SURGERY SISTERS
I ALWAYS copy my best friend’s surgery – I got a loan to match her £7.5k mummy makeover, I user her as my guinea pig
A plastic surgeon shares the seven things you should consider before traveling for cosmetic surgery
WHEN Jen Mullen decided she wanted to get a nip and tuck, there was no way her friend Michelle Clancy was missing out on the action.
So the pair headed to Lithuania where they had matching breast implant removals and replacements, boob lifts, liposuction on their stomachs and backs, and tummy tucks too.
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The pair spent £7,500 each on the matching surgeries, plus another £525 each for flights and hotels.
“Michelle is like a sister to me and we’ve always done everything together,” explained Jen.
“After kids, health scares, and as we were creeping up to 50, we both decided to go all-out and we couldn’t be happier with the results.
“I’m so glad I had my best pal by my side the whole time.”
INSEPARABLE
Jen, who lives in Cavan, and Michelle, who lives in Kildare, Ireland, met when they were teenagers through Michelle’s cousin and became best friends.
“Michelle was always there for me,” said Jen.
“When we were younger we both enjoyed showing off our figures and started working as promo girls together, selling stereos at car shows.
“Then when I went through a difficult breakup and found myself a single mum to my son Steven, 29, it was Michelle who stepped in to help pick up the pieces.”
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When she was 31, Jen decided to get breast implants to boost her cleavage to a size 32E - and Michelle decided she wanted to have one too, to a DD, just two weeks later.
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Jen said: “Michelle always says I was the guinea pig.
“We went on to have our kids and motherhood didn’t put a dampener on our love of looking good.
Michelle is like a sister to me and we’ve always done everything together
Jen Mullen
“If I wanted something done, then Michelle wanted it too, and vice versa. I was the first with lip fillers, but Michelle was the first to try Botox.”
When she was 37, Jen was devastated when she got cervical cancer.
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Michelle was by her side throughout it all and eventually tests showed she was cancer-free and she went on to have her son Fynn when she was 40.
Jen said: “No matter how busy life was, we always remained the best of friends.
After kids, health scares, and as we were creeping up to 50, we both decided to go all-out and we couldn’t be happier with the results
Jen Mullen
“Over the years, life took a toll on our bodies. We’d had seven children between us and after Caesarians, our tummies hadn’t snapped back into shape.
“By now, we were approaching 50 and it was nearly 18 years since we’d had our boob jobs.
“The implants only had a lifespan of 15-20 years so we both needed to have them replaced. It seemed natural that we would do it together.
“I’d grown tired of my 32E boobs and I felt they looked ridiculous on my size 8 frame. So I decided to go smaller.
“ We’d been complaining about our mum tums for a while too, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
"Michelle suggested we get a tummy tuck, and I wanted lipo as well.
BIRTHDAY GIFT
Regardless of the large cost of the surgery, Jen wanted to undergo the procedure before her partner's special birthday.
"My fiancé Gearoid said that I was perfect as I was, but if I wanted it done he would pay for it as a 50th birthday present.
“Michelle had a friend who’d had surgery in Lithuania so we researched the clinic and it was less than half the price of having the surgery in Ireland.
“Gearoid paid for mine, and Michelle took out a loan.”
My fiancé Gearoid said that I was perfect as I was, but if I wanted it done he would pay for it as a 50th birthday present
Jen Mullen
The pair travelled to Lithuania and supported each other through the surgery.
Jen said: “Michelle sat with me as the surgeon marked out the lines, and then the following day I was wheeled into the operating theatre.
“It took three and a half hours and when I came round, Michelle was there waiting for me. I was wrapped in bandages and felt like I’d been hit by a truck.”
The next day it was Michelle’s turn, and her surgery was also a success.
RECOVERING TOGETHER
For the next week they lay in beds side by side, but by the time came to fly home, they say they both felt like new women.
The pair are now planning more surgery.
Michelle would like bigger implants, as she currently believes one of her existing implants is slightly bigger than the other - a complication she says from her original surgery.
When we were younger we both enjoyed showing off our figures and started working as promo girls together, selling stereos at car shows
Jen Mullen
While Jen is considering a lower facelift and nose job.
She said: “People might tell us to age gracefully but why should we? My surgery sister and I are looking amazing and we’re in it together.”
Michelle, 47, added: “Having surgery with a friend was absolutely amazing.
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“You’re feeling the same things at the same time, so you know what’s normal. We had lots of laughs, even though we were in pain.
“We’d laughed our way through it, holding our stitches.”
7 Things To Consider When Traveling for Surgery
We spoke to Dr. Omar Tillo, a plastic surgeon and Medical Director at CREO Clinic, to get his thoughts on the things you must consider before jetting abroad for a procedure.
Motivation
He advised: “Patients should carefully consider their reasons for wanting plastic surgery.
“It's important to have realistic expectations about what the procedure can and cannot achieve.
“I suggest discussing this with family and friends and having more than one consultation before committing to surgery.”
Timing and travelling
He said: “The timing of plastic surgery can be critical.
“Patients may need to wait for a certain amount of time after the surgery to allow for healing and to ensure that the tissues have fully stabilised.”
As well as this, Dr Omar pointed out that travelling is stressful and potentially dangerous post-operatively.
He noted: “Many medical tourists will forget about the return journey and the complications that can come with long-distance travel following a recent surgery.
“Flying within the same week of a cosmetic procedure can greatly increase the chances of blood clots, which could lead to deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism.”
Risks and complications
Not only this, but Dr Omar urged people to consider the risks of going abroad for surgery.
He added: “Patients should carefully review the potential risks and complications of the procedure with their plastic surgeon, and weigh these against the potential benefits.”
Cost
Furthermore, Dr Omar highlighted that cost should be something to consider before booking a procedure.
While your Turkey surgery might be cheap, you should also consider the cost of potentially needing to get plastic surgery reversal.
He explained: “Plastic surgery can be expensive, and plastic surgery reversal is often more expensive than the original surgery.
“Patients should carefully consider the financial implications of the procedure.”
Not everything you see online is truthful
Dr Omar also stressed the importance of taking information on social media with a pinch of salt.
He advised: “Sadly, the cosmetic surgery tourism industry is not above massaging the truth to lure patients to medical tourism hotspots, including Turkey, Poland or Thailand.
“Unscrupulous online marketing tactics are unregulated, meaning that the hundreds of positive reviews you see on consumer sites could be fake.
“What looks like a premium facility may really only be an illusion created by elaborate and aggressive marketing.”
Language barriers and standards of practice
Not only this, but he also urged people to consider language barriers if thinking of getting surgery done abroad.
He claimed: “There are different criteria in other countries as well as different medical societies and organisations that monitor and maintain medical standards.
“This, plus distance and any translating wants and needs from one language to another, can make it incredibly difficult to determine a surgeon’s level of certification.
“Even if a surgeon is highly skilled, a patient may find that their expectations for their results are still difficult to communicate when they’re in a different country or time zone to their surgeon without even considering a language barrier.”
Aftercare
Finally, Dr Omar discussed aftercare and urged potential plastic surgery clients to consider how this would be affected if getting surgery abroad.
He concluded: “Following surgery, all patients require a direct point of contact to discuss their recovery.
“Even without complications, the majority of patients experience a variety of expected and unexpected symptoms or concerns in the first weeks after surgery.
“It is essential that these patients discuss these issues clearly with their care providers and have a physical examination to check for any problems and complications.
“Overseas clinics often provide short period follow-up and do not provide follow-up treatments.”
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