FaceLift Mexico: Affordable Cosmetic Surgery Vacations

Visit www.faceliftmexico.com for more information, videos and photos!  Or call Pat Marino today at +1 (772) 220-7466.

Image:Courtesy FaceLiftMexico.com

Pat Marino, Founder-- 67 years young

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Photos courtesy of FaceLit Mexico

Check out pictures of Club Casa Marino, a deluxe private club located just blocks from San Miguel's lovely colonial center. View Slideshow >>

Thousands of Americans have inexplicably made the choice to relocate to the town of San Miguel de Allende. Lost and Found in Mexico is their story. Watch the trailer of Caren Cross's award-winning documentary. View Video >>

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Patricia Marino, who founded FaceLift Mexico in 1994, came to San Miguel de Allende 15 years ago on vacation, and was intrigued by how young and attractive many of the residents were. Cosmetic surgery costs in Mexico, which are a third of the price as in the US, were clearly playing a role. 

A friend tipped her off to the work of the skilled local surgeon who was responsible for the town's high beauty quotient, and Marino, at the age of 52, decided to take the cosmetic surgery plunge herself.

Thrilled with the results of her surgery as well as the excellent hospital care she received, Marino, a travel industry veteran, started her cosmetic surgery tourism business to share her wonderful experience with others. "Gringos have been slipping over the border for cosmestic surgery for decades," she says.

"We have a 100% safety record," says Marino. "And our personal 'patient-to-patient' referral network, by email or phone contact, is available to answer any questions potential clients might have."

Patients don't get the "pulled taut look" with FaceLift Mexico surgeons. They are trained in the SMAS (Submuscular techniques, also called the "round lift") method, for a natural result. "You won't look like you've had work done," says Marino.

FaceLift Mexico only uses board certified cosmetic surgery specialists, and Marino scrutinizes a surgeon's work and results for two years before selecting them to join her team. All surgeries are performed in the state-of-the-art MAC hospital, with a three-night stay in a private hospital room, not a clinic. "The safety and post-op comfort of each patient is their main concern," says Marino.   

Today, FaceLiftMexico has served hundreds of patients from all over the world. $6,500 USD is the board certified surgeons' fee for a full face lift. After the surgery, patients receive six days of pampering at the CLUB CASA MARINO SPA, with trained staff. "Not having to hide from your neighbors and being able to share the camraderie with the other patients is unique and  unequaled," says Marino.  

Club Casa Marino is a deluxe private club located just blocks from San Miguel's lovely colonial center. The stay in the Club-- which includes breakfast and lunch every day, spa treatments, and access to conveniences such as the Casa's film library, free internet and international phone calls, and private car transfers--is an additional $1,600 USD.

Melinda Marino, Pat's daughter, is a vivacious brunette, whose perfect skin, bright smile and yoga-toned body make her seem a decade younger than her years. "Welcome to Club Casa Marino!" she says, as she descends the stairs of the well-appointed residence.

The Club looks like a boutique hotel--its decor unites the comfort of home with the beauty of a Mexican colonial villa-but its guests are FaceLift Mexico clients. The women and men who have chosen to have face lifts, tummy tucks, dental implants and other cosmetic procedures with FaceLift Mexico's doctors recuperate in the privacy and comfort of the small and intimate club. 

Rooms at the club are deluxe and spacious, with en suite baths and sumptuous beds with silk pillows and designer bed linens. Televisions in each room receive American cable channels and include a DVD player for watching movies from the Club's extensive film library. The Club also offers FREE wireless internet and FREE phone calls to the US. 

"We have a lot of repeat customers," says Melinda.  "Once patients have a facelift, many of them want to get their teeth done, or have other work." Most of FaceLift Mexico's patients are referred from previous patients. "Our personal patient-to-patient network is invaluable," she says.

Excellent care with a human touch

FaceLift Mexico has an exclusive relationship with the Medica Avanzada Celaya ("MAC") Hospital, a brand new state-of-the-art hospital --the "Millennium MAC"--in the city of Celaya, a 45-minute drive from San Miguel de Allende. 

Both doctors and the Marinos spend significant time consulting with potential patients before the surgery. This way the doctors understand the patients' needs and desires, and the patients get answers to questions they may have and go into surgery with realistic expectations. FaceLift Mexico surgeons take a conservative approach to their work. 

Dr. Fidel Berlanga Ramirez and Dr. Guillermo Koelliker (affectionately known as "Dr. Guillermo" to Casa Marino patients and staff) have attended hundreds of FaceLift Mexico patients.

Dr. Koelliker says he is passionate about his work, and is committed not only to delivering the best possible physical result for his patients, but also to bringing a human touch to the entire process.

"All of my patients have my cell phone number, they can call me at any time, day or night," Dr. Koelliker says. "I personally visit my patients three to four times a day each day that they are in the hospital," he says. Patients spend three nights in a private hospital room, so the total required stay is 10 days. 

"I come to the Club for follow-up and to remove sutures, and for final clearance to fly home, usually seven days after surgery. Unlike most doctors these days, I still make house calls!" 

The patients spend the night before the surgery plus two more in a private hospital room that is equipped with the latest machines and diagnostic equipment. The environment itself is comfortable, bright and welcoming.  Patient rooms are decorated with attractive furniture and even include a bed for a friend or family member to stay the night there with the patient for free.

To cut costs, many cosmetic surgeries in the US take place in clinics, or are performed by dermatologists who are not certified in plastic surgery, says Marino. She cautions patients to do exhaustive and careful research before making their decision.  "Besure that you verify your prices, and confirm that your procedure will be performed in the safety of a hospital, not in a clinic."

The Club Casa Marino Experience

Charlotte* is a 60 year old art professor from New England, currently on sabbatical in Mexico City. She describes the care that she's received from her Mexican dentist, optometrist and gastroenterologist as "as good or better" than treatment from doctors back home. When she began investigating cosmetic surgery options, she was rigorous with her research and references and only considered top surgeons. However, as a single woman, the care and community that Club Casa Marino offered went beyond the other offers. 

"I was going to allow myself to be taken care of, in a lovely place where the people had experience with caring for cosmetic surgery patients," says Charlotte.

Melinda says, "Patients don't know what to expect. If they're recuperating at home alone, they don't know if the swelling or discomfort they're experiencing is normal or not. Here, we literally hold their hands and help them through it."

Fabiola is the Club's on site manager and patient liaison. Trained in cosmetology and spa services, the Club offers massages, hair cut-and-color, manicures and pedicures to patients, which make them feel great and speed their healing. But the staff is also there to advise and comfort them.

"I remind them to take care of themselves," says Fabiola. "I tell them to wear their 'Grace Kelly or Cary Grant disguise', a big floppy sun hat tied with a silk scarf, and to put on sunblock when walking to town. I show them photos of previous patients so they can see how beautiful they're going to be."

There are an increasing number of men who want to look younger and more attractive. "You'd be surprised how many male patients we have," says Fabiola. "Spouses often have facelift surgery together." 

Breakfast and lunch are provided seven days a week by the Club's chef, Feliza.  The menu is both tasty and healthy, and many of the dishes, such as Moroccan fish, are chosen for ingredients, like turmeric, which help reduce inflammation and swelling.

Many patients write after returning home to say they miss the charm of San Miguel de Allende and the wonderful pampering of the Club Casa Marino staff.

After your cosmetic surgery vacation in the "Magical Place" of San Miguel de Allende, is it possible to regain 20 years of youth?

Click here to hear Pat Marino's story and see exclusive patient photos!