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Tactfully bring up co-worker's plastic surgery

Perhaps you could have said "why Marylyn, the unnatural stretching of skin across your aging bones makes you look so Dick-clarkesque." or "Maryilyn, it must be startling to be back at work, you look permanently surprised".

Why not just tactfully say, "Edna, you don't look a day over 85."? Edna would then be in a position to share her story.

I get this quaestion often as an independent consultant for plastic surgery. I agree with the subtle approach, although if someone left to have gastric by-pass we wouldn't say they look rested. We would say they lost a great amount of weight and that they look fabulous. So why not say "your face looks very refreshed whatever you did worked great. How about a referral?"