I receive many anonymous requests from members of Women for Women with regards to various cosmetic surgery procedures. Many women seem shy to ask directly about cosmetic surgery and it is still quite something not openly discussed amongst women. I therefore decided it would be a great idea if I asked all the questions that we women would usually want to know. I have heard a lot of positive recommendations about Persona so I thought this would be a great place to start from and to see what they have to offer.
With Covid-19 confining us indoors and with winter around the corner and numbers rising, there has never been a better time to undergo surgery since certain cosmetic surgery procedures may need some post operation discreet stay at home time.
I met up with John Cauchi – Persona’s operating theatre manager for the past 7 years, who was recently promoted to General Manager. John was at my disposal to answer all my questions. He also took me around to see their facilities in Ta’ Xbiex and I was impressed by the modern, state of the art setup and the impressive yet inviting operating theatre with the adjacent overnight recovery rooms. In a way I felt more like I was in a small boutique hotel than a clinic.
As we walked around, I asked John to tell me what cosmetic surgery options are available at Persona, and what are the most popular requests.
John tells me that their surgeons perform all kinds of cosmetic surgery. John explains that they have three fully qualified, in-house Maltese plastic surgeons, with years of experience both locally and abroad, operating exclusively at Persona. Together, the three surgeons can cover any type of cosmetic surgery procedure one could ask for. John confirms that “The most popular procedures with female clients remain breast augmentations, +/- uplift, tummy tucks, and also eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty).”
I agree with John because I am often asked about breast augmentation or breast reduction operations. I tell him that many women would want to know the cost, the recovery period, what to expect from such procedures?
John can you run me through the steps one would go through – say if I was considering a breast lift (something I’ve often thought about but never actually found the courage to ask about) where would I start from?
For most, undergoing surgery, even more so a cosmetic one, would need a lot of planning, thought and for some even courage. Once one decides or is thinking about a certain procedure; their journey to a better version of themselves starts by contacting us through a phone call, email or a message on our Facebook page. Some clients know exactly what they want and book a consultation directly with one of our cosmetic surgeons. Others may still be unsure of what type of surgery is available for their requirements, and some may have some questions or doubts.
Most queries can usually be answered by our experienced front office staff; however, many times clients are directed to me and I will go through their questions and reassure them about any doubts or uncertainties they may have. This is a good exercise for the client to start experiencing the clinic and to start building up their trust in Persona’s team, we believe this is important especially at the initial stages. At Persona we feel very strongly that our clients must feel valued and comfortable to ask any questions they may have.
A friend of mine told me that having cosmetic surgery done at Persona means one gets a more personalised and unique service. At Persona, clients liaise with Persona as opposed to communicating directly only with the surgeon during the consultation as is often the case in other clinics. I asked John to tell me more about this new concept.
Why does it benefit a client to interact with a strong brand name like Persona as opposed to dealing only directly with a surgeon?
Yes, as you correctly said, we, as Persona, put a lot of value on having a direct 2-way relationship with our clients. I am usually very involved with clients and our in-house cosmetic surgeons will also be in the loop from the early stages too. At Persona we believe in giving a lot of personal attention to our clients. Most of the time from the start they are in direct contact with myself as their point of reference. This open communication continues right up to the day of surgery, and also after, throughout post-operative care. Of course even our surgeons are available for our clients’ needs, both at consultation stage and also during post-operative care.
I ask about Persona’s surgeons, their names and what experience they have and whether they specialise in any particular procedure.
John tells me that their in-house plastic surgeons operate exclusively at Persona and are all experienced in various fields. Their names are Mr. Duncan Aquilina, Mr. Simon De Gabriele and Mr. Matthew Borg. John explains that in his experience as an operating theatre manager having worked with many surgeons, every surgeon will have their preferred personal “speciality surgeries”, but John assures me that the three surgeons at Persona are all very capable and experienced and perform all types of cosmetic surgery. Goes without saying, the success of our surgeons is evident from the many happy clients Persona has accumulated over the years.
With regards to the costs involved, this is often something of a concern for many. Are your prices available on your website or is every procedure a different price according to a particular client’s requirements?
The costs of our surgeries are standard and very competitive. On our website, the fees of the most popular surgeries are listed and all fees are also given openly to clients when enquiring. We try to be as transparent as possible so as not to generate any doubts or hide any costs, even though as you correctly point out, particular needs might necessitate some price adjustments, but these are usually not significant. You can find Persona’s Cosmetic Surgery services listed here: https://www.persona.com.mt/plastic-surgery/
I’m intrigued and feel very at ease now with John, he’s very easy to talk to and I’m actually starting to consider surgery myself. I’m a very spur of the moment type of person and although I take long to decide, once I decide to do something I hate waiting so I want to know how long does it usually take from initial call to actually being booked in and having a date for surgery.
It all depends on the time of the year, with the spring period being busier as expected, John explains. However, on average consultations are available within a couple of weeks, and surgery possible after a further 6-8 weeks or so. In cases where a client needs a surgery within a specific time-frame or period, we will always do our very best to accommodate, helped by the fact that we can offer a choice of 3 surgeons, and that Persona’s Operating Theatre and facilities are dedicated nearly entirely to Plastic Surgery procedures.
For more information visit https://www.persona.com.mt/
Have you had cosmetic surgery? What was your experience? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us or email us your experience at [email protected]
Francesca Fenech Conti is passionate about social issues and has a BA in Social Policy. She is the Founder and creator of the women only facebook group Women for Women (Malta) and the Women for Women Foundation that works hand in hand with other NGOs and businesses to empower and support women, especially single mothers.
Francesca recently also launched Wham.com.mt to provide a much needed space on the local media scene to promote women’s voices and to provide women with a source of information regarding their general wellbeing.
Click here to check out Francesca’s full bio as well as a list of all her Wham published articles
