Click on the image below to read the feature in this month’s edition of Gibraltar Magazine, or scroll down to read the Q&A.

How did you know it was time to have surgery?
I’m 47 and I felt I looked tired. I’m not over weight and I use high quality skin care products, but I wasn’t able to reverse the bags that had developed over my upper eyelids. Every morning I would have difficulty with my eye makeup too, so it was certainly time to do something about it. Botox and cosmetic creams can help with wrinkles but only surgery can have a long term effect on upper and lower eye bags.

Eye surgery can be for lower lids and/or upper lids – which procedure did you have?
I had upper eyelid surgery. I don’t have bags under my eyes, so I just wanted to correct the problem of the excess skin and fat that was weighing down onto my eyelids, which comes with ageing.

Talk us through the procedure.
After my private consultation with Dr. Marco Vricella, I scheduled my ‘pre op’ tests. These include a blood test, an ECG heart assessment and a chest x-ray; and also a meeting with Damien Moore our Clinical Services Director who goes through one’s medical history and discusses post procedure care – together they take less than an hour, so it’s easy for anyone to balance with home or work commitments.

Then on the day of my eyelid surgery, I arrived half an hour before my appointment; in my private room I changed into a theatre gown and then I was taken to the pre-surgical room to meet Dr. Vricella where he marked my eyes with a pen, to show the areas for surgery, and my ‘pre-op’ photos were taken.

In theatre I was given an anaesthetic so I was unaware of the 45 minute procedure; but since it is not a general anaesthetic, I was able to make a quick recovery, without an overnight stay. I spent less than 2 hours in the recovery room afterwards, before I was given something to eat and I was ready to be collected and driven home by my husband.

Tell us about aftercare.
There are some stitches where the excess skin and fat is removed. These are covered with adhesive sterile strips, so I had to keep my face dry for a week, so that means being careful in the bath and shower.

After the week, the stitches are removed and the healing tissue is protected with adhesive strips for a further few days. Aria Medical Group is on hand 24 hours a day as part of the aftercare service, to answer any questions.

In terms of discomfort, it was very mild. The adhesive strips can itch slightly, but recovery was easy to deal with; I joke that I have had bikini waxes that have been more painful!
It takes a week for the bruising to go down, so if you want to have this procedure discreetly and not tell people, then schedule it so you have at least a week when you don’t need to be out meeting people. If it is for an important social occasion like a wedding, then allow at least 3 weeks for complete recovery.

Did people notice the surgery once your eyes had healed?
The results are definitely noticeable, but Dr.Vricella prides himself on natural looking results, avoiding the “surprised” look. People notice that one’s face is younger, healthier looking but they don’t always know exactly why.

So, not only do I feel so much more confident and younger but friends comment that I look really well – as if I had just come back from holiday.

In this age of celebrity, we are often confronted with images of people who have really maintained their looks, despite the advancing years.

So now, being 40 years old or more is hardly considered middle age; instead it’s still a time to celebrate a youthful look. Take for example Kylie Minogue; she looks stunning at 43 years old and still boasts that perfect derriere that she showed off in those now famous gold hot pants back in 2000.

What’s more, the sensation that Pippa Middleton caused at last year’s Royal Wedding shows it’s no secret that many of us want that pert bottom, for a sexy, toned look.

Well, now thanks to the latest cosmetic surgery techniques, Dr. Marco Vricella is able to offer buttock augmentation here in Spain. Pioneered in Brazil, this proven procedure enables you to have a fuller, shapelier posterior!

Typically, Europeans have less volume and a buttock augmentation is a straightforward way to address this. Dr. Vricella uses a cohesive silicone gel implant; to the same exceptionally high standards to those Aria Medical Group use in breast surgery, but a buttock implant has a higher cohesivity, making it firmer.

The implant adds shape and volume and also gives a lifting effect that all combine to give you a desirable result. The surgery leaves no visible scaring as the incision is made in the inter-gluteal fold

The buttock augmentation procedure includes an overnight stay in the luxury HCI Hospital in Marbella and recovery is swift, and most people can restart their active lifestyle within 7 to 10 days.

For more information and to see if you are suitable for this or any other type of cosmetic surgery, please book a free and private consultation in Gibraltar with Aria Medical Group.

Dr. Vricella holds free consultations at College Clinic, Regal House, Gibraltar every 2 weeks – for dates and to book an appointment please call + 34 952 895 088 or email us.

Aria Medical Group has been serving Gibraltar for many years, and Dr. Marco Vricella at the HC Marbella private hospital has been the right choice for hundreds of people from Gibraltar.

Read ARIA’s feature in February’s Gibraltar Magazine

Setting goals at the beginning of the New Year is an effective way to achieve renewed direction and motivation in life. Typically they focus around health, well-being and confidence. Inevitably, much of our confidence is linked to our self image and so at this time of year there is increased marketing and special offers from businesses such as gyms, beauty salons and cosmetic surgeons.

Read ARIA’s January feature in Gibraltar Magazine

I am writing to you as I feel you may have some concerns about recent press reports regarding breast implants. The reports that are currently in the news, are about a French company called Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP). This company produced sub-standard implants in the 3-4 years leading to 2010. There have been problems associated with these implants since that time.

I would like to assure you that at no time has Aria Medical Group, or indeed Dr. Vricella, ever used implants manufactured by PIP.

Some press reports are also linking these implants to certain types of Cancer, however no actual causal links have been established. A report is due to be published with regard to this later this week. It has also been reported that the French authorities may recommend that all women with these implants have them removed. Let me reiterate that this is only relating to these substandard implants produced by this company and not implants in general.

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said;

“The MHRA has reviewed available evidence for association of cancers for women with breast implants in consultation with the relevant UK professional bodies for breast surgery and surgical oncology and has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to indicate any association with cancer”. “Additionally, the MHRA worked with the cancer registry and could find no evidence for any association.”

I understand that these press reports can be alarming, if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us, or arrange an appointment to discuss your concerns with either myself or Dr Vricella.

With kind regards,

Damien M Moore MSc RN
Clinical Services Manager
ARIA Medical Group

Life Changing
Cosmetic Surgery Clients of Dr. Marco Vricella and HC Marbella Hospital tell us their Stories

Marco Vricella is Director of the Aesthetic Surgery unit at HC Marbella Private Hospital, one of Europe’s most exclusive hospitals. Here, two recent clients tell their stories of how surgery has changed their lives.

Breast Augmentation
One of the most popular procedures is a breast Augmentation. Christine is a recent client; she explains, “After having four children I have always wanted to have a Breast Augmentation. I started going to the gym and began to like the look of my body, except for that one area. Nothing I did in the gym was going to change my breasts, so I finally made the decision to go for surgery. I am so pleased with the results and the service, and the after care I am receiving! I love my new body and I have Dr Vricella and his team to thank.”

Tummy Tuck & Liposuction
Kate is a 49 year old woman with three grown up children. She says,” I had a kangaroo pouch any kangaroo would have been proud of, but it was the cause of much unhappiness and depression for me. My self-confidence was practically non-existent. After the ‘tummy tuck’ and ‘lipo’ I am delighted. The surgery went so smoothly and my beautiful hospital suite was wonderful and the nursing staff were absolute angels. My body shape is now just what I wanted. Marco Vricella is a truly remarkable and gifted surgeon…. he has made my dream come true.”

Luxury Care
Having an elective procedure is made all the more relaxing when it is at the HC Hospital in Marbella.

It is reassuring to know that the HC Marbella Hospital has been established for over ten years and is one of the finest facilities in this part of the Mediterranean to have a surgical procedure. Marco Vricella explains, “The hospital is just two hundred metres from the sea and not only has two exceptionally well equipped operating theatres, but also a dedicated post-surgical care unit and eleven luxuriously appointed guest rooms.”

HC Hospital
Marbella’s HC Hospital has a highly professional and pioneering team of medical experts that provide world-class care across the hospital’s ten exceptional medical units – Cosmetic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine; Oncology; Preventive Medicine; Gastroenterology & Obesity; Gynaecology & Fertility; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; Orthopaedics; Urology; Cardiology; and Anti-Aging.

[Transcript courtesy of Gibraltar Magazine.]