At the Cosmetic Facial Clinic every client has an initial consultation, which includes a full medical history, facial analysis and a discussion of which treatment(s) would be most suitable. The risks and side effects associated with the treatment will be fully explained. This consultation takes approximately 30 minutes.
Paul Kirkland will ensure that you fully understand what your procedure involves and discuss any concerns you may have. He will discuss with you the nature of the surgery, the recovery period and give you realistic advice about the results that can be achieved.
Before and after photographs will be taken to plan the operation and to demonstrate the outcome.
Please complete the medical history form and bring this to your appointment.
All cosmetic facial surgical procedures take place at the Spire Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Kent or Spire Sussex Hospital, East Sussex. Both of these hospitals are fully equipped with the latest diagnostic and therapeutic equipment to ensure clients have access to high quality care and treatment in a comfortable and safe environment. These hospitals are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
Most of the cosmetic facial surgical procedures that Paul Kirkland offers do not require an overnight stay in the hospital. Please refer to individual procedures for more details and before and aftercare advice.
Most cosmetic surgical procedures are not covered by healthcare insurance. A detailed quote of the total cost of the cosmetic procedure will be given to you after your initial consultation.
Introducing Rhinoplasty
- What is Rhinoplasty?
- Preparing for your procedure
- What are the risks and side effects?
- Aftercare
- Results
What is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty is the surgical correction of the appearance of the nose.
The procedure
is performed under general anaesthetic, usually as a day case.
There are two different types of rhinoplasty.
The commonest, closed rhinoplasty, is performed by small incisions inside the nostrils. The procedure on average takes 1 hour.
An open rhinoplasty is reserved for more complex nasal deformities and is performed via an incision through the skin underneath the nose. This procedure takes approximately 2 hours.
Some people who also have nasal blockage require an operation to straighten the nasal partition (septum) at the same time. This procedure is known as a Septo-Rhinoplasty.
At the end of the operation small nasal dressings are inserted into the nose to reduce bleeding. These are usually removed within 2 hours of the operation with minimal discomfort. A nasal splint is usually applied to the outside of the nose at the end of the operation.
Preparing for your procedure
At your initial consultation Paul Kirkland will take a full medical history and advise you whether any of your medication needs to be discontinued prior to the operation.
It is advisable to avoid aspirin and anti inflammatory drugs eg ibuprofen
for 1 week
prior to the operation.
You are advised to avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the procedure.
There is good evidence to show that stopping smoking several weeks
prior to an
operation improves wound healing and reduces post operative complications.
What are the risks and side effects?
All surgical procedures carry risks and side effects, which will be explained fully to you at your initial consultation. It is important to note that Paul Kirkland will not perform cosmetic procedure unless he feels the benefits greatly outweigh the risks and that your expectations are realistic.
There is usually some mild bruising and swelling around the nose which can last up to 2 weeks.
It is normal to experience a blocked nose for approximately 2 weeks after the operation.
There is a small risk of bleeding from the nose during the first 2 weeks after the operation and it is common to experience blood stained discharge for a few days afterwards.
Aftercare
Painkillers are usually not required after this operation but if discomfort is experienced then paracetamol is recommended.
Paul Kirkland will see you for a follow-up consultation after 1 week
in the clinic.
At this time the nasal splint and any stitches will be removed.
You will need to take 2 weeks off work following the operation and avoid strenuous exercise during this time to reduce the risk of a nose bleed.
You should avoid all contact sports for at least 6 weeks afterwards.
Results
The benefits of the operation should be apparent once the nasal splint has been removed and any swelling has subsided. However, there are subtle changes of the skin and underlying structures over the following 12 months. Therefore the final result cannot be judged until this stage.
Introducing Otoplasty
- What is Otoplasty?
- Preparing for your procedure
- What are the risks and side effects?
- Aftercare
- Results
What is Otoplasty?
Otoplasty is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the ears.
In children this procedure is performed under general anaesthetic
and is most commonly used to correct protruding ears. We recommend
that this is performed on children at 4-5 years of age before they
risk being teased and bullied at school.
In adults, the procedure is usually performed under local anaesthetic.
The operation takes approximately 1.5 hours.
A small incision is made behind the ear which conceals the scar.
At the end of the operation a bandage is applied over the ears and around the head and is removed within 24 hours.
In both children and adults, this procedure is usually performed as a day case.
Preparing for your procedure
At your initial consultation Paul Kirkland will take a full medical history and advise you whether any of your medication needs to be discontinued prior to the operation.
It is advisable to avoid aspirin and anti inflammatory drugs eg ibuprofen for one week prior to the operation.
You are advised to avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the procedure.
There is good evidence to show that stopping smoking several weeks
prior to an
operation improves wound healing and reduces post-operative complications.
What are the risks and side effects?
All surgical procedures carry risks and side effects which will be explained fully to you at your initial consultation. It is important to note that Paul Kirkland will not perform a cosmetic procedure unless he feels the benefits greatly outweigh the risks and that your expectations are realistic.
Bruising and swelling of the ears is common afterwards and usually
settles within
2 weeks.
There is a small risk of bleeding which can cause a blood clot around the ears leading to increased pain. You should contact the Cosmetic Facial Clinic immediately if this occurs.
Aftercare
Painkillers are usually not required after this operation but if discomfort is experienced then paracetamol is recommended.
Paul Kirkland will see you for a follow-up consultation after 2 weeks
in the clinic.
For young children dissolvable stitches are used which do not need
to be removed.
In older children and adults the stitches will be removed at the follow-up
consultation.
It is recommended that a headband is worn at night time for 4 weeks
after the
operation to prevent the ears returning to their original position.
Children need to take 2 weeks off school and adults may return to work after 1 week. You should avoid strenuous exercise for two weeks and all contact sports for at least 6 weeks afterwards.
Results
The benefits of the operation should be apparent once the bruising and swelling has subsided.
Introducing Blepharoplasty
- What is Blepharoplasty?
- Preparing for your procedure
- What are the risks and side effects?
- Aftercare
- Results
What is Blepharoplasty?
Blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure to correct droopy eyelids and puffy bags under the eyes.
An incision is made in the upper and/or lower eyelid and excess skin and fat is removed. This procedure is usually performed as a day case under local anaesthetic.
An upper blepharoplasty usually takes around 45 minutes.
A combined upper and lower blepharoplasty will take approximately 1.5 hours.
One continuous running stitch under the skin is inserted.
Preparing for your procedure
At your initial consultation Paul Kirkland will take a full medical history and advise you whether any medication needs to be discontinued prior to the operation.
It is advisable to avoid aspirin anti inflammatory drugs eg ibuprofen
for 1 week prior
to the operation.
You are advised to avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the procedure.
There is good evidence to show that stopping smoking several weeks prior to an operation improves wound healing and reduces post-operative complications.
What are the risks and side effects?
All surgical procedures carry risks and side effects which will be explained fully to you at your initial consultation. It is important to note that Paul Kirkland will not perform a cosmetic procedure unless he feels the benefits greatly outweigh the risks and that your expectations are realistic.
There may be some mild bruising or swelling of the eyelids after surgery which may last for up to 2 weeks.
Aftercare
Painkillers are usually not required after this operation but if discomfort is experienced then paracetamol is recommended.
Paul Kirkland will see you for a follow-up consultation after 1 week in the clinic. At this time the stitches will be removed.
It is recommended that you take at least 1 week off work after the operation.
You should avoid strenuous exercise for 2 weeks and all contact sports for at least 6 weeks.
Results
The benefits of the operation should be apparent once the bruising and swelling has subsided.
- What are facial skin lesions?
- Preparing for your procedure
- What are the risks and side effects?
- Aftercare
What are facial skin lesions?
Facial skin lesions can include moles, skin tags, cysts, fatty lumps
(lipoma) and
skin tumours.
A local anaesthetic is injected, before the skin lesion removal.
The procedure takes on average 10 minutes and stitches are usually used at the end of the operation.
All lesions are sent for histological analysis to confirm the diagnosis.
Preparing for your procedure
At your initial consultation Paul Kirkland will take a full medical history and will advise you whether any medication needs to be discontinued prior to the operation.
It is advisable to avoid aspirin and anti inflammatory drugs eg ibuprofen
for 1 week
prior to the operation.
You are advised to avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the procedure.
There is good evidence to show that stopping smoking several weeks
prior to an
operation improves wound healing and reduces post-operative complications.
What are the risks and side effects?
All surgical procedures carry risks and side effects which will be explained fully to you at your initial consultation. It is important to note that Paul Kirkland will not perform a cosmetic procedure unless he feels the benefits greatly outweigh the risks and that your expectations are realistic.
There is a small risk of bleeding after the removal of a facial skin lesion.
Aftercare
Topical antibiotic ointment may be prescribed to rub into the wound twice a day for 2 weeks after the procedure.
Painkillers are usually not required after this operation but if discomfort is experienced then paracetamol is recommended.
Stitches are usually removed 5-7 days after the procedure.
A follow up appointment is arranged with Paul Kirkland so that he
may review the
wound and the result of the biopsy.
