Cosmetic Foot Surgery

IT'S SUMMERTIME AND CLOSED-TOE SHOES ARE BEING TRADED IN FOR SANDALS AND FLIP FLOPS.

BUT MANY PEOPLE DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE BARING THEIR SOLES... BECAUSE THEY'RE EMBARRASSED BY HOW THEIR FEET LOOK.

AS MEDICAL REPORTER KATHY FOWLER TELLS US, COSMETIC FOOT SURGERY IS GETTING INCREASINGLY POPULAR.

Story:

HEATHER MULLEN'S BUNION HURT TERRIBLY AND STUCK WAY OUT ON THE SIDE OF HER RIGHT FOOT.

Heather Mullen, patient: "A lot of pain, constantly swollen, it hurt to even touch the bump, very wide and just not very attractive looking."

SO SHE HAD A BUNIONECTOMY SEVERAL WEEKS AGO... AND SHE'S THRILLED WITH THE CHANGES.

Mullen: "You can tell a difference already - it's still swollen, but it does look like a different foot."




DOCTOR RICHARD MENDELSOHN PERFORMED THE SURGERY, AND SAYS MULLEN IS LIKE MANY OTHER WOMEN HE SEES.

Dr. Richard Mendelsohn, podiatrist: "Part of the reason they're being evaluated is because their feet hurt, and part of it is because they don't like the way they look."

IRENE MCDONALD IS ONE OF THOSE WOMEN.

Irene McDonald, patient: "They just don't look pretty, it's hard to buy shoes because there's a bone sticking out on one side and I want to wear sandals and heels and open toes now that summer is coming."

DOCTORS CAN NOW INJECT A PADDING TO THE BALL OF YOUR FOOT, THEY CAN REMOVE BUNIONS TO MAKE YOUR FEET STRAIGHT, AND THEY CAN FIX HAMMERTOES BY SHORTENING TOES.

BUT THE PROCEDURES COME WITH RISKS.

Dr. Stephen Neufeld, orthopedic surgeon: "The risks of any foot and ankle surgery are infection, a recurrence of problem of deformity, and actually you could be worse after surgery than before."

MANY DOCTORS SAY THE RISKS ARE NOT WORTH THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF COSMETIC SURGERY.

Dr. Neufeld: "I always tell patients it's easier and safer to change the shoe to fit your foot, than it is to change your foot to fit your shoe."

BUT SOME PEOPLE, LIKE HEATHER, ARE WILLING TO TAKE THOSE RISKS... TO HAVE BETTER LOOKING FEET.

source: www.wjla.com

Cosmetic Surgery Goes Ethnic

The advertising slogan is a sly double entendre: Washington's Cultura Medical Spa bills itself as ``a place where it's appropriate to treat people based on the color of their skin.''

Founded six years ago by two African American physicians -- cosmetic dermatologist Eliot F. Battle Jr., an expert in laser treatments, and Monte O. Harris, a board-certified otolaryngologist who specializes in rhinoplasty and other facial plastic surgery -- Cultura is one of the first centers in the country to focus on the burgeoning field known as ``ethnic plastic surgery.''

Two-thirds of the center's patients are nonwhite, many of them black women who in increasing numbers are seeking such procedures as nose jobs and laser hair removal that until recently were largely the province of well-heeled white women. Many of these patients, doctors say, are also seeking treatments that seek to enhance -- not obscure -- their racial or ethnic characteristics.

Although white women continue to dominate the ranks of cosmetic medicine, the number of black, Hispanic and Asian patients has escalated dramatically in the past five years, according to officials at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Experts say the growth reflects increased acceptance of such procedures within these groups, greater economic clout and larger numbers of minority specialists whom many ethnic patients regard as more attuned to their needs.

In 2002, according to statistics compiled by the ASPS, minorities accounted for 16 percent of plastic surgery patients. Four years later minorities accounted for 23 percent of patients.

The rise in the number of ethnic patients is noticeable in Washington, cosmetic surgeons say, because of its diverse population and high levels of disposable income in some minority groups.

Doctors in such cities as Baltimore, Chicago and Philadelphia -- places which, like Washington, are not considered hotbeds of plastic surgery -- are reporting similar increases. In the past few years, Chicago's Northwestern University opened a Center for Ethnic Skin, while Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit launched a Multicultural Dermatology Clinic.

Surgeons say that minority women request many of the same procedures as whites, but there are some differences. Surgery to create a crease in the eyelid to give the eye a more open look is popular among Asian American women, while breast reduction, virtually the only cosmetic procedure that may be covered by insurance because it is usually considered functional, is popular among African Americans.

Some patients say minority physicians are more sensitive to their aesthetic concerns and have greater skill treating darker skin, which is more prone to scarring and pigment changes than white skin.

``I was looking for a doctor with a laser background'' who was experienced with African American skin, said Miriam Rudder, 50, a Cultura patient since 2001, when she underwent laser hair removal on her underarms. ``I didn't want to get burned.''

Ten years ago, nonwhite women -- and whites with a suntan -- were warned that they risked permanent scarring if they underwent laser hair removal as Rudder did, cosmetic dermatologists say.

In those days, Battle said, there were few cosmetic options available to women of color. Mostly ``what we could offer was a bleaching cream and Cetaphil,'' Battle said, referring to a skin cleanser often recommended by dermatologists to patients of all races. (Bleaching cream is used to even skin tone and minimize the appearance of dark patches.)

Battle, 50, left a career in international marketing at IBM when he was 34 to enter medicine. A graduate of Howard University and its medical school, he completed a laser dermatology fellowship at Harvard Medical School and displays an evangelical fervor about ethnic skin care. While at Harvard he helped develop laser treatments now widely used to treat dark skin.

First-generation lasers, he recalls, were designed for light skin and dark hair -- and the risks of scarring dark or tanned skin were well-known. But the newer lasers that he helped pioneer mean ``I can treat the darkest African and Indian skin safely.''

Equal parts glossy retail cosmetics counter, candle-scented day spa and white-coated medical practice with a stable of 30 lasers, Cultura treats about 85 patients six days a week.

They include former Miss America Ericka Dunlap, who flies in from Nashville for treatments of acne flare-ups and other skin care; tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams; and basketball stars Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning. Some patients have come from as far as Turkey, Iran and Brazil.

``This place is a mini-U.N.,'' Battle said, referring to its clientele and staff.

The growing acceptance of cosmetic procedures reflects a change in attitude, particularly in the black community, surgeons say.

Until about five years ago, said Chicago plastic surgeon Julius W. Few, cosmetic surgery was typically regarded as worse than frivolous in the African American community -- and often associated with the race-effacing look of Michael Jackson.

``There really was a sense of taboo, that if you were looking at plastic surgery you were seen as being ashamed of your ethnicity,'' noted Few, an associate professor of surgery at Northwestern. ``I've seen a tremendous swing.''

Many patients, he said, flatly tell him they don't want to ``look white. Most people want to preserve their original look,'' while making subtle changes.

``There are indeed cultural differences,'' observed Baltimore plastic surgeon Ricardo Rodriguez, chief of plastic surgery at Greater Baltimore Medical Center.

White women favor a thinner silhouette, Rodriguez said, ``while Hispanic and African American women want to be more curvy.''

Even the terminology differs: Whites often disparagingly refer to their ``saddlebags'' -- fat deposits on the lower hip and upper thigh -- while black and Latina women ``never use that word,'' Rodriguez said. They call them ``thighs'' and rarely request liposuction there.

Bahman Teimourian, a clinical professor of plastic surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine, said it behooves surgeons of all races to be knowledgeable about cultural standards.

A chin that might be considered weak by traditional American standards and a candidate for plastic surgery, Teimourian said, is seen as beautiful among people from the Middle East, where a small chin is regarded as a desirable sign of femininity.

Recently Teimourian said he repaired the nose of an African American patient who was unhappy with the ``very Caucasian nose'' a previous surgeon had given her. Teimourian said he removed some cartilage from behind the woman's ear to reshape her nose to better fit her features.

Moving beyond ``Eurocentric'' notions of beauty has been integral to Cultura's success and is central to its philosophy, said Harris, 40, a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine who trained at the University of Michigan.

``Half the world's going to be brown-skinned by 2050,'' he noted. ``We're not going to close our eyes to all those patients.''

Similarly, he said, Cultura has been catering to men, who account for about 10 percent of its clients. Many have been sent by wives or girlfriends for ``beard management'' and treatment of ingrown hairs.

Eric Ellerbee, 44, a UPS driver who for years has made regular deliveries to Cultura, is among its male patients.

Last fall, he received complimentary injections of Restalyne, a cosmetic filler, to soften the lines that run from the side of his nose to the corner of his mouth and are among the first signs of facial aging.

``I didn't even tell my wife I'd had it done,'' said Ellerbee. ``I wanted to see if she noticed.'' (She did and was impressed, he said.)

But a 47-year-old African American nurse said she would never tell her mother and sisters about the collagen injections, facelift, tummy tuck and breast implants she received from Rodriguez, which cost her $21,000.

``My mother says, `You look different,' but I would not tell her -- she would not be accepting,'' said the woman, who did not allow her name to be used. ``My husband and children know, and they're fine with it.''

Ellerbee said he's so pleased with the results that he keeps ``before'' and ``after'' pictures of himself on his cellphone.

``Everyone wants to age gracefully,'' he said, adding that Restalyne didn't hurt nearly as much as the tattoo he got years earlier.

source: www.cantonrep.com

Seeking Cosmetic Surgery

The number of minorities obtaining cosmetic medicine procedures has increased in recent years, the Washington Post reports. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, while white women still are the highest consumers of cosmetic medicine procedures, the number of blacks, Hispanics and Asians seeking such services has increased significantly in the last five years. In 2002, minorities accounted for 16% of plastic surgery patients, compared with 23% last year, according to ASPS data. Many of the patients are seeking procedures such as rhinoplasty or liposuction, while others are 'seeking treatments that seek to enhance -- not obscure -- their racial or ethnic characteristics,' the Post reports.

The Post featured Washington, D.C.-based Cultura Medical Spa, one of the first centers to focus on the growing field of 'ethnic plastic surgery.' Two-thirds of Cultura's patients are minorities and many are black women.

Eliot Battle -- a laser treatment expert, who along with Monte Harris, a board-certified otolaryngologist, founded the center six years ago -- said laser hair removal a decade ago was not designed for people with darker skin tones because of scarring. Treating minority skin requires additional training. New lasers -- such as ones Battle helped develop -- enable surgeons to 'treat the darkest African and Indian skin safely,' Battle said.

Experts attribute the increase of minorities seeking cosmetic medicine services to a rise in disposable income and a growth in minority plastic surgeons who can provide culturally sensitive care, the Post reports. Harris said, 'Half the world's going to be brown-skinned by 2050. We're not going to close our eyes to all those patients'.

source:www.medindia.net

plastic-surgery of lingerie on reality TV

A LEADING American doctor, whose plastic-surgery reality TV show is watched by 44 million people in the US, has joined with an Australian designer to create underwear that can be a cheaper alternative to cosmetic procedures.

Los Angeles medico Robert Rey has teamed up with Australian lingerie manufacturer Bruno Sciavi, of Jupi Corporation, to create a new range of body shapewear.

The pieces are designed to give wearers a new body look - without any downtime or possible side-effects.

"It was a very easy association, as there are so many women who just can't afford, and never will be able to afford, plastic surgery,'' Dr Rey said from his Beverley Hills surgery.

"To be totally blunt, one of the risks that can happen with some types of plastic surgery is that you can die.''

Dr Rey says death can be a reality of cosmetic surgery, with four per cent of tummy tucks going wrong. Body-enhancing clothing like the range he has created with Schiavi is a practical - and obviously much cheaper - alternative.

"We have designed Dr Rey's collection using his plastic surgery reconstructive secrets,'' says Schiavi, who is the name behind Delta Goodrem's underwear collection, Priscilla Presley's bedwear and a recent collection of celebrity-designed Schiavi shoes.

"Whether a woman has lost a breast to cancer, wants a butt lift, a tummy shaper (with 24 intricate lines of fabric), wants to look great for a school formal or wants her thighs to look more sculptured, we've designed appropriate shapewear.''

Dr Rey and Schiavi decided to work together on a shapewear collection called Dr Rey's Instant Shaper to show women that surgery should be the last resort and that all women can look, and feel, beautiful.

Dr Rey's reality TV show Dr 90210 (the area code of the American city renowned for its glamour and plastic-surgery fetish) screens in 173 countries, but the series gets the most reaction in Australia.

"We're on the E! Channel, and of the 50,000 letters and online clicks we get a month, many are from Australia,'' he says.

"We even have viewers like soldiers in Iraq who get in contact with us.''

Shapewear has become oneof the most desirable additions to many women's wardrobes, whether it be Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones or Katie Holmes walking down a red carpet or ordinary women who simply want to look good at a wedding.

Many underwear manufacturers in Australia and internationally are jumping aboard the body-shaper bandwagon, but Schiavi and Dr Rey say their move is different because the fabrics are "breathable'' and the bras "surgically'' designed.

"We've designed this collection out of need, not greed or vanity,'' Dr Rey said.

Australians can expect to see the shapewear collection in one of the big department stores late this year. It will be available in the US in September.

source:www.news.com.au

Cameron Diaz Not A Fan Of Cosmetic Surgery

Los Angeles, CA (BANG) - Cameron Diaz claims she would never have plastic surgery because it is "sick."

The actress can't understand why anyone would want to go under the knife and destroy their own characteristics.

She is quoted by Britain's Daily Express newspaper as saying: "Have you seen those shows where ordinary people want to look like Britney Spears or Brad Pitt? What on earth possesses them to want to destroy their own character? To go under the knife to do that, well, it's sick."

The 34-year-old star had an operation on her nose last year to correct a deviated septum, but claims she would never have surgery for purely cosmetic reasons.

She added: "I would never have anything done. I think beauty comes from the inside. When I see women who have had plastic surgery I find it unnerving. All I can see is the surgery. The person who has had it has vanished. I don't want to look like that."

Diaz, who turns 35 in August, is currently dating magician Criss Angel, 39, after splitting from singer Justin Timberlake in January.


source: www.allheadlinenews.com

Cameron Diaz Not A Fan Of Cosmetic Surgery

Los Angeles, CA (BANG) - Cameron Diaz claims she would never have plastic surgery because it is "sick."

The actress can't understand why anyone would want to go under the knife and destroy their own characteristics.

She is quoted by Britain's Daily Express newspaper as saying: "Have you seen those shows where ordinary people want to look like Britney Spears or Brad Pitt? What on earth possesses them to want to destroy their own character? To go under the knife to do that, well, it's sick."

The 34-year-old star had an operation on her nose last year to correct a deviated septum, but claims she would never have surgery for purely cosmetic reasons.

She added: "I would never have anything done. I think beauty comes from the inside. When I see women who have had plastic surgery I find it unnerving. All I can see is the surgery. The person who has had it has vanished. I don't want to look like that."

Diaz, who turns 35 in August, is currently dating magician Criss Angel, 39, after splitting from singer Justin Timberlake in January.


source: www.allheadlinenews.com

A patient doctor Cosmetic surgery

DR BUTHAINAH Al-Shunnar’s clinic in Jumeirah is tastefully decorated and exudes serenity. It reflects her personality.I have done it up myself,” she informs. “I love doing things.”

That is an understatement. Dr Al-Shunnar handles everything from botox injections to breast reconstructive surgery for cancer patients. She does tummy tucks, reconstructive hand surgery, and can put a youthful smile on your face or take a frown off it.

After an impressive academic and professional track record in Ireland and the US, she returned to her native land, the UAE, and practised in Abu Dhabi for two years, and has since established her own clinic in Dubai.

She carries her scholarship lightly on her shoulders. “Don’t take yourself too seriously,” is the dictum she follows.

This is a very unusual field for a national woman. What prompted you to become a plastic surgeon?

I come from a family of doctors. My parents are doctors. My mother is a gynaecologist. My sister — who is also a doctor — and I grew up helping my mom with deliveries — cutting the cord and such things. We grew up with the idea that we wanted to be doctors.

I wasn't sure what speciality I wanted until I went to medical school. I always liked to work with my hands. I like to paint and sketch. And I like to see visual results — the difference.

During rotation in plastic surgery, the first day there, it just felt like home, and I knew no matter how long it took, that's what I wanted to do. And it took 16 years abroad — education, training and practice.

Didn't it take a toll on your patience?

Actually it trains you to be more patient. I found that the pressures you have to be under — the training and the stress teaches you to be more patient.

What is your area of specialisation in plastic surgery?

Plastic surgery is a very wide field. It encompasses a lot of things. I do general plastic surgery. I also do general cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. I do microsurgery and hand surgery, hand trauma specifically.

I treat facial fractures and I do muscle flaps. I'm very passionate about breast reconstruction — after breast cancer. That's one of my subspecialities. It encompasses the cosmetic aspect, the emotional aspect and it involves microsurgery and makes a significant difference to the patient's life.

My job entails various things. People generally equate plastic surgery with cosmetic surgery, but that is actually a very small percentage of plastic surgery. Yes, I do body contouring, breast enhancement, facelifts, nose jobs etc. So it’s a huge field. That is why it takes so long to train.

So one day is not like another. One hour is not like another. It is very exciting and challenging.

Which hospitals are you connected with?

I have an outpatient clinic here in Jumeirah at Al Shunnar Plastic Surgery, where I do only minor procedures. All my major procedures are done either at Emirates Hospital or American Hospital. I’m also associated with the Wellcare hospital. I operate two full days a week. I operate at the different hospitals doing both cosmetic and reconstructive cases.

Plastic surgery is considered shallow and superficial. Do you think it is vain to want to look good and that people are ready to go under the knife for it?

I guess plastic surgery is looked down upon. I think it becomes shallow when it becomes obsessive — when they think they have to look a certain way or others won’t like them.

It is all about confidence. If you are confident about the way you look, fine. But if a specific thing about your look bothers you to the point of hindering you, then I don’t see any problem fixing it. You could make a huge difference to a person’s life with a simple procedure.

A patient came to me with a permanent frown on his forehead. He was a happy person, but everyone thought he was always angry. It affected his life. He found it difficult to keep his job because people thought he had an attitude. A simple procedure changed his life. Is this shallow? Is it cosmetic? Is it vanity? I don’t know.

It means there is a very thin line that separates vanity and self-confidence.

Yes. I want to say something for cosmetic surgery. To me it is very diverse. You could have a woman, for example, with five children. You do a tummy tuck for her and transform her. And it saves her marriage sometimes.

Cosmetic surgery is not like getting your gall bladder removed. There is no “Have to” to it. But then, if it improves your life, then why not?

I have learnt to look beyond wrinkles. It becomes second nature.

Are you happy with the way you look?

There’s a saying in Arabic: the door of a carpenter’s house is never fixed. I guess I don’t bother about it.

Have you ever come across typical attitudes and prejudices because you are a UAE national?

Believe it or not, no. I’m quite surprised myself. When I came back from the States to practise here, I assumed that I would encounter the usual prejudices. But fortunately, I have had a very positive response from patients, colleagues. And Emaratis have been very supportive and feel proud of me. Elderly nationals whom one would expect to be conservative, have often told me that they are very proud of my achievements because I’m like their daughter.

What about expatriate patients?

Even expatriate patients have been really supportive. I expected them to go to other doctors, but they have been very accepting. I guess my qualifications speak for me. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where you are from. What matters is your qualifications and your work ethics. That's what comes across.

Did it take time for you to prove yourself?

It takes time to prove yourself no matter where you are. Whether I am an Emarati in the Emirates or an American in the States, how you work and the results you produce matter. Ultimately results speak.

Did you face prejudice in the West because you were from the Middle East?

Again, I was surprised. It is extremely difficult to be accepted into Johns Hopkins. It is one of the best hospitals in medicine in the States. To accept a foreigner like me is almost zero per cent. So I have to be very thankful to them.

I have to say one thing for the American system. They are very fair. If you work hard and prove yourself, they will give you a chance.

What about patients? Did they readily accept you?

I never had a problem. I worked in private practice for three years, and I was in the trauma centre. I never had a patient tell me, "I don't want you to operate on me."

It all depends upon how you present yourself. Patients can sense hesitation. They can also sense confidence. I think this is true for any field. Your confidence will be transmitted to your patients.

Especially with the media now, plastic surgery is under the scanner because it has become popular. The reality of it is, anything in medicine has complications. If you are very honest with your patients and spend more time with them and explain the positive as well as the negative aspects, they will accept you. I believe in staying connected Prejudice need not always be overt. It can be subtle. Have you ever sensed it?

It is like building a house. You might connect with one contractor instead of another. You might connect better with someone from your own country, for example.

I don’t feel insecure. If a patient wants to go to someone else, I have no problems with that because it is also something to do with chemistry. If someone doesn’t want me to operate on them, it’s their choice.

Oftentimes, I have patients coming to me from other doctors as well.

What kind of support have you received from your family?

My family has been very supportive. We are a very big family full of doctors. We are very education-oriented. I left the country when I was 17. It was very, very difficult. No one ever made me feel guilty for being on my own or taking so long to train myself. I always knew that if I ever needed anything, I could always pick up the phone and call home.

You just learn to be independent and cope. When I first arrived in Baltimore, they showed us around the emergency room. I found out that all the windows were bulletproof because of the violence around.

Almost all my patients came because of gunshot wounds at the trauma centre. I knew that this was something I would have to adjust to.

In fact, I went to Johns Hopkins with the idea of doing a one-year position. But when I went there I realised I could learn a lot. So I worked really hard and applied for the four-year programme. And my family encouraged me.

What about support from the community to pursue this unusual career?

The community feels very proud of me. Dubai is just emerging, and Emaratis are just beginning to make a mark and there are so few doctors in my field, so the community is even more proud of me. No one, however conservative, has ever told me I should sit at home.

One thing about Dubai is that compared to the West, it may be conservative, but it is not judgemental. You are allowed to do what you want to.

Why did you decide to come back?

I wanted to be with my family. And it’s home.

Do you miss the US and the freedom?

Yes and no. I spent my youth in the US. I miss my colleagues and the work environment. I feel free here too. And it’s nice to be back home.

What about culture shock and reverse culture shock?

Yes, I did experience culture shock when I went to the States. You carry a set of values with you. But I learnt to be comfortable in the West. Once you go through culture shock, you learn to be comfortable anywhere. You begin to identify how to adapt.

And when I came back, I had to adapt back to this life. There was a big difference between the UAE I had left and the one I came back to. The changes are both positive and negative. The skyline has changed and things are more exciting. But things were more cohesive earlier. Families met more often. Now everyone is busy with their own lives.

Do you feel bad that the UAE nationals are in a minority in your country, especially in the work place?

You see, things will take time. This is an emerging society. What we have now is the fruit of the past. It will take time for it to reach its potential. Look at Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s daughter. She has won a medal in martial arts. He is not only pushing his own children to succeed, but also the entire nation. We have the support of the rulers. What more can we ask for?

How is it to work with expatriates?

I’m used to it. I lived in the States for 10 years. So I’m used to working with foreigners. In fact, you should ask me what it is like to work with Arabs.

I think bonding is person-dependent, not necessarily nationality-dependent. You could have an American who is friendly, and another one who has a chip on their shoulder.

How do you feel when you see expatriates dominating the scene?

I have mixed feelings. I have to translate that experience with my experience in the States. I was an expatriate there, and I was given a fair chance like everybody else.

My philosophy is, you should be valued on the basis of your work ethics and your educational background and how hard and sincerely you work.

Having said that, I have mixed feelings when any culture takes advantage of their rights, to the point of not necessarily working as hard as they can because they can get away with it. This applies to nationals too.

If people are hired based on their merit, I don’t have a problem with that. But if they are hired because they belong to a particular community, then it is bad. But this happens in a multicultural society. Everybody will only to hire their own, regardless of merit. This encourages a clannish attitude — a mafia-like environment. That’s when I see a problem.

What is your advice to Emarati women?

Work hard and follow your dreams. It’s yours if you want it.

Medically speaking …

Dr Al-Shunnar answers questions on topics many of us are curious about

Could you explain microsurgery?

Microsurgery involves the microscope and usually involves reconnecting very, very small vessels and very, very small nerves, which the naked eye cannot put together. Here you really need about 200 to 400 times the magnification to delicately bring the blood vessels and nerves together.

Is it usually post-trauma?

Well, it is a tool that can be used in many different avenues. It can be used in trauma, for example, someone cuts their finger — the nerve in the finger. You can bring them back together. And if someone cuts their finger off, you can put that back by reconnecting everything together by using a microscope.

It can also be used in breast cancer reconstruction wherein we can make a new breast — recreate the breast using microsurgery to vascularise the new breast.

How is a new breast recreated or reconstructed?

In many different ways, depending on the patient's body, emotional status.... For breast cancer reconstruction you can either use an implant or a person's own tissue or a combination of the two.

Do you get a lot of such patients here?

In fact, quite a few. I think it is because that was one of my trainings of speciality and also because I am a woman. So a lot of female patients come to me for that. They feel closer home.

What about cosmetic surgery?

You know the usual cosmetic surgery — nose jobs, facelifts, breast job, body contouring — all that encompasses general plastic surgery.

Typically how much would these cost?

They vary very significantly. It also depends upon how many procedures we do. Facelifts can be more expensive than tummy tucks as they involve that much more expertise.

How many days does it take for post-surgery recovery for a facelift?

The difference between the face and a tummy tuck is that the face is exposed to the public. It has bruises, it has to be covered. Usually it takes 10 days. The patient is discharged the next day, but in terms of going out in the public, it takes about 10 days.

How long does the procedure take?

Again, it varies on the type of facelift, whether it's the face alone or the forehead, chin, neck…. It depends upon which part. But it can take up to four hours.

Is it very popular here?

I think it's popular everywhere. And it is kind of seasonal. During summer and Christmas times everything becomes an emergency — everyone wants to look good.

We hear about lunchtime or weekend facelifts. Can someone just walk in and get it done?

I'd be very careful about the media regarding this. It's very important not to give a false impression about this — that it is an easy way out. Because usually, the easy way out is not necessarily the answer.

Things like botoxes and fillers and certain types of peel can be done in a lunchtime or weekend break. They are minimally invasive, yet they make a significant difference to a person.

But lunchtime facelifts often don't last. So, you have got to be very careful. Even if it is for a particular occasion, you have got to pick your patients very, very carefully. You have to match the expectations with the amount of energy and money you are going to invest in it, as they don't last. And everybody's definition of expensive is different. For botox it is anywhere between Dh1,500 and Dh3,000, including the materials. There is no standard package.

Formidable credentials

Dr BUTHAINAH AL-SHUNNAR specialises in breast surgery, body contouring, aesthetic facial surgery, hand surgery, cancer reconstruction and microsurgery.

She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. She is also a member of the Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association.

After graduating from medical college with honours from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland in 1991, Dr Al-Shunnar received her five years of general surgery training at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore and George Washington University Hospital in Washington DC, where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honour society. She then completed her plastic surgery training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She went on to work for three years in York, Pennsylvania, as Consultant Plastic Surgeon in private practice, also covering a major trauma centre for its reconstructive needs.

source: www.khaleejtimes.com