Created on 22nd May 2009
Cosmetic surgeon Mr Alex Karidis looks at the current state of cosmetic surgery...
Year on year, the demand for cosmetic procedures is increasing, and with more developments in the field come more options for patients and surgeons alike. In 2007 the number of surgeries taking place in Britain rose to over 32,000, a number which stood at just 22,000 in 2005. With an influx of new ‘designer' procedures from the States such as umbilicoplasty, labiaplasty and calf implants, it may be surprising to know that more traditional work such as liposuction, facelifts and breast augmentations continue to remain the most popular of all cosmetic procedures, closely followed by nose jobs and less invasive treatments like botox and collagen fillers.
A recent Mintel report has predicted that in 2008 Britain's cosmetic surgery sector will break the billion pound mark, reiterating the continuing rise of plastic surgery. At a time when much of the consumer business world is struggling to maintain custom, the industry is still growing. However, many of the surgeries taking place at the moment are undo-plasties. With the growth of cosmetic vacations - medical tourism where people travel overseas to have their surgery for a lower price - there has been, in turn, a rise in unsuccessful or botched procedures. While many overseas clinics are very professional and successful, there are also a few that do not have to meet the strict criteria the UK uses for surgery practice, meaning some people return home with a substandard result and have to seek further surgery to correct the work.
Unfortunately substandard procedures are not just limited to surgery carried out overseas. I also see many patients unhappy with the work they have had done in the UK, often having never met their surgeon prior to the operation, and having chosen their clinic based on the price of their treatment and special promotions.
While I can understand, particularly in the current economic climate, that patients have tight budgets when it comes to their surgery, I cannot stress enough the importance of choosing a surgeon and practice based on their skills and attributes rather than the price label on the procedure. It sounds obvious, but on numerous occasions I have met patients who, having chosen their surgeon based on monetary details, have to spend thousands on corrective work because the original
procedure was not finished to a high standard, or the result was totally unlike their original request.
The first consultation with a patient is the most important - it gives both surgeon and client the chance to size each other up and decide whether their ethos, hopes and aims are the same. One person's idea of ‘natural' can differ greatly to the next, so if you don't meet your surgeon before going under the knife, how will you know what you may wake up to find?
Surgery is becoming more and more common and widely accepted, but it is still a big undertaking. Media coverage of celebrity surgery can often trivialize the nature and complexity of the procedures involved. It's important to remember that your body is, quite literally, in someone else's hands, so it is imperative that you know who you are dealing with. Medical tourism and clinics promising discounts may offer cheaper alternatives in the short term, but never forget that cosmetic surgery, isn't an excuse for a holiday, and it isn't something to be undertaken lightly - or swayed into by the promise of a tan! CSMUK
Mr Alex Karidis has his own private practice at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, St John's Wood, London. More information on Mr Alex Karidis can be found at www.nipntuck.co.uk or by calling 020 7432 8727.
