My experience of plastic surgery

I have had several requests to reveal at least some of my experience last Friday, so here goes.
Let me start this post by saying how interesting that whenever we mention the word “Plastic or aesthetic Surgery” what comes to mind for many of us is corrective or anti-ageing procedures. Maybe this is partly due to our celebrity culture and the constant media coverage and curiosity as to “who has or hasn’t had work done” As if we can truly hold back the passing of time. This IMHO verges on the temporary at best and the delusional at worst, ultimately the universe and life is more powerful than we are and we are all subject to the clock of life. Don’t get me wrong I am all for making the very best of what nature endowed us with and using modern techniques to do so.
Next I would like to state that I have the greatest admiration for plastic and re-constructive surgeons (the fully qualified and registered ones) many of whom do amazing restorative work on patients following accidents, birth defects, and sometimes major reconstruction work with members of our armed forces who are wounded in the course of duty.
I checked out some of the origins of modern day Plastic Surgery for example the groundbreaking work of Dr Harold Gillies, the pioneering plastic surgeon who developed some of the world’s first successful skin grafts during the Great War. Without his pioneering developments in this field, plastic surgery might not be as advanced as it is today.
Then there was  Sir Archibald McIndoe who worked at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex during the Second World war. He became famous for the pioneering work he did with pilots horrifically burned in their planes during the Battle of Britain.
So if you are contemplating that “boob job” or a quick facelift you might just give credit to these pioneers of  modern day plastic surgery.
Back to my experience, I first wrote about my diagnosis of BCC on the tip of my nose here. I have spent many months researching the best course of action and have had several procedures unfortunately to no avail.
My first appointment on Friday was with a surgical dermatologist and no we did not discuss the merits of the best creams and potions to use on the skin or even how to prevent those pesky brown marks that appear with the advancing of time. We had much more serious matters to pursue. He is an expert in Mohs technique, in layman’s terms a bit like getting rid of a weed you have to dig out all the roots or the weed will grow back. This is a bit of a lottery as there is no way of knowing when you begin how big the hole will be when you have finished. I was lucky and my nose is still intact.
The second stage is the Plastic Surgeon who then has to repair the damage, no easy task. Leaving out the detail suffice it to say that he seems to have done a good job, time will tell as it is early days.
What I found particularly interesting, sitting in the waiting area there were a higher percentage of men that women, several with bandages on their ears so you might like to advise any men in your life to remember to put high factor sunscreen on their ears, especially if they spend a lot of time out in the sun, fishing, sailing or playing golf.
This post is not designed to be so much about me as to raise awareness of the amazing work that Plastic Surgeons do and to open a conversation on the subject. If you are interested in further reading you might like to check out the following websites Facing the World (top craniofacial surgeons who donate their time and expertise helping children with facial disfigurements) and  Changing Faces who provide valuable help and support.