This story is based on an interview with Mark Tortorella, 61, a retired firefighter and medic from Chicago. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I don’t fit the profile of someone who has had plastic surgery. Many people think the typical patient is a well-to-do woman, not a former firefighter-medic from a middle-class background.
Still, there’s less stigma for men now, and it was a very personal and empowering decision to go ahead.
The idea first came to my attention in 2011 after my wife, Bernadette, now 56, had a rhinoplasty.
She’d been unhappy with the shape of her nose for several years and was delighted with the results.
I was self-conscious about my own nose, which, I guess, you could describe as a Roman nose because of my Italian heritage.
It was hooked with a pretty large hump in the middle and oversize for my face. I thought about getting it fixed while I was still working, but I was concerned about taking time off to recover from my busy job.
Things changed after I retired in 2016 at 51. I consulted my wife’s surgeon, Dr. Anil Shah, a couple of years later. He was able to manipulate some photographs of me on his computer to show what was possible.
My sister asked if I’d had a rhinoplasty
The surgery, which cost $6,500 from my savings, was done under general anesthesia when I was 52. The recovery process was minimal.
It was in the fall, and the family got together at Christmas. A few people said, “You look great.” One of my sisters noticed and said, “Did you have nose surgery?”
You can’t avoid those sorts of questions, so, of course, I said “yes.”
Neither Bernadette nor I felt the need for further improvements until after I lost about 40 pounds. It was partly intentional and partly the circumstances of no longer eating unhealthy food during 24-hour shifts at the firehouse.
My retirement meant my meal schedules were back on track, and I also had free time for golfing and walking.
I had the second procedure under local anesthesia
By 2024, I weighed around 195 pounds. I felt good, but when I looked in the mirror, I noticed loose skin on my neck, like a turkey neck. I thought, “I wish I had a tighter jawline.”
Dr. Shah described the results he could achieve. I signed up for a neck lift with fat transfer from my stomach to my cheeks for $7,500.
This procedure was performed under local anesthesia. I’d compare it to going to the dentist’s office for a tooth extraction.
I was out and about after four days and couldn’t believe the before-and-after photos 10 days post-op. The swelling had already gone down, and I was pleased by the difference. Any scars were behind my ears, so nobody could see them.
Again, friends and family congratulated me on my appearance. They asked if I’d been on a relaxing, two-month vacation.
I feel more confident
The changes were less dramatic than the rhinoplasty, partly because I hadn’t waited until my skin was really sagging. So I’m glad I had the necklift at the stage I did.
I’m not planning any more surgery. What I’ve done is enough. It’s made me feel more confident and carefree as I continue to enjoy my retirement.
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