How Modern Cosmetic Surgery Is Changing Lives
Many of us have something physical we perceive as a flaw. It might be big, or it could be tiny, but we feel like there’s a spotlight on it whenever we’re in public. Often it has to do with aging. Getting older is a privilege, but it’s also not for the weak. If we could only wave a magic wand, we’d be happier with our looks. But until that wand is invented, many times a permanent fix is surgical in nature.
The terms plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery get used interchangeably, but they are distinct. Plastic surgery is reconstructive. It repairs a birth defect, injury, burn, or other trauma. Cosmetic surgery is always an elective procedure to enhance a part or area of the body. Plastic surgeons perform both types of surgery.
Natural, Not Noticeable
If you think of a face lift as obvious, with tightly pulled skin and little free movement, your perception is out of date. Blame Hollywood. Patients who go to extremes get so much attention because they’re outliers. Today, face lifts and similar procedures aim for a natural look that doesn’t scream to onlookers, “I’ve had work done!”
“Think about when you were twenty,” says Plastic Surgeon Dr. Corey Moore of Woodfield Surgical Centre. “You didn’t look tight; your face was soft, but the contours were crisp. Nothing was hanging. We borrow from youth. We transfer that into the surgeries.”
We can all think of celebrities whose facial surgery went too far. Dr. Moore says it’s important not to confuse changing a person’s looks with undergoing a rejuvenation procedure. “There are lots of psychosomatic studies that show that if you change their look, people have a psychologically hard time with that. We (plastic surgeons) are becoming less aggressive in many ways and more focused on the matter at hand, not just doing cookie-cutter surgery.”
Restoring a Youthful Appearance
H.J., a professional woman in her sixties, planned for years to undergo a facelift. She saved up knowing she would develop a family trait of jowls on the sides of her face.
“My parents were jowly,” H. explains. “My mom had the surgery done a long time ago and was happy, so when the time came I went and did the same thing with Dr. Moore. He’s excellent at what he does.”
H. says she was a confident person, but her jowls were often on her mind. “I was annoyed,” she remembers. “I could joke around and shake my jowls and look like Winston Churchill if I wanted to, but I didn’t like it.”
For H., the best part of her post-surgical result is seeing her reflection in a mirror. “I’m good looking,” she says. “That loose skin under the chin and neck gets dealt with at the same time. Everything is much firmer, and I can’t shake it. It’s amazing. I’m totally delighted.”
A Fresh Start
K. D. is equally satisfied with her surgery done by plastic surgeon Dr. Arjang Yazdani at Yazdani Aesthetics. The Body Contouring 360 procedure removed fat from places where she didn’t want it and transferred some of it to where it was desired. Through this method, breast enhancement was possible without implants. “I like to have a natural appearance,” she explains. “They were also able to transfer fat to my brow, my cheeks, and my chin.”
K. had been receiving regular chin filler treatments, and this fat transference created a more permanent solution. But her breasts were the main focus. In her mid-thirties, she wasn’t looking to become a Kardashian. She just wanted her previous body back.
“I was either pregnant or breastfeeding for about four years. After that, I was getting back into shape, doing yoga, and I quit drinking. Just adopting a healthy lifestyle. I felt really healthy on the inside, but then I looked in a mirror, and my breasts were deflated. I would be on the beach with my kids and my breasts were falling out of my bathing suit and I thought, I’m not going to live like this forever.”
Looking Better Means Feeling Better
Dr. Yazdani agrees that modern aesthetics are about restoration, not making you into someone else. “The goal is to have a natural change that brings you back to what your younger self looked like,” Dr. Yazdani explains. “It’s so different from 20 years ago, when everyone was scared about the celebrity facelift because it just looked so overdone and different and pulled. On top of that, there are really good advanced surgical techniques that leave minimal scars now, so that you can’t see them. I think they are the way of the future for aesthetics.”
Aging and gravity affect us all. People realize life is short and they want to be their best selves, says Dr. Yazdani. “For a long time, I think there was this feeling that people should be ashamed of that. But we work out and eat right and stay healthy and dress well. Those are all ways in which we are trying to manipulate our bodies. These techniques are also very safe.”
K. is thrilled with her results. Her breasts are fuller and properly placed with nipples facing forward instead of down. She also loves that wearing a bra is now optional and she doesn’t have to think about what her breasts are doing. She says that like most moms, she had been giving to everyone else and it was time to do something for herself.
“As women, we do so much, and I don’t feel like we’re appreciated. Confidence is so key. The surgery was just one day, and it’s given me my confidence back. I love, love Dr. Yazdani. The follow up is great, and if I have any advice, it’s to do what the doctor tells you. If you want the right results, follow the doctor’s orders.”
Another thing K. emphasizes is the need for a support system. Elective surgery is still surgery and a patient requires a little help at home with aftercare for a few days. “You need someone to be there for you, to change dressings and drains and just for moral support, too.”
When Cosmetic and Medical Goals Meet
Most people know rhinoplasty by its casual term: nose job. But that simplified slang belies a complex and precise surgery that’s sometimes sought to alter the appearance for cosmetic reasons. Other times, it’s to correct a medical issue with difficulty breathing. But it’s performed to meet both goals.
“With rhinoplasty, the nose has to be beautiful, but you also have to be able to breathe through it,” explains Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist Dr. Brian Rotenberg. “Both of those are essential components of rhinoplasty, to make you feel good on the outside and on the inside.”
Dr. Rotenberg performs a range of nasal and throat surgeries. Rhinoplasty is the most well-known. Instagram and Facebook are chock full of before-and-after photos, but he cautions that they’re not quite as they seem.
“Those photos are often long-term post-op pictures,” he says. “There is some downtime after surgery, and it’s usually a full year before final results are seen.”
For those who qualify, there is also a less invasive option.
“Sometimes you have really small issues we can actually fix with liquid filler as opposed to full out surgery,” says Dr. Rotenberg. “It’s a much easier procedure. We’re talking about 30 minutes in the clinic under local anesthetic, home the same day, back to work the next day.”
You Get What You Pay For
As cosmetic surgery tourism rises in popularity, so has the number of patients returning to Canada with botched rhinoplasties that need repair. Going overseas is usually about the cost, but Dr. Rotenberg cautions against bargain shopping for surgery.
“Every month in my clinic I see a patient who has had a rhinoplasty overseas. They come in because they haven’t had a good result and it must be fixed. It’s so much more difficult because you never know what was done.”
Unlike in Canada where you’d start with a consultation, patients travelling to Colombia, Turkey, or another country often don’t meet their surgeon until they’re in the operating room. Surgeons don’t document their operations the way Canadian doctors would. And that leaves the repairing surgeon without crucial information.
“A woman had been operated on in Korea with very bad results,” he recalls. “She was told they used ear cartilage in her nose. We opened her up and found a piece of bone inside the nose. So now we have an unexpected finding and have to think on our feet. We got it done and achieved a great result, but you just don’t know what could happen.”
Canadian patients also have no recourse if something goes wrong. In Canada, the cost is higher, but you can also follow up with your surgeon. There have been cases where overseas surgeons have filed lawsuits over bad reviews. It’s a cautionary tale that takes the concept of shopping locally beyond the grocery and apparel stores into choosing a skilled surgeon who’s close to home.
LISA BRANDT is a freelance writer, voice-over professional, podcaster and author of five books. You can find her at voiceoflisabrandt.com. She lives in Port Stanley with her husband and their supervisor, a senior cat named Cuddles.
