Surgery Abroad - Sunday World February 2006

WHEN Suzanne Kassar went to Poland on holiday she didn't arrive back with more than two rolls of film and embarrassing tan lines - she bought a brand new face.
The mother-of-one was one of the first foreigners to travel to the town of Wroclaw in south-west Poland for plastic surgery in the Euromedica Clinic.
With the high costs of many procedures in Ireland and the UK, more and more people are looking for the nip and tuck abroad.
"I have absolutely no regrets at all about getting my procedures done in Poland" Suzanne tells SWM.
"The facilities are incredible and the staff are brilliant.
"I had hated the way I looked for years. When I turned 30 I
developed my mum's chin and my eye lids became very heavy.
"I was never completely happy with myself but when that happened I knew I had to take action.

the procedures available.
Six months later Suzanne was sipping cocktails and shopping to her hearts content in Poland having had upper eyelid surgery, liposuction from her chin and neck and a full face lift.
"I would have gone immediately

"I was utterly selfish about it. My husband told me not to go ahead with it and said that he was concerned about side effects, but I was adamant I wanted it done.
He told me that he loved me regardless and that it didn't matter to him, but the fact is that I hated my face and was willing to pay to have it fixed.

'I'm a completely different person now.I go out in public more often and, when I do, I I hold my head up high'

if I had the cash. "I knew as soon as I met Alina that I I was going to get it done with Euromedica. It cost me €4,600 for the whole package. That included flights, transfers, accommodation, meals and all the procedures.
"I was being quoted €10,500 in other leading clinics and their after service facilities were nothing compared to Euromedica.

"I used to walk around with my head faced down at an angle if I was in public so that people wouldn't see me front on," the 49-year-old reveales.
Suzanne, who now lives in Manchester, met with the Head of Euromedica Alina Deeble who talked her through the facilities and

"I spent the night in the clinic in Poland. Other places cart you off to some near-by hotel as soon as you're finished.
"In Wroclaw, I spent 24 hours in the clinic under observation and only when they were happy to let me leave I moved to an apartment near by. But even still I had at least one consultation a day to assess my progress.
"Since my procedure they have actually expanded the facilities out

in Poland so now they can cater for even more and can ensure that your stay will be even better than when I was there."
Speaking of the overall package Suzanne says: "Within days I was a new woman. That part of Europe is amazing. I got to have a few days holiday as well towards the end. The shopping in the town was incredible. The whole place is so cheap.
"I travelled with three other ladies who were all having similar procedures. We all completely bonded. In
fact I'm still very good friends with one of them.
"I also decided to treat myself to a new hair do too, so when I arrived home to my husband and son, they nearly didn't recognise me.
"My husband was always concerned about me heading abroad but when he saw the results he admitted that he was wrong to worry.
"My friends were the same. They had their reservations but once they saw the new me and how happy I was, they knew I had made the

right decision.
"I'm a completely different woman now. I can honestly say that I go out in public more often and, when I do, I hold my head up high.
"Now I have decided to go back to Poland to have a face peel. I'm travelling next month.
"Basically it involves covering my face in a green chemical mask, leaving it there for some time and then taking it off. It's to get rid of my acne scars that I've had since I was a teenager."
And does her husband mind her
getting this done after the last procedure? "Quite the contrary actually. When we can afford them, he wants me to have the big ones done. I reckon I'll go for the tummy tuck and the boob lift. He's all for that. I wonder why," she says with a laugh.
For more information on the Euromedica company log onto www.cosmeticsurgery.me.uk or contact Pamela Crossan in their Irish outlet on 087 7997097.