I feel like a different woman, much happier and confident
My son is a Plastic Surgery trainee and worked under Mr Riaz in his NHS practice a few years ago. He always told me that if he trusted anyone to operate on his mother (me), it would be Mr Riaz. I developed facial signs of ageing at a comparatively younger age and was especially conscious of my jowls and excess neck skin during my 60’s as I began looking much older than my other half who hardly has any wrinkles. At 70, I decided to do something about it and visited Mr Riaz for a consultation. He was an extremely friendly and humble surgeon who discussed my concerns and took the time to explain in detail how each concern could be addressed. I requested time to think about going under the knife and came back a year later with the determination to undergo his R – face & neck lift with neck liposuction. He was flexible with dates as I flew in from Pakistan for the operation and accommodated me at a weekend of my choice. His anaesthetist Dr Rafique took on board my complicated anaesthetic history and tailored it so that I would undergo a safe anaesthetic. Mr Riaz himself was extremely professional.
The post-operative care (including the application of the facial corset) was all undertaken personally by him, and as I had to go back to Pakistan soon after the procedure, he even accommodated my request for absorbable sutures. I am a doctor (Gynaecologist) myself, and everyone says that doctors make the worst patients. However, Mr Riaz did not make me feel awkward on any occasion. He stayed in communication with me and answered all my post-operative queries in the most appropriate manner.
After the operation, I was in hospital overnight and then went home. I went shopping to Tesco wearing the facial corset without any problems. A week after the operation, there was no pain, and I undertook my daily chores without much restriction. Three weeks after the surgery, my son arranged a makeover, and photo shoot for my friends and me on Facebook commented that I suddenly looked like I had looked in my 30s. My husband was speechless with happiness when he saw me (as I had kept my surgery a secret from him) and he still occasionally looks at me with amazement.
It has now been a month since the operation, and I feel like a different woman who is much happier and confident. My journey as a patient was facilitated by Mr Riaz’s team (his secretary Gale, his nurse Annette, his anaesthetist Dr Rafique and the rest of the Spire staff who were all exceptionally nice), but most of all it was the attention to detail by Mr Riaz, both towards my face and also towards me as a patient that gave me immense satisfaction. I am so happy with the outcome that I hope to come back to him next summer to have my upper face (eyelids/brows) addressed.”