What's new in Cosmetic Surgery?

Cosmetic surgery continues to evolve and improve, the main trend in recent years has been to improve safety, minimising risk whilst improving outcome.

Many operations are now performed under twilight sedation rather than general anaesthetic. This has many advantages which include a faster recovery time and less discomfort and sickness following the operation. The Gatehouse Clinic and Three Shires Hospital specialise in these techniques and were amongst the first centres in the UK to adopt them.

There has also been a trend towards more gentle natural appearing operations. In years this was not always the case and we have all seen examples of people who look unnatural following Cosmetic Surgery.

Facial procedures such as face and neck lifting and eyelid rejuvenation are now performed much more gently and with less scarring. In many cases they are combined with skin treatments and wrinkle reducing injections. This combined approach of surgical and non-surgical techniques produces the most natural longstanding results whilst mimimising recovery time.

In some cases non-surgical injection techniques have all but replaced surgery. This is particularly the case with eyebrow lifting. This used to be performed by an operation which held the forehead in place with screws placed in the skull. Nowadays the same result can be achieved with muscle relaxing injections. In this technique the pull of the muscles holding the eyebrows down is reduced. This lets the eyebrows rise producing a in a fresher more awake appearance.

In recent years the techniques used to improve the appearance of the bust have also improved dramatically. Broadly speaking these can be divided into breast enlargements, breast reductions and breast uplifts. Sometimes it is necessary to combine and uplift with an enlargement to increase the breast volume and improve the shape of the bust.

Following breast augmentation most women want a natural appearance. Many specifically ask me not to make them look like Jordan. It is crucial to spend as much time deciding on the size and type of implant most suited to you. At the Gatehouse Clinic we place great importance on this and encourage you to spend as much time as you need to get the right implant for you.

Breast implants themselves have improved significantly in the last 10 years. In particular the development of cohesive gels has made a dramatic improvement in safety. These new gels are firm and have the consistency of a fruit pastille. They still feel soft and breasts feel natural following the operation but they are safer and there is much less risk in the long term.

As with any innovation it is not always easy to separate the hype from the facts. Many new treatments are heralded as the next big thing and then fade away. This is why it is so important to seek professional advice.

The Gatehouse Clinic is Northamptonshire's foremost Cosmetic Surgery Centre. The staff consist of four Consultant Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons all of which have or currently hold positions within the NHS within the region.

Each of the Surgeons at the Gatehouse Clinic specialise in different areas covering the full range of Cosmetic Surgery. If you are considering any procedure we would be happy to discuss this with you in strict confidence to ensure you get the right treatment for you.


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Cosmetic surgery continues to evolve and improve, the main trend in recent years has been to improve safety, minimising risk whilst improving outcome.

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