Face and Neck Lift - 21 Month Review

Dr Mendelson has written that plastic surgery is as much about the psyche of a patient as it is about changes to their physical form. Having experienced the entire journey, I can confirm that this observation is true and extremely important for a satisfactory outcome. Dr Mendelson and his staff were particularly helpful and supportive from my first consultation to the final post surgical review at approximately 18 months. I was never pressured to make any decisions before I was ready and I was provided with ample opportunity to ask questions and become fully comfortable with the procedures before committing to a date for surgery (6 months after my initial consultation). At no point prior to scheduling of the surgery did anyone contact me, unless it was to return my phone call or email.
Before meeting Dr Mendelson, I undertook comprehensive research on all non-surgical options over a period of 2 years before deciding that surgery was necessary to achieve my desired outcome. I then read extensive reviews, articles and technical literature to understand the different techniques on offer and which surgeon was most aligned with my needs. By the time of my first consultation I was already well informed and able to ask more specific questions about my personal situation. I was provided with an information pack which was invaluable in preparing me for the surgery and healing period. The carefully written notes were based on the experiences of many previous patients, which I found to be extremely accurate and I re-read the document at least 10 times over the course of my healing.
Over the 2 to 3 years prior to surgery I also took many photos of myself from all angles, in different light, looking my best and worst. This allowed me to become very clear about what features I liked and what really bothered me. I was very pleased that I did this because after surgery I had an extensive reference bank for comparison. It is hard to imagine how you will look post surgery - the face is familiar, but new - it is not a return to how one looked 5 or 10 years ago. It took time for me to get used to this new face and each time any doubt crept in, I was able to look back at the photos and see the improvement.
By the time of my surgery, I had met with Dr Mendelson two or three times and despite being busy, he always took the time to connect with me and discuss what I wanted, which assured me that he was LISTENING to what I wanted, not telling me what he thought he should do. I also spoke to the patient adviser many times so I felt completely comfortable with the team before surgery, which I believe was important to minimise anxiety over the healing period.
I was advised that it would be much better to have an extra night in hospital post surgery and (despite the additional expense) I would also highly recommend this (I had 2 nights). There was extensive swelling immediately post surgery, but the human body is remarkable and by the 3rd day there were already positive signs of healing so it was less stressful to return home.
Following the advice in the patient information pack, I had prepared my life to be as stress free as possible for 4 weeks so I could rest and focus on healing, which was remarkably rapid. I was well cared for during my post surgical visits and the team did anything and everything they could do to make me feel better and help me enjoy some "me" time.
I had virtually no bruising, just one spot under my right eye, which was gone within a week or so. The swelling made the skin feel tight in my lower face, so it seemed much younger than my upper face, which was initially disconcerting. I took lots of photos of myself during the healing process too, so I could see my progress over the first 4 months.
At 4 weeks, I still felt noticeably swollen and different and was concerned about my return to work and questions I might receive. The notes suggested a change to hair, make up or clothes to play along with the change rather than hide it (after all, it is a lot of time and money to waste if there is no noticeable difference!). People are distracted by the obvious change and don't look too closely at faces. My best friend at work studied me closely, knew something was different then said she liked my new hair style (shorter, darker hair) because it made me look younger. Another colleague commented that I looked refreshed and asked if I had been on holiday since he last saw me! When I look back on the photos of myself at 4, 5, 6 weeks post surgery now I think I looked perfectly fine, but at the time I thought my face was noticeably deformed. Perspective is a powerful thing, which is why staying relaxed and confident is critical during the first 3-4 months. On several occasions I noticed a feature on my face that I didn't particularly like, so it was reassuring to look back on my "before" photo collection to see that it was not a consequence of botched surgery, which is easy to imagine while waiting for things to settle completely.
Apart from the swelling, my face was numb in many areas and sensation is only just returning to my right earlobe. The face has softened considerably and a few lines have returned, which are welcome since a few fine lines are important to keep a natural look - ageing gracefully, while looking refreshed. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of PATIENCE in the healing process.
In all, I was in surgery for about 9 hours. This sounds extensive compared to what other surgeons quote, but it was an intricate operation with particularly fine stitching around the ears and hairline which are virtually invisible now and I am confident to wear my hair up without any concern that someone will notice any tell tale signs of surgery.
I had some backache after the surgery, which made it even more uncomfortable for me to sleep upright with my neck support. This lasted about 2 weeks, but I was able to nap during the day to make up for poor sleep at night. Audio books became my best friend as reading was difficult without straining my neck.
Although I did not have surgery on my eyes, computer work for the first 8 weeks was tough (as described in the notes). I did my eye exercises regularly to shift excess fluid but my eyes still felt strained after a short time on the computer.
Almost 2 years on I am happy with my new face and have got used to it. I had some laser work done to remove a few moles and spider veins so my skin looks fresh too and I rarely wear makeup or I use a tinted moisturiser and minimal mascara with clear lip gloss, which is a nice simple routine for a busy woman in her mid 50's!
The surgery was more extensive (and more than 3 times as expensive as my cheapest quote), but I still believe I made the best decision to obtain the outcomes I wanted. I have no hesitation in recommending Dr Mendelson and his team for this procedure.