A Plastic Surgery Experience to Remember: A Patient Shares the Unforgettable Moment That Made All the Difference
Posted July 06, 2012 in Eyelid Lift (Blepharoplasty), Facelift, Facial Rejuvenation, Liposuction, Plastic Surgeon, Tummy Tuck
While surgical expertise tops the list of the most important factors to consider in choosing a plastic surgeon, a physician’s warmth, ability to put you at ease, and truly listen to your concerns are equally valuable qualities that can make all the difference between having a surgical experience that is uplifting and richly rewarding versus one that is merely average or perfunctory in nature. For Valerie, it was the recommendation of her daughter’s pediatrician and the care the young girl subsequently received from Dr. Patronella that led Valerie to choose the surgeon to improve her own aesthetic concerns.
After her eighth-grade daughter developed a blood cyst under her eye as a result of sports activities, Valerie took her daughter to a doctor, whose well-meaning attempt to treat the cyst unfortunately left her daughter frightened and traumatized—particularly because of the excessive bleeding it produced. Her pediatrician then advised Valerie to take her daughter to plastic surgeon Dr. Chris Patronella for care.
Recalling the day of that first visit, Valerie said, “Dr. Patronella looked at my daughter, put his hand on her shoulder, and said, ‘I’m going to fix it, and it’s going to be fine.’ You could see the worry and anxiety melt out of her face.” The experience deeply impressed the relieved young mother, who noted, “That’s what you want when you go to the doctor—the reassurance that everything is going to be okay.”
At the age of 53, Valerie visited Dr. Patronella once again, but this time it was for herself. Motivated by the desire to diminish the facial jowls she’d begun to notice every time she looked in the mirror, she elected to have a facelift and eyelid surgery, a move, she said, that “took 10 years off of me.”
Four years later she returned to see what Dr. Patronella could do about the tummy roll that refused to go away despite her efforts to achieve that end through exercise. When pants with waistbands that fit below the waist became more in vogue, she was dismayed to find there was no hiding the muffin top like she’d been able to with higher waistband styles, leaving her feeling self-conscious about wearing the more fashionable attire that filled clothing stores.
During her consultation, Dr. Patronella recommended that, in addition to a tummy tuck, she consider having liposuction to smooth out the excess fat in her back, creating a look that would better harmonize with the firm, toned abdominal look she’d attain through abdominoplasty.
“Dr. Patronella has a good eye,” commented Valerie, who appreciated that the surgeon looked at her body as a whole, providing a broader perspective beyond her own, which was focused on her more limited frontal view.
As a vegetarian who exercises regularly, the mother of two grown children gained a youthful new look that better reflected the vitality and fitness she felt inside. Said Valerie, “This is the way I remember myself in my 20s and 30s. I just feel more myself again. This surgery helped me to be the vision I had of myself in my head.”
