reviews so far … ( of those with 500 + reviews , except the one uk surgeon who charges from 35k for a facelift .. )…so I’ve decided to bite the bullet and book …any recommendations, advice or experience with them you can share, would be great , (first or second hand),most reviews I read were about great body surgery, and general high standards but not more specific about individual surgeons etc ..so, I don’t have nearly as much specific info as I would like …thank you !

It’s true tho! Many reports of people having operations abroad, have secondary infections or post op problems arise and expect the NHS to step up with remedial treatment.

Not really. It's very silly to consider surgery in a country other than your own. Very foolish.

Op please don't do this. And don't rely on online reviews, many of which are faked by the business themselves.

Well surgery is risky wherever you have it but being at ‘home’ doesn’t guarantee better results at all.

I agree with this. Then again I remember that I read the book Toya Wilcox wrote about her face lift, she still looks good doesn't she?
When I was in my early 50s I anticipated that I would soon be very keen to have a facelift, but now on the verge of 60, the desire to have it done seems to have left me🤷🏻‍♀️

You don’t have to go abroad for this , ( or have surgery),more people end up wasting nhs resources at A&E after a big night out…( and wasting other country’s resources after even bigger nights out abroad !), stags… sports …etc etc ..

Hi Stuckoncrossroads. I was 62 when I had a deep plane facelift with blethroplasty earlier this year with Mr Chris West at Coppergate, York. I cant recommend Mr West and the clinic enough. From start to finish it was professional and reassuring. I am 3 hours away from York but it was worth travelling and I did look at other options but for the price I thought it was amazing. You can follow Mr West on Insta which provides loads of information. I would suggest going for a consultation and Mr West, or who else you choose, will give an honest appraisal of what type of facelift will give you optimal results. I was too far gone for a VR facelift 😆 and deep plane was recommended. Although it says ‘from 16K’ on their website that was what I was quoted after the consultation. If you wish to then book the waiting list is likely to be a good few months as Mr West only does one a day and I think he only operates for this procedure one day a week. Once booked you will need to attend again for a pre op assessment. Bloods are taken, ECG etc by a nurse as this operation is under a general anaesthetic. After the procedure you need to stay local overnight, I stayed in an AirBnb next door, unless you live local. I had to return after about 10 days for stitches out and again 2 months after the procedure for a final check up with Mr West. I found the recovery to be a lot for the first couple of weeks with peak swelling at about day 3 then swelling and (minimal) bruising slowly resolves. I personally would recommend staying off work and not facing anyone for about four weeks unless you work from home ideally. I did have a lot of swelling and I would say it has taken me about 4 months to finally result. I feel I look refreshed and definitely don’t look decades younger but I feel it was well worth the money which was a significant amount of money for me. However you soon forget how you looked pre op and when I look back at photos for comparison I am very satisfied. Mr West normally does some fat transfer as part of this facelift to optimise the result. If there is a way of sending me a private message (I’m not great at tech so have no idea how to) I would be happy to send some photos

This is the kind of recommendation & review I would be going on OP. A real life person with real life evidence. This is worth its weight in gold IMO.
How can you trust most probably paid for reviews online?

Hello,
I didn't have a face-lift and my surgeon never performed face lifts as far as I know.
I agree you absolutely need a specialist with lots of experience in their field.
I hope my previous surgery research should help me know how to choose the right person when I start looking into neck lift
(under local) next year.
You seem to be doing a really great job with your own research and I am getting some inspo, so thank you.

Why not? You've no idea what her plans are for those circumstances.

Load of rubbish. Does the UK have the monopoly on surgeons?

Plenty of people suffer bad results and aftercare here you know?

OP I’m also off to Lithuania but different clinic for a breast augmentation and lift after extensive weight loss.

I can’t wait!

Going abroad is just fine if you do your research properly. So many people just hope for the best. I'm medical professional and if I run into any post op complications my consultant is happy to help me out in his own time.
Don't try to tell me a few bad plastic surgeries are ruining the NHS and wasting our time.
The people who are ruining the NHS are the people who smoke, drink are grossly overweight and don't take care of themselves.
My department (vascular) are full of them where we have to care for them for years on end trying to keep them alive while they get amputated from the toes up bit by bit because they won't stop smoking, drinking and doing whatever they want.
They cost us millions of pounds a year.

This! 100% and most people stay abroad after their surgery anyway!

WhoInvitedHer, thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience, that’s so kind of you and just priceless .. 🌟 I feel I got more useful information from you than any website, really appreciate it. Their website says there that they normally perform deep plane under “twilight anaesthesia”, which is deep sedation, where you sleep rather than full anaesthesia where
they take over the breathing / intubate, did you have full anaesthesia? I am hours away as well, but it’s worth it for the right clinic, I ‘work from anywhere’, so a big advantage.
It’s great to hear that despite everything, looking back,it does feel worthwhile, it’s a big undertaking, financially and otherwise. Not for the faint hearted!
I think it’s possible to direct message on here, I will check and message you , if you’re still up to sharing photos that would be amazing and so generous of you. Thank you so much either way.

I sometimes wonder if I would have a face lift if I had the money as the sight of my saggy aged face in the mirror makes me want to weep. However I can just about afford the bills and food. Good luck OP. guess I am a bit jealous

Hi Stuckoncrossroads, no problem at all. When I had my surgery 6 months ago the only option Mr West offered me was general anaesthetic and to be honest I was happy with that. It may be that has changed or some of the other doctors there offer twilight. The only other thing I meant to say is that it is a bit of a rollercoaster. There were days when I thought ‘what have I done?’ but you really do need to trust the process. Absolutely no regrets though.

@Gettingbysomehow 100% ..couldn’t agree more… the biggest drain on the nhs is a result of lifestyle choices (of NOT looking after yourself…).
@MJMa ..exactly … and well done, such a huge achievement 💃 .. good luck with your surgery …🍀.. so
well deserved ..
@lifeonmars100 I know what you mean, of course it feels unfair, and so frustrating …thank you for your honest post ..

Hi @WhoInvitedHer ..yes, I totally can imagine that “no regrets” , doesn’t at all mean it’s plain sailing …in the end you do have to make that scary leap and put your trust in a stranger and a procedure you have no control of, and go through a painful recovery and self doubt …it’s actually terrifying and very brave … I better stop before I scare myself any more 😆
..thank you…😊

I thought I'd posted here but can't see it, so maybe I didn't.

Not many people talk about lower face botox. You can get really great results. Most of my lower face aging is muscles pulling everything down.

It's worth a try if the cost of surgery is out of reach.

You can have a 'lip flip' which is a very subtle upturn of the top lip - without using fillers. A pixi lift can restore a drooping nose tip. You can zap the muscles giving you downturned mouth corners. You can release muscles in various places to help restore your jaw line and improve jowls.

There's plenty of people charging reasonable prices (in UK). If you want a few areas treated it won't break the bank.

@AquaForce unless you have a tendency to pout, why would muscles pull a face down. If you zap those muscles with botox, isn't it worse if you can no longer smile as naturally?

I think middle-aged women looking for a facelift are generally seeing the aging effects of skin laxity which causes jowling with the characteristic rectangular lower face and loose neck. I am no doctor but I cannot see how any amount of botox on the facial muscles will lift it up, if anything would give even less lift. The facelift addresses not just the skin but also lifts deeper layers of the SMAS and fascia, depending on the technique.

Do you have any before and after photos of lower face botox?

I suspect Coppergate is next August. I had to wait a few months for the consultation then 5 months for the surgery. As you say he is popular, excellent results and a reasonable cost for the UK. Worth the wait I felt.

I think you can ask to be contacted in the event of a cancellation so that might be worth considering

That’s a good idea, thank you@whoInvitedHer. Yes, they said August, then I went through Spire hospital instead and managed to book him early February in Leeds 😁 That’s quite far. (I’m on the south coast ! I also emailed him to ask if it can potentially be done online/ sooner … I hope he doesn’t block me 😆, February is okay, worth it).
The first consultation …I felt a bit like a goat… slightly patronised,and rushed, I couldn’t ask my questions, he answered the questionnaire for me not as I answered them, he wanted to know what exactly I do,beyond my vague answer, and I got quoted well more than anyone else I know of, who also had lipo on top, and well more than what was said on the website… . I’m quite annoyed because I was 85% set on going ahead and really looking forward to the consultation and mini lift potentially within weeks. 😖

@Stuckoncrossroads that is very resourceful of you going through Spire Hospital for Coppergate 😁

he wanted to know what exactly I do
As for the other one, when you said you felt deflated I thought you had been turned down. How disconcerting that he was sizing you up to see how far he could fleece you. I wonder if he looked at your address and decided this could be a big one. It sounds unethical. Not dissimilar to certain aesthetic clinics that don't care about what is best for you but are just there to upsell. Consider it a lucky escape.

If I was having surgery in the UK I wouldnt use spire, they massacred my breast uplift and left me with awful injuries.
Go to Queen Victoria hospital in East Grinstead. They have a private unit and the surgeons are excellent. The queen vic is a specialist plastics and burns unit.
I worked there as a nurse for years.