Created on 12th January 2009
Ninety per cent of plastic surgery patients in the UK are women yet according to the organisation Women in Surgical Training only nine per cent of plastic surgeons are female. Jane Feinmann investigates why an increasing number of patients are searching them out
The search for the perfect cosmetic surgeon may suddenly have changed direction. Female surgeons are a rare species in the UK with only one in ten cosmetic surgeons being women but an
increasing number of patients of both sexes choose to consult a female cosmetic surgeon – even if it means travelling across the country for the privilege.
“So many of my patients tellme what a relief it is to see a woman,” says cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, Miss Rozina Ali. “They say that they have consulted male surgeons who simply didn’t listen to them and didn’t hear what they said.”
As well as lacking empathy,male surgeons frequently lack style, she claims, which can be very unappealing particularly to young career women. “They tend to look quite elderly and so often wear fuddy-duddy waistcoats and spivy pinstripe suits. It can be quite off-putting.”
Miss Ali says that female osmetic surgeons can sometimes be made to feel like jumped up beauticians.“Nothing could be less true as female career surgeons have to be better trained and more skilled than men to make the grade,” she believes. “They’re also better at communication. I certainly enjoy talking to a woman patient as an equal – an area where male surgeons frequently fail dismally. And we look better; we take better care of ourselves and dress more smartly.
“Male surgeons today are very aware that their patients are increasingly drawn to consult with a woman. Without being in any way aggressive, women are becoming the leaders in the field.”
If Miss Ali is correct, she is describing a major social change. Just a few years ago, most people who wanted cosmetic surgery took it for granted that they would be consulting a man. The scarcity of women in the field reflects the gruelling training that makes surgery a difficult career for would-be mothers. Even now, there are only 20 or so female plastic surgeons in the UK.
“Patients used to be told by their GPs that women surgeons didn’t exist,” says Elaine Sassoon, a consultant plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgeon based in Norwich.“But we do exist. These days,women can find us on their own by searching on the Internet and hey are quite happy to travel when necessary.”
Whether or not women do make better surgeons is a moot point. There is absolutely no doubt that women are just as capable as men are of being great aesthetic surgeons is the tactful judgment from independent beauty consultant, Wendy Lewis, author of Plastic Makes Perfect.
“Those women that make it certainly know the business,” she says.”There is a bit of an old boys’ network going on in the UK and becoming a fully qualified consultant plastic surgeon is very demanding.I am always in awe of femalesurgeons who are able to balance their ntense professional schedules with a family life.”
Yet beyond the question of technical expertise, there is a growing consensus that women surgeons are often able to provide a better service overall. “The added value of women is that they tend to be more nurturing and patient and that translates to being better listeners with patients. That is often greatly appreciated,” says Lewis.
At least part of their growing popularity is down to the sheer embarrassment factor of recent trends in aesthetic surgery. Some women find it ncomfortable consulting a man about breast augmentation, currently the most popular procedure in the UK, with more than 5,600 operations carried out last year, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).
“There are obviously areas that a man finds more difficult to talk about,” claims Miss Sassoon. “Talking woman-to woman means there’s more empathy. We can talk about personal things that impact on the results – about sex, for instance, without worrying about overstepping boundaries. We can plan the size of the breast together and feel comfortable about doing so. I’m able to talk about optimum breast size from experience as much as the patient.”
The prospect of an examination for a vaginal operation, particularly on the labia, can seem even more embarrassing. The procedure has been promoted on TV cosmetic surgery shows with the operations almost exclusively conducted by women surgeons. It seems likely that the growth in demand for labia surgery is largely because women know they can consult a female surgeon.
“I see this as one of the most transforming operations,” says Angelica Kavouni, a plastic surgeon in London’s Harley Street. She carries out 250 labia operations every year – with a dramatic increase in demand
since she was filmed for the channel Four programme, embarrassing Bodies in May 2008.
“The day after the TV programme, we had 108 enquiries. I was astonished at first. But I now believe that many of these women simply wouldn’t have consulted a man about this problem. They would have
carried on managing with labia that are too large so that they have tissue hanging between their legs; feeling uncomfortable in a swimsuit or doing activitiesuch as bike-riding or horseriding.It is the discovery that a woman surgeon is there to be consulted that means they seek help.”
Miss Ali says that it’s not just women who prefer female surgeons. “I see lots of children and quite a few young men many of whom are seeking
treatment for gynaemastia (male boobs). Everybody refers to consult someone who listens to them and is able to communicate in an easy, comfortable way and so often that means consulting a women.”
Not all women surgeons feel the same way. “There are certain ladies who come to me specifically because I’m a woman,” says Harley Street
plastic surgeon, Lydia Badia. And sometimes after they’ve had their surgery, other people will tell me that they have felt less intimidated with me than with a male surgeon. But, by and large, my patients come to me because they’ve been recommended by word of mouth – and that would happen whatever gender I was.” She feels that the skill of surgery is down to training rather than gender. “I know men who are just as good as women at putting anxious patients at their ease. And that’s what counts whatever the gender of the surgeon,” she says.
Wendy Lewis agrees. “At the end of the day, I would never suggest to a client that she seek out ONLY a female surgeon for any procedure and exclude men. It is best to see one or two of each and then choose the surgeon you feel more confident and comfortable with. Surgical results and expertise always outweigh gender.”
