I must admit, finding the correct Plastic Surgeon for me was one of the most difficult parts of my journey. I have no friends relatives or associates who have experienced plastic surgery before, so I was all on my own. But thanks to the internet I had access to a ton of information. One interesting yet frustrating pattern I did notice whilst researching a particular Plastic Surgeon, is… besides their own official websites (and maybe some Press about the more prestigious surgeons) there is not a lot of external unmoderated information. Especially on Australian Plastic Surgeons. Many of the forums don’t allow you to post the name of a Surgeon. I am guessing this is to protect the Surgeon from justified and unjustified defamation.  I see this as both a good and bad thing…as it would be impossible for a Surgeon please 100% of their patients. So all it would take is one disgruntled patient to ruin the reputation of what could be a very skilled and caring surgeon. But when it comes to finding any positive or negative information on the Plastic Surgeon you are researching, it makes things very difficult.

After many weeks of searching for qualified Plastic Surgeons in Sydney Australia, I finally narrowed my choice down to about 3 or 4 Surgeons. Most of them in the Eastern Suburbs or North Shore. One thing to note when searching for a “Plastic Surgeon”, confirm they are a member of the ASPS. Anyone with a medical degree can call themselves a “Cosmetic Surgeon”. But only specialised surgeons who have endured the further 8-10 years of advanced training can become a member of the Australian Society Of Plastic Surgeons.

At this stage I will not name the surgeon I selected, not until I get authorisation. To be honest, he was the first and only Surgeon I consulted with. I know this is bad, as I beleive you should really consult with multiple surgeons, but I had a good feeling about him from the start. Some of the reasons I selected this particular Surgeon was ….. Firstly, he is a member of the ASPS. He has a lot of good press on both Television and in Magazines/Media. He has apparently worked on three Oscar winners and two Golden Globe winners. He is also a Surgeon who specialises in face and neck surgery. Now any Surgeon who works exclusively on the face/neck earns my respect. This would be by far the hardest area to accomplish patient satisfaction, as the face is the first thing people (including yourself) notice each day. I am sure he could make a ton of money just churning out boob jobs, but this surgeon has a brilliant eye for facial aesthetics. In my humble opinion, he is not only a genius, but an artistic genius, who obviously likes a challenge. You may ask, what gives me the right to make such a huge claim? Well besides the work he has performed on my own face (which I love so far), I have browsed through the before and after photos in his surgery. His results are nothing short of mind blowing. After looking through his photo’s, I can guarantee he has some very happy patients!

Another reason I selected this Surgeon was simply because he seemed like a nice genuine guy. He was not at all cocky, and seemed very approachable with a great sense of humour. He was also very happy to answer all of my questions, no matter how stupid they we’re.

I also recommend when researching a surgeon, to use plastic surgery website forums such as MakeMeHeal.com. Use the forum “Search Function” to find a surgeons name. (yes some Surgeon’s names slip through the cracks of moderation and are posted) If you find a user has posted about the surgeon you are interested in, send them a private message and ask them about their experience. I contacted about 5 forum users who had already been worked on by the Plastic Surgeon I was interested in using. They all had positive things to say about him.

What can you expect on your initial consultation? Well like I said before, I was lazy and did not shop around for my surgeon. So I only really had one consultation. Obviously, I was happy with how it went. I already knew exactly what I wanted surgically, and had already researched the procedures on the internet. As I have aged, my neck/jaw line has accumulated a lot of fat. No kind of exercise or weight loss seems to change this. Each year it seems to get worse and worse, with my neck/jaw and chin molding into one. My father, brother and sister suffer from the same genetic condition. I also have a very recessed chin/jaw. When talking recently to an Orthodontist about my bite/jaw problems, he asked if I sucked my thumb or fingers as a child. As it turns out, I did…and this finger sucking whilst young altered the growth of the lower jaw. Braces as a child would have corrected and guided the jaw growth, but as an adult there is nothing you can do about it besides jaw surgery.

Anyway, I discussed my concerns with the plastic surgeon…I told him I want him to suck out my double chin and to have more definition in my chin/jaw line. He took examined my face, and squeezed the fat under my chin between his two fingers. He then asked me to swallow. I am guessing he was checking if it was fat that was causing my double chin, or the muscle sagging. After reviewing my face and taking some photos, my surgeon suggested a few options. First of all, he suggested I would greatly benefit from a chin implant. This would provide some projection to my chin, and improve the balance of my lower face. He also suggested two options when it came to removing the fat from my neck and under chin. He said he could simply liposuction the fat, which will give me a 20% improvement. Or he could tighten and lift the platysma muscle which is located under the neck, plus have liposuction which would give me a 40% improvement. Another procedure he suggested would suit my face was to have some buccal fat removed from my lower cheeks. After checking my cheeks he believed I would be a good candidate for this, as I have a very round face, and a moderate amount of lower cheek mass. He also questioned me about my parents faces, as removing the buccal fat pads in certain patients can be a bad move. As we age, we lose fat in the face, and this can create a gaunt look in later years. Both my mother and father have full round lower cheeks, so I got the genetic nod of approval. The surgeon suggested that if he was me, he would just go for the chin implant, neck liposuction and buccal fat removal. And suggested that I would be very happy with the results. He then uploaded my photos to his computer, and showed me what my face would look like after surgery. To be honest, at the time I was not entirely impressed with the computer images. But at the same time I realise this is only an indicator of outcome, and it did definitely look better than my current profile, which resembled something similar to a Muppet. The surgeon also questioned my psychological health, and my expectations from the surgery. He asked how important this surgery was to me? I answered the questions honestly. I do not believe I have unrealistic expectations..I don’t want him to morph me into Brad Pitt, I just want to look like myself, only improved. As for how important the surgery was to me, I feel if he rejected my request for surgery, I may have given up on the whole idea. While it was important to me, it was not the be all and end all. I am sure I would have found a new challenge to make life less boring.

After briefly explaining the procedures recommended for my face, and how they are performed, the surgeon asked me if I had any questions? I recommend you bring a list of questions to your initial consultation, so you don’t forget anything when it comes to the crunch. Because of the research I had already done prior, and my love for the TV series Extreme Makeover, I was very familiar with the procedures he suggested. Hell, give me a Scalpel and Cannula, and I could have probably performed the procedures myself! (well, not quite.. )

Once the consultation was finished, I was introduced to the Surgeon’s coordinator, who explained what to do if I wish to proceed. She also printed out a quote for me. Please email me if you wish to know the breakdown on how much each procedure costs me.

The most stressful time for me was making a decision. To proceed or not to proceed!? I dwelled on this for about 2 weeks, and in that time I spent many nights stressing about worst case scenario’s. Then one day I finally snapped, and decided I am going to do this. So I called the Surgeon’s office and asked them to lock me in. There was no turning back now!

2 Weeks before the actual surgery date, I had a Pre Op appointment. This consisted of me signing documents, excepting the risks and outcomes of my chosen procedures. The Surgeon also took photos of me from different angles. This was also my last chance to ask about any further questions or concerns. I was also asked about my current medications, and any allergies I may have. The Surgeon then prescribed me some medication for before and after the surgery, including antibiotics, sleeping pills, and pain killers. And interestingly, he also advised me to start taking Vitamin C, Zinc and Arnica both before and after surgery. Apparently this assists with the healing process. It was also suggested by the nurse not to drink any alcohol up to a week before surgery. DOH! So once I was finished with the Surgeon, I was walked into his coordinators office, and it was time pay up! Thank god for Uncle Amex! Once payment was organised, I was introduced to the nurse. The nurse basically prepared me for what to expect on the day of surgery, and recovery. She advised that I limit my diet to liquids for the first day, then soft foods from then on. She also suggested I sleep with my head in an elevated position after surgery, as this helps with the swelling. Another suggestion was to drink lots of Pineapple juice. Apparently this also assists with swelling.

That was about it for the Pre Op appointment. It was very non eventful. I was expecting blood tests, x-rays, stress tests etc. But I guess for my age, and the procedures I was about to endure, this was unnecessary.

I recorded my thoughts and feelings in a note book which I am now referring to.

Noted ” Have been feeling some nerves, but only when I think about the surgery. Definately having doubts and wondering what the hell am I doing!? This idea all sounded good in theory, but now it comes to the crunch perhaps it wasn’t such a great idea after all. Things are feeling very surreal. I am feeling incredibly guilty about lying to my mum and friends about having my wisdom teeth pulled. I have no moral issues when it comes to plastic surgery, but to blow $13k on Vanity makes me feel very guilty. I randomly get the feelings of butterflies and that sinking feeling in my stomach everytime my thoughts dwell on tomorrows surgery. I am worried that something may go wrong in the surgery, or that I may never wake up. What a pointless way to die, on something so fickle and unecessary.”