Woman, 78, Goes Viral for Her Transformative Facelift Results, Even Shocking Her Husband and Friends (Exclusive)

As a pretty fit woman in her 70s, Deborah maintained an active lifestyle and was always confident in her appearance. She kept up with her skin care and loved to get facials, but when she tipped over into her early 70s, she started to notice what she calls a “fatty neck” that she says is hereditary.

And she didn’t like it.

At 76, she felt financially sound enough to invest in a full facial rejuvenation to make how she looked on the outside match how young she felt on the inside. Deborah tells PEOPLE that all that yoga and Pilates that was keeping her body young and vibrant was certainly contributing to keeping her well, plus she says she’s “probably going to live a while given [her] family history,” so that’s why she decided plastic surgery was in order.

Because she and her husband live in upstate New York, going to Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery and double-board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Vito C. Quatela just made sense for Deborah.

“He’s world-renowned,” she says simply. “He’s good at what he does.”

Deborah and Dr. Quatela started with a virtual consultation, where he evaluated what she might like to see for herself. He tells PEOPLE that he understood her desire to see just a little more youthfulness, rather than turning back the clock completely. He knew he could help her.

“Deborah underwent what we call a comprehensive facial rejuvenation,” he explains. “In simpler terms, we addressed multiple areas of her face and neck to create natural, harmonious results. This included a deep plane facelift and deep neck contouring to restore youthful contours, work on her lower eyelids to brighten her eyes, a brow lift to open up her upper face, and laser treatment around her mouth to smooth fine lines. We also performed some contouring and added volume where needed using her own facial fat — think of it as strategically restoring the fullness that naturally diminishes with age.”

He did all that during a surgery that took between seven and eight hours in June 2023. Dr. Quatela also adds that his goal was for his patient to come out looking natural rather than “pulled.”

“Each element was carefully chosen to work together, creating a refreshed appearance,” he describes. “The goal was for Deborah to look like the best version of herself.”

The doctor shares that Deborah’s surgery went all according to plan, as did her recovery. She stayed on site in the facility’s Carriage House for 10 days, where she was monitored by staff, and Deborah says that her appearance was a shock for her husband. When he saw her the day after surgery, she was understandably bruised and swollen, and even though he knew she would be, he was unprepared.

“I stayed overnight there with a nurse just because I didn’t want to have to come home and have my husband take care of me that first night,” she explains. “I had an appointment the next morning to take the drainage tubes out, and my husband met me there, and his first three words when he saw me were OMG. He said I looked like I had been in a boxing match for 12 rounds and lost every round, because my face was all swollen and bruised.”

Fortunately for Deborah, now 78, and her husband, the swelling and bruising dissipated as expected, and she kept her sunny demeanor about her, which Dr. Quatela says was what “struck” him most about her as a patient. Despite any discomfort she felt and any bruising she experienced, she kept positive, he says.

“What’s remarkable about Deborah is how positive she remained throughout the healing process. She understood this was an investment in herself and trusted the process. Many patients, like Deborah, tell us that the recovery was easier than they anticipated, especially with our comprehensive support system,” he shares.

Deborah says it took just over six months for her to feel like she was healed enough to really see the results she was looking for, and then she felt like she had a face that matched how fit the rest of her body felt. And she’s been getting nothing but compliments from those around her, including her husband.

It was especially fun when she and her husband went back down to their winter home in Florida the first time after her transformation. She says it was obvious that some of her friends down there could tell that she “looked different but didn’t want to say anything,” so she eventually told them about her facelift.

“I’ve only had compliments from people. They all say it looks so natural,” she gushes.

Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery also shared Deborah’s transformation on its TikTok in May, where it has racked up almost a million views and nearly 50K “likes” and 2K shares with people raving about how “natural” her plastic surgery looks.

Deborah’s taking all the social media fame in stride and is happy that people have been so complimentary. She’s just enjoying her new, rejuvenated look and keeping up with her Pilates while showing it off.