Helen’s Story

Unfortunately I only have one lung and as such I wasn’t prepared to undergo a general anaesthetic for a purely cosmetic procedure, due to the high risk of complications. I spent plenty of time researching the clinic and the lead surgeon, Amir Nakhdjevani. His new facelift technique, carried out completely under local anaesthetic, is an amazing innovation. It has opened up a new world for people like me, who want to roll back the years but can’t undergo a general anaesthetic procedure due to health reasons.

To be honest, I’d really got my hopes up about the procedure and I was scared stiff that Amir might tell me that the Concept Facelift wasn’t suitable for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly invitation to attend a free consultation to talk to Amir about what might be possible.

After being greeted by the effervescent clinic co-ordinator Lisa Wakeman, who put me instantly at ease, I was taken to see Amir. The one telling sentence was, "no, you don't need... You want”. That was spot on and helped me to feel that my decision to investigate cosmetic surgery was justified! He was thorough in his explanation of what the procedure involved, as well as the healing process and aftercare.

I had already watched Amir in action on YouTube and I was struck by his professional yet friendly demeanour. I was also very impressed with the personal presentation of all staff at the clinic; they were immaculate and well dressed which made a great first impression. The clinic itself was stylish and comfortable. I left feeling elated, particularly as I knew that I had made the right choice of clinic, procedure and surgeon.

I have to be honest and say that I wasn't having just one procedure; I was having a triple whammy of upper eye lift, Concept Facelift and neck lift surgeries. I was concerned that having that amount of work would be painful. While the injections were a little uncomfortable, I felt no pain during the procedure and the discomfort was easily forgotten when I saw the results!

I felt relaxed and secure in the fact that Amir was an expert at what he was doing and I was impressed by the great lengths that all staff went to (quite rightly!) to ensure immaculate hygiene. I was also fortunate to have a very experienced nurse, Kathryn alongside me, who was always at the ready to hold my hand if needed and talk to me to offer some welcome distraction. On another note my partner Brian received fantastic hospitality during his wait while I was in theatre.

The moment Amir had finished he handed me the mirror and I was absolutely dumbfounded by the amazing results! He was like an artist, quite rightly proud of his work; in a matter of hours I had gone from turkey neck to smooth spring chicken.

Although I experienced an initial feeling of tightness around my neck and my ear lobe was a bit sore, the feeling soon passed and I recovered very quickly. I was provided with very clear and detailed instructions of what I needed to do and when to ensure I healed quickly. The stitches were removed from my eyes just five days after surgery which was absolutely incredible and the little bruising and swelling I had quickly disappeared.

I received a personal phone call from Kathryn at home the day after my surgery. I assured her that I was OK and Kathryn said that she would be there for me at any time day or night if I had any concerns. That was such a lovely thing to hear, and I felt so grateful to have such fantastic support just a phone call away. My aftercare and follow-up consultations were all included in the price of the procedure, so I wasn’t hit with any unexpected costs.

On the whole, I am so happy that I came to Bella Vou. Amir Nakhdjevani and his team helped me to choose the path that I took and looked after me at every step of my journey. Thank you all so much for the fantastic care and support, and of course for the exceptional results – I am absolutely delighted with my new look!