Update
"When I entered the room I saw a beautiful face," said Dr. Honor Fullerton, my respected Stanford trained dermatologist, who, searching memory, identified the beautiful face as that of a middle aged woman she had seen several years earlier. Dr. Issa Eshima, an aesthetic plastic surgeon in San Francisco, had performed a facelift.
A Stanford Phi Beta Kappa and graduate of University of California at San Francisco Medical School, Dr. Issa Eshima was Chief and Director of Plastic Surgery, UCSF/Stanford-Mount Zion Medical Center. Dr. Eshima trained in New York under Dr. Thomas Rees the renowned Manhattan plastic surgeon who performed Jackie Kennedy's facelift.
I love to travel in Europe, Asia, India, to Egypt and Machu Picchu and treasure the companionship and friendships I make among fellow travelers and local people. My love of life, however, was outlasting my falling face, a face accelerating down. I made an appointment to see Dr. Eshima.
At the complimentary interview as he answered my questions and showed many before and after, beautiful, soft and natural photos of his aesthetic facelifts, Dr. Eshima was compelling with his depth of competence and his superb skill, in his knowledge. In a hearty baritone Dr. Eshima spoke warmly of patients, of ambassadors coming from distant cities, from around the world. He lifted my spirits when he said, "Aren't you excited!", after I said I wanted him to do my facelift. Since then Dr. Eshima's love of his work and his dedication have touched me often.
The morning of my facelift before beginning Dr. Eshima spoke encouragingly, "This is your day! We will have you out socializing again." The first thing I noticed two days after the facelift was the beautiful shape and line of the eyes and brow. Dr. Eshima brought bloom to my face, enhanced softly my profile and restored to youthful oval the line of chin. My neck looks like a schoolgirl's. Two months after my facelift uplifted youthful contours look lovely and natural where hollows sagged. Some mornings my refreshed face glows although I am young only in love of life and people.
Most important Dr. Eshima performs facelifts in a safe hospital environment where you wake up in your own room with Dr. Eshima standing beside you offering reassuring words and with a private duty nurse to care for you. The first night after my facelift I suffered severe dry mouth and struggled to swallow. Mary Kay, the nurse, gave medication. For three days at home, experiencing treatable pain behind the ear, I was happy to have the help of a private duty nurse.
Dr. Eshima's follow-up care and staff are superb. For two weeks following my facelift, every day wonderful Magaly, Dr. Eshima's caring, knowledgeable office manager, called to find out how I was doing, patiently solved any arising problems. In addition to regular follow-up visits, when I developed problems from pre-existing dry eyes, Dr. Eshima effectively and compassionately, with sensitivity, treated me as often as needed, saying, "We don't let you go until the problem is solved." Resourceful Alisha always was ready to help, greeted you with bright friendly welcome.
Friends have looked at me wonderingly, saying, "You look beautiful," "elegant". Both men and women have expressed surprise, "You look too young to have grandchildren," when I speak with pride of my cherished grandchildren, some in college. I am excited when I think about renewed possibilities for life Dr. Eshima has given me.
Two years have passed since Dr. Eshima's facelift gave me a new lease on life. During a recent May, 2011, crease reduction procedure, Dr. Eshima impressed me most with the great care he took to avoid making a scar front between the eyes. Dr. Eshima combined extraordinary skill with his hands for the finest details with beautiful aesthetic sense and consummate surgical skills. With an artist's eye Dr. Eshima saw on my narrow face to set back slightly the beginning of the eyebrows to give a more wide-set Jackie Kennedy appearance to the beautiful eyes he had made in the facelift. I appreciate the spontaneous kindness and care Dr. Eshima expressed that day to do no harm when I was soon going on a trip, noticed also Dr. Eshima moved casually about the room to see the face from all angles. A lovely Mozart piano concerto distracted from the knife and intricate crease reduction procedure, characteristic of Dr. Eshima's efforts to do everything possible for the best experience and outcome.
On recent trips, at Stanford class events, on visits to my native Scottsdale, men, old friends who have meant most to me have crossed the room to talk, stayed with warmth and lively interest, invited me to dinner. Whenever I go out I am happy for my face, for Dr. Eshima's aesthetic contours that bring vibrancy to my life.
Words cannot express my gratitude to knowledgeable Magaly for her caring, good hearted interest and responsiveness. Thank you also friendly Cathy. read more