Our Approach

The single most important factor in the success of your care is the plastic surgeon in whom you place your trust. Mr Pacifico therefore ensures that he personally oversees every step of your plastic surgery journey. He instils in his team and in his own approach a philosophy that:

• Each person should be treated to the highest possible standards
• Each person should be treated with respect
• Each person should be treated as an individual
• Each person should be treated with bespoke personalised care

This exceptional level of care is evident from the first consultation, where Mr Pacifico will get to know you, the reasons behind your consultation and your expectations. After a careful and thorough clinical examination, Mr Pacifico will give you an honest and realistic view of what is achievable. You will leave your visit with him fully informed, comfortable and confident that you are in the best of hands. In addition, Mr Pacifico and his team deliver this high level of patient-centred care, not only with respect to your surgical treatment, but also holistically, ensuring that any emotional and psychological effect your treatment may have is also taken into consideration. Plastic surgery is an ever advancing and changing landscape and Mr Pacifico strives to incorporate the most advanced techniques wherever possible, but will only use techniques that have proven long-term benefits for his patients. In conclusion, there are many reasons for seeing a plastic surgeon, all of which are personal and unique to the individual. Mr Pacifico will always strive to understand your reasons, and will tailor your treatment to make your experience as successful as possible.

There are many reasons for considering plastic surgery. Some people are particularly self-conscious about a particular area of their body, the effects of age and gravity may be taking their toll, some want to restore their shape from when they were younger or before they were pregnant and others have a whole variety of personal reasons. What is important is that you are understood as an individual and your whole well-being is considered during any consultation. Although, by definition, plastic surgery results in a physical change, the psychological and emotional impact of this change should not be underestimated. Mr Pacifico will also seek to understand your life, your work situation, your hobbies and your interests, in order to tailor the treatment suggested to you personally.

During your consultation Mr Pacifico will also try to understand your personal reasons for wanting to proceed with surgery. He will also try to ascertain your expectations and goals. Following a thorough examination, he will then discuss with you what is realistic, what is achievable and how you would feel about the proposed changes.

Sometimes people’s expectations are not achievable with surgery. In these individuals, it can sometimes be invaluable to have the input of a professional psychotherapist to help work through the psychological and emotional aspects of their issues. Please see the page on emotional and psychological well-being for further information on this.

Having realistic goals, in other words, “being on the same wavelength” as your surgeon is crucial to ensure a successful outcome of surgery. Mr Pacifico will never promise a surgical result he is not confident he can deliver. If he feels he cannot meet your ideals, he will explain in detail why not, and what is actually possible.

Therefore it is important to take advantage of having two pre-operative consultations. Although most detail will be discussed in the first consultation, having a cooling off period and time to reflect is very important prior to a second visit with Mr Pacifico. If he feels it would be beneficial, Mr Pacifico may invite you for further additional consultations.

Your total well-being must be considered as part of your plastic surgery journey. It starts from your first consultation and continues through until your last visit.

There are many reasons why you may be considering having plastic surgery, be it for cosmetic or reconstructive purposes. Whether you are considering surgery to your face, your breasts or another part of your body it is an important decision and one that must be reached after careful consideration. This consideration not only relates to the physical (surgical) side of the process, but also to the emotional and psychological side of things.

Mr Pacifico has undergone additional psychological training to add to his personal experience in looking after thousands of patients over his career. This has helped him discuss what can be challenging topics, particularly as they are so very personal. If he senses that you might benefit from any psychological support, he will bring this up during your consultation - please do not be offended if he does so, as it is part of his duty of care as a doctor, over and above being a plastic surgeon.

Pre-operatively psychological help might help you work through any self-doubt you may have related to a part of your body. If surgery is the right route for you, it is important that you have an understanding of what is achievable and have realistic expectations. After surgery, psychological support can further help with adapting to a change in your body image in certain cases.

Undergoing plastic surgery for aesthetic or reconstructive reasons is a life-changing event – something fully understood by Mr Pacifico and his team.

The first rule of medicine is “do no harm”, and this applies to plastic surgery as much as any other discipline. Your safety is paramount whatever surgical or non-surgical procedure you are considering and Mr Pacifico takes this very seriously. In fact, Mr Pacifico has published in the plastic surgery literature (please see webpage on Scientific Publications) on safety in plastic surgery.

Mr Pacifico has been extensively trained in the safest surgical techniques, however safety does not start, or end there. Your safety starts from the first consultation you have with Mr Pacifico – a thorough detailed medical history is taken, with notes made of any previous illnesses, previous operations or procedures you may have had, as well as any medication you take or have allergies to. Should Mr Pacifico have any concerns at this early stage, he will discuss them frankly with you. Should there be anything at all that can improve your safety he will talk about those strategies with you.

The single most correctable pre-operative factor that can be changed is smoking. Smokers have a significantly increased risk of wound healing problems and wound infection in many plastic surgery procedures. This is due to the nicotine in cigarettes, which is a very powerful drug that effects blood vessels. It works by narrowing the very vessels that are required by the body for wound healing and preventing infection, thereby weakening these crucial capabilities. Not only that, but if you are having a procedure that requires a general anaesthetic (one in which you are asleep), smoking will also increase the risks here too. You are more likely to develop a post-operative chest infection and the coughing that you will inevitably experience on waking up, can sometimes start bleeding in the operation site, meaning a further return to the operating theatre to stop the bleeding. Therefore, if you smoke, please make every effort to stop at least 6-weeks prior to surgery (preferably 2-3 months).

Being significantly overweight also puts you at increased risk of various post-operative problems. Ideally, your body mass index (a calculation based on your weight and height) should be below 30 for many of the procedures Mr Pacifico performs. Again, Mr Pacifico will discuss with you the risks associated with your personal circumstances.

If Mr Pacifico has any concerns for any reason he will, with your permission, contact your general practitioner or any other relevant specialist who may have more detailed medical information on your medical situation. In addition, he may organise for a pre-operative assessment by his anaesthetist should he feel it appropriate.

Good post-operative care is vital to ensure a quick and safe recovery. Mr Pacifico is supported by excellent clinical and nursing staff at each of the private hospitals he works at. Should you be unlucky and experience a post-operative complication, you will be seen as frequently as required to ensure a speedy recovery. Naturally, there will be no additional charges for any of these post-operative visits.

We hope this overview provides reassurance that you are in the best hands for whatever plastic surgery procedure you have chosen to undergo. There is no such thing as risk-free surgery, but we believe that by concentrating on correcting all possible pre-operative factors, meticulous surgery and careful post-operative care, these risks can be reduced to an absolute minimum.

The most important decision you will make is choosing the best surgeon for you. However, with so many plastic surgeons and “cosmetic doctors” offering treatments, it can be hard to know where to begin. If you are lucky enough to have a personal recommendation your search is made considerably easier. Otherwise, many people turn to their GPs or perhaps, these days, to the internet for recommendations. However, choosing your plastic surgeon from the internet can be a lottery, and if you do not have an understanding of what to look for it may be impossible to work out if a surgeon is suitably qualified.

In the first instance, your surgeon should have been properly trained in plastic surgery. The “kite-mark” for this is the abbreviation FRCS(Plast) after a plastic surgeon’s name. It is not enough just to have FRCS, as this does not distinguish between a plastic surgeon and another type of surgeon. FRCS(Plast) is the final consultant level qualification awarded to plastic surgeons after passing an extremely rigorous and exacting exam. Mr Pacifico came top in the whole of the UK in the FRCS(Plast) exam, being awarded the Ian McGregor “gold medal”.

Secondly, a properly qualified plastic surgeon should be on the GMC (General Medical Council) specialist register for plastic surgery (not for any other branch of surgery). This can be checked and confirmed with the GMC itself. Mr Pacifico is on the GMC specialist register for plastic surgery.

Thirdly, a plastic surgeon should ideally be a member of BAAPS (the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) and BAPRAS (the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons). Again, these facts can be verified on the relevant associations’ websites.  These are marks of being in the ranks of a select group of well-qualified and skilled plastic surgeons. Mr Pacifico is a member of both BAPRAS and BAAPS.

Your surgeon should either be a consultant plastic surgeon in the NHS, or should have held a substantive consultant NHS post in plastic surgery in the past. The “due diligence” and selection process to become an NHS consultant is demanding and thorough, so this in itself also provides a degree of reassurance when choosing your plastic surgeon.

Finally, one thing that no amount of research or reading can tell you is whether you feel comfortable with your plastic surgeon and have confidence in their ability to care for you. The only way of determining this is with a face-to-face meeting at a consultation. If appropriate, it is therefore important to understand that a second opinion, or a meeting with an alternative surgeon can be helpful. You should never feel uncomfortable about seeking a second opinion, and any good surgeon would not feel offended by that suggestion. To repeat from above: the most important decision you will make is choosing the best surgeon for you.