Dubai plastic surgeon rehabilitating profession after scandals

The Life: Dr Afschin Ghofrani, a Dubai newcomer who co-owns the Aestheticon clinic, explains his goal of rehabilitating the reputation of the profession in the UAE.

Why did you open a clinic in Dubai?

I worked in Germany for 20 years and at my private clinic I noticed an increasing number of patients from this part of the world who came to me via word of mouth. I investigated setting up here since 2006. I realised it’s not good to come as a visiting doctor; patients want you there to discuss any issues. I moved here in September 2010. As a German, all my specialisations are accepted here. But from a business set-up there are lots of things you need to know. I took my time to see how it works. I worked with different clinics as a consultant to see what I needed to know. I opened the clinic in May 2012. Since then I have done 180 surgeries. I have done more than 30,000 surgeries over the course of my career. I am very, very exact about surgery: I would rather say no than take a chance. One of my goals is to restore the trust in plastic surgery that was lost here. It’s important to consider it as a medical treatment not just a way of making money. I want patients to understand it is safe here and there is no need for them to go to Europe or the US to do their treatment.

Are your clients ex-pats or Emiratis?

Because of my background in Germany, I attract expats from Europe, the US and Australia. Local business depends on word of mouth. As I build a reputation, more locals will come. That is the natural flow of business.

Are there any particular trends you notice in the UAE as compared to Europe?

Demand is quite similar to what you see worldwide. Relating to weight: stubborn fat, big tummies, liposuction, body contouring. Relating to face and breasts: breast augmentation and reduction, facelifts and rhinoplasty. Prices depend on the procedure. Hospitals in Dubai are quite expensive. In Germany, you also pay tax but the hospitals here are still more expensive. A breast augmentation costs between Dh25,000 (US$6,806) and Dh30,000. A facelift is between Dh30,000 and Dh 50,000. A small liposuction can cost Dh12,000 and go up to Dh30,000.

Describe your typical day

I schedule my surgeries for the mornings and I am back in the clinic between noon and 2pm. During that time I see patients. The clinic is open until 9pm. I do multiple surgeries each day. I used to do seven or eight surgeries per day. I am quite a quick surgeon and this is possible if the team is working properly together. If a clinic is doing well, then I would say about three surgeries per day on average.

UAE plastic surgery demand mirrors global figures

Pressure to look good puts UAE at par with global cosmetic surgery countries

Dubai: Plastic surgeons in the UAE say that demand for medical services here mirrors global statistics that suggest of all cosmetic procedures, liposuction tops the list of surgical procedures and botox tops the list of non-surgical procedures.

According to plastic surgeons in the Emirates, the pressure to look good and the advances in aesthetic procedures continue to fuel demand for cosmetic procedures.

The newly released statistics were published by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) in its third annual statistical analysis report, in which it tallied data from 32,000 world-wide estimated plastic surgeons.

The report stated that in 2011 there were 1,268,287 liposuction and 3,179,652 botox procedures.

Global auditing and research firm Deloitte in its 2011 Survey of the UAE health care sector said that Dubai might be considered a major medical destination hub for the GCC and northern Africa patients looking for minor cosmetic surgery in addition to Lasik, dentistry and rejuvenation treatments.

German-board certified plastic surgeon Dr Afschin Ghofrani, Medical Director and General Manager at Aestheticon Clinic in Dubai,told Gulf News that based on his 20 years’ practice in Germany and now in the emirate, he has witnessed a steady increase in patients from the Middle East.

“The demand is due to two main factors — the increasing pressure to look good in the corporate industry, and the advances in medicine that have made possible aesthetic procedures that weren’t possible before. In addition, procedures are safer and less invasive. Demand is high for botox and facial treatments as well as for body reshaping,” said Dr Ghofrani.

Last month, the UK-based Elite Cosmetic Surgery Group opened a UAE branch at Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), prompted by the flow of enquiries from the Middle East.
Speaking to Gulf News, Dr Allen Rezai said that there is a clear need for highly experienced consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeons in the region. Elaborating on the demand for various procedures, he said: “From a surgical point of view, we see a lot of body contouring procedures like tummy tucks [abdominoplasty], liposuction [or lipoplasty] and rhinoplasty in the region. In the UK we see more breast related cosmetic surgeries.”

Dr Sanjay Parashar, Founder and CEO of Cocoona, a centre for cosmetic and plastic surgery in Dubai, said: “The recent explosion in cosmetic procedures is inevitable. It is driven by demand from consumers. We have approximately 20 per cent medical tourists visiting our centre for various procedures.”

The centre has witnessed a rise in body contouring surgeries like tummy tuck and liposuction. Dr Parashar attributed the increase to the country’s high obesity figures.

Read full interview, The Gulf.