How a Facelift Helped One Patient Feel Like Herself Again

This story originally appeared in the Winter 2016 issue of Cincinnati Health & Life Magazine.

Aging is, of course, a natural process—one we embrace as a gift and a privilege.Still, as we grow older, changes in physical appearance can dampen the spirit.When you feel energetic and happy, but your friends wonder whether you’re getting enough sleep because you look tired,or they ask what’s wrong because you look angry, it’s easy to get discouraged.

That’s how 69-year-old Mary felt. “I just wanted to look more like myself again,”she says. “Not to look drawn or tight, but to have some of the excess skin gone.”For help, she turned to the TriHealth Cosmetic Center and Kevin Shumrick,M.D., who is board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and in treating disorders of the ears, nose and throat. “I had heard Dr. Shumrick’s name a number of times,” says Mary. “A friend of mine had some reconstructive surgery due to cancer,and he did a fabulous job for her.”

Dr. Shumrick, who has been practicing in the Cincinnati area for more than 25 years and with TriHealth for the past 10,believes the TriHealth Cosmetic Center stands out among its peers. “We come at plastic surgery from a medical perspective,”he says. “We really focus on the patient and what’s best for her or for him.”

“Some plastic surgery centers actually have a ‘closer’ who has a sales quota to meet,” he explains. “If you go into a center like that, you’re getting a procedure.” At TriHealth, physicians strive to understand what each patient needs, and whether the procedure being considered is really going to benefit them. “We aren’t trying to talk people into surgery,” says Dr. Shumrick.“We look at what we can do for an individual patient that’s going to give the best result.”

TriHealth Cosmetic Center’s board-certified physicians offer proven treatments tailored to each patient’s lifestyle and skin. Because of their specialized training,Cosmetic Center physicians have the expertise and experience to safely and effectively perform advanced cosmetic procedures. In addition to face lifts and dermal fillers to counteract aging and sun damage, the Cosmetic Center offers an extensive array of care, including treatment of acne, stretch marks, rosacea, and spider and varicose veins. Other services include ear reshaping, nose reshaping(rhinoplasty) and hair removal.

Mary’s face lift was tailored to address her concerns, which included sagging skin around her mouth, under her chin,and in the jowl area. “Mary wanted to look a little fresher,” says Dr. Shumrick. “She wanted to improve things but not look like she’d had surgery. And that’s always what we strive for—to give a look that’s natural,but with some definite improvements.That surgical look you sometimes see defeats the whole purpose. We minimize the surgical footprints.”

Mary was more than happy with the results of her procedure. “It wasn’t too much,” she says. “Dr. Shumrick did exactly what I wanted, and it was just perfect for me.” Would she recommend him to friends? “I wouldn’t hesitate to refer anybody to him. He’s an excellent doctor and a very nice man. He’s concerned about helping people.”

Judging from the reactions of Mary’s friends, Dr. Shumrick succeeded in creating improvements that didn’t scream surgery. “After the procedure,” she says, “I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in a month, and the first thing she said was, ‘Mary, you’ve lost some weight.’ And I thought, ‘Perfect.She didn’t notice a thing.’”