Girls on Top

By: Dr Chiraz Bouzguenda
Created on 18th May 2011

Dr Chiraz Bouzguenda explains why, as a female surgeon, she has a better understanding of the female body

Plastic surgery is traditionally a male-dominated field in terms of the practitioners, but the vast majority of patients are female.

Of course, there is no doubt that most male surgeons are highly skilled, but it could certainly be argued that a female surgeon will have a more intuitive feel for the female body.

Breast interests

One of my specialist areas is breast surgery – as a woman, I understand very well the impact that having overly large breasts or being very flat-chested can have on your life, and am sympathetic to that.

I know that these operations are very rarely undertaken for purely cosmetic reasons, and that very few women actively seek out the ‘false’ look. As a result, I am famed for producing very real, natural looking results, whether it be from breast augmentation, reduction or uplift surgery.

I am careful to talk through with my patients the results they really want to see, because I know every woman is different, and we don’t necessarily want the breasts that men may see as the ideal.

Tucking in

Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery, is a procedure that is frequently requested by women post-pregnancy. This is not a weight loss procedure but an operation to remove excess skin or fat on the abdomen, which is resistant to diet and exercise, and so is ideal after childbirth.

As a female surgeon, I am all too aware that women want to achieve their pre-pregnancy body – they are not necessarily seeking perfection, they just want to look the way they used to.

I also understand the concerns that many women have about this surgery – will I be able to care for my children during the recovery period, will people think badly of me for removing the ‘scars of motherhood’ – and am able to reassure them.

You most certainly can care for your children after a tummy tuck, although it is advisable to have extra help for the first couple of weeks, and to avoid strenuous exercise. With regard to people thinking badly of you, it is your body.

Some women choose to leave the loose skin on their stomachs as a memento of childbirth, others choose to have it removed. Both types of women make equally good mothers!

The feminine touch

Often, the reason a woman seeks out a female surgeon is not so much because she thinks a woman will understand her body better, but because she feels better able to express her thoughts and feelings to a woman.

This is no reflection on male surgeons, but just an observation from what I have experienced – much like when going to see a doctor about contraceptives, or for a smear test, many women just feel more comfortable speaking to another woman about cosmetic surgery.