Danniella Westbrook has revealed that doctors plan to use parts of her ribs to support her nose during her next facial reconstruction operation.
The former EastEnders actress, 52, is undergoing an 18-month course of reconstructive surgery following facial damage and a collapsed septum linked to her past cocaine use. Danniella told Vanessa Feltz that she thinks she has already undergone six operations, with at least four more still to come.
Speaking on Vanessa’s YouTube show At Home With Vanessa, Danniella said she had just received an October date for her next procedure.
She explained: “So that’s when they redo, make this bit [points to her nose] skinny and pull it up and they put the ribs in the side and stuff and everything to support it [her nose].”
Danniella Westbrook says surgery has left her exhausted
Danniella said each operation can last five or six hours. The repeated anaesthetic and lengthy recoveries have taken a heavy physical and emotional toll.
She told Vanessa: “I trust my surgeon implicitly. I really do trust him. But I do feel like I’m 52. I put my body through enough and then putting your body through anaesthetic and it’s not short surgery. It’s like five or six hours each time.”
The actress added: “I’m really feeling the recovery if I’m honest. I just feel absolutely exhausted.
“I feel like I’ve got nothing left. When I come around, I’m like, ‘Please just let me sleep.’ I’ve got nothing left.”
Danniella admitted that after her two most recent operations, she felt unable to face any more treatment. She considered accepting her appearance rather than continuing with further surgery.
Why Danniella Westbrook says she must continue treatment
Despite her exhaustion, Danniella said she needs to complete the treatment to improve her breathing.
She explained: “But I’m still carrying on because I have to because it’s respiratory I have to be able to breathe properly.”
The star also told Vanessa that she currently has stitches inside her mouth and around her lips and nose. However, she said she felt “okay” at the time of the interview.
Read more: Danniella Westbrook looks stylish as she shows off new reconstruction surgery results
Danniella rose to fame as Sam Mitchell in EastEnders as a teenager. She has spoken openly over the years about cocaine addiction and the lasting damage it caused to her nose.
Although she remains committed to completing the reconstruction, her latest interview made clear just how demanding the process has become. For now, she faces her next operation in October and a recovery period she already knows will prove difficult.
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