Skip to content

Sarah’s Story

IMG_6380

Sarah's Story

Location: Folkestone

Age: 26

Treatment(s): Abdominoplasty with 4 Sites of Liposuction & Breast Augmentation

"It changes everything — how you see yourself, how you interact with others. It just gives you a new way of being."

IMG_6545

For Sarah, cosmetic surgery meant reclaiming confidence and comfort in her own body after years of living with a complex medical condition. At nearly 12 weeks post-op from an extended tummy tuck and breast augmentation, Sarah reflects candidly on her reasons for surgery, the emotional and physical rollercoaster of recovery, and why, for her, it was all completely worth it.

IMG_6555

Why Sarah Chose a Tummy Tuck and Breast Augmentation

Sarah has lived with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) for as long as she can remember — a connective tissue disorder that affects the skin, joints, and overall collagen function.

“My collagen just doesn’t work the way it should,” she explains. “Even as a child, I had a belly that hung down like an apron. Through my teens, my weight went up — at one point I was around 19 stone — and then I lost five and a half stone. That left me with a lot of excess skin that simply wouldn’t go back.”

Breast development was another concern. “I never really got boobs — my left side was tubular, and they just never came through properly,”

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to make my body look like how it feels it should be". 

THE SURGEON AND THE CLINIC THAT MADE SARAH'S JOURNEY FEEL POSSIBLE 

Sarah was drawn to Bella Vou because of its reputation for exceptional aftercare — something she knew would be essential given her condition. “With EDS, it was unlikely surgery would just go smoothly. I needed somewhere that would really look after me,” she says.

At Bella Vou, she was matched with Rado Bocca, a surgeon known for his artistic approach and experience with complex cases and scarring. “We just clicked,” Sarah smiles. “He’s a bit funky, I’ve got a big personality — it worked. He asked me to lose a couple of stone before surgery. I went away for three months, did it, and came back ready.”

The Turning Point: Sarah’s Surgery Day and the Beginning of Her New Chapter

On the day of surgery, Sarah was excited but nervous. “I was in early — 7am — and I think I went in around 8,” she recalls. “Everyone was lovely. But unfortunately, I have a resistance to painkillers and anaesthetics, so when I woke up, the pain was... a lot.”

Managing discomfort was a challenge, but the care team stayed on top of it throughout the first night. “By the next day, I could move around more. It was rough, but it got better.”

Going through a more complex recovery changed Sarah’s perspective on surgery. “People think it’s the ‘easy way out’. But in truth, losing the weight was the easy bit. Surgery was the hard part — the final big hurdle.”

“It made me appreciate just how involved and serious this process really is. But I always felt supported... I was never left to figure things out alone'

Thriving Beyond Surgery and Recovery

Today, Sarah’s confidence has transformed. “I used to refuse to wear anything fitted. Now, I’ll wear whatever I want — I’m not constantly adjusting clothes to hide myself,” she says. “My chest suits my frame, my waist has this amazing shape I never thought I could have.”

Though early recovery was tough and emotionally draining, things changed around the six-week mark. “The swelling went down, the scars started to fade. I just stopped panicking and started feeling proud of what I’d done.”

For those worried about a less-than-perfect recovery, Sarah is reassuring: “Even if it doesn’t go perfectly straight away, it will get there. I was so impatient, but the progress does come. You just need time — and patience.

And if she could go back and tell herself one thing before surgery?

“Just that — it’s going to suck for a bit. You’ll realise how much you use your abs in daily life only when you can’t. But you’ll get there. And it is so worth it."

IMG_6515

Related Stories

REVIEWED WIDELY
ACROSS THESE PLATFORMS

What our
clients
say

What our clients say

01892 257357 Book a FREE Consultation