Cosmeticsurgeon.co.uk - UK Cosmetic Surgeons

Infection of patients undergoing treatment in the UK is “not likely” reassures Mr Adrian Richards, an award-winning plastic surgeon with clinics in Harley Street and Buckinghamshire.  In an attempt to counteract the scare stories out today about the new ‘superbug’, New Delhi Metallo 1 (NDM-1), Mr Richards explains that infection is “highly unlikely” amongst most adults undergoing plastic surgery in the UK.

In his video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUI1L5WJPj0) Mr Richard explains that the bug originated in the Indian subcontinent and has caused concern amongst medical professionals as it resistant to known antibiotics.  There have been 50 cases reported in the UK, all from people who have undergone surgery within India or Pakistan and have since returned to the UK for further treatment.

Mr Richards reassures patients thinking of undergoing plastic surgery in the UK by explaining those susceptible of contracting the infection are those who are immuno-compromised, very young or very old.  If you have an open wound and have come into contact with someone who has recently visited India you should refrain from undergoing further surgical treatment.

The message for UK patients is that if they should discuss any concerns they have with their surgeon.  However, we should be reassured that healthy adults will have nothing to fear by being treated by reputable UK-based plastic surgeons who operate in highly sterile conditions.

The increased cost of medical procedures, coupled with a long waiting list, means many Britains are going over seas to have medical procedures done. No longer is going over sees reserved for cheap cosmetic surgery. Needed procedures, such as dentistry infertility treatments and hip replacement are what people go there now for.

There is controversy to it though. Antibiotics are running low due to the increased medical tourism. 1 in 20 people go over sees or outside of Britain or considering doing so to have medical procedures done. Countries such as Poland, Czech Republic and Bulgaria are increasing their medical tourism numbers, due to NHS cut backs and European currencies. With even more cuts planned for the NHS, more tourism medical procedures are seen in the future.

The British Medical Association or the BMA says do thorough research of any hospital or clinic that is over sees. The GP should be talked with as well and a patient should look into every aspect of the treatment they are looking at having done. Patients should consider the safety and health standards of the companies and what long distance travel will mean after a procedure has been completed.

Hospitals in Asia and India many times have doctors that have trained in America or Britain. These qualifications can easily be verified and they will speak clear English. Make sure English is spoken, this is very important when talking with nurses and other staff.

Also, treatments such as obesity, fertility, addition and hair transplants are being done abroad as well. Some procedures are less at first glance, however in the long run they do not save any money. A crown is less expensive in Spain, but the x-rays are more and are needed before and after the procedure is done. However, this cost can be recouped because an oral exam and consultation is free in Spain.

Furthermore, make sure that post care is covered as well. Have arrangements made or make sure they are part of the procedures package. This care is just as important as the procedure itself. Follow up visits and appointments should be clearly laid out with the over sees doctor, so that patients understand what they are receiving and how the procedure will be handled once it is completed.

The earthquake in Haiti has left many people injured and deformed. Many of the victims require complex reconstructive surgical procedures. World wide assistance has been offered but the problem seems to be overwhelming. Dr. Craig Hobar, of the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute, told the Dallas Morning News, “Either you say it’s too enormous; there’s no way; get me out of here – or you react like I hope we have; You say there’s too much pain and devastation, and I can’t fix it, but I’ve got to do everything I can do to help.” And he is truly doing everything that he can.

Dr. Hobar has steeped away from his practice in order to organize assistance for Haiti. He was approached to organize medical teams and logistics for specialists who wanted to help Haiti. By the fourth day after the quake Hobar was on the ground in Haiti along with two colleagues. This group performed around the clock amputations and trauma surgeries for three days. Hobar then returned to Texas to organize the help.

In 1991 Hobar had started a not-for-profit organization called Life Enhancement Association for People (LEAP). This organization performed medical missions around the world to help fix children’s facial and limb deformities, with annual medical missions. He said of the countries that they help, “For many of these countries we have become the team of last hope.”

Now LEAP has come to Haiti’s aid. The organization has donated over $100,000 and has brought together volunteers to mount a long-term presence in Haiti. Hundreds of surgeons and other medical personnel from as far away as Germany and Turkey have volunteered. The personnel are on week long rotations to provide the medical care needed, especially post operation treatment. Donors were also generously available when needed. Some business men even offered their private jets for transporting teams to Haiti.

In the midst of the relief effort Dr. Hobar was happy and depressed at the same time. He was happy to be helping where he was needed and sad to see the devastation surrounding the people of Haiti. A hand surgeon by the name of Dr. John Elfar summed it up well when he said, “You can’t do this work too long. It’ll break your heart. Still, it’s not very often you feel like you’ve gone to the right place and done the
right thing.”

Each surgeon has a different story concerning what lead them to choose cosmetic surgery. Many join because of the joy that they believe people can gain through their services. Dr. Michael Obeng is the chief plastic surgeon at St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center in Youngstown, Ohio and he told his story to WYTV 33.

Dr. Obeng grew up in Ghana and it is there, during his childhood, that he decided he would one day become a plastic surgeon. In 1985 he saw the results of a reconstructive surgery performed on his neighbor who had suffered a facial disfigurement. The surgeons were from Operation Smile, a not-for-profit, volunteer
medical services organization that provides reconstructive facial surgery to children and young adults all around the world. The results were motivational to him and he told WYTV, “She had a whole new different outlook on life. That really inspired me to be a doctor, specifically a plastic surgeon.”

Not many children in Ghana dream of becoming a plastic surgeon but that is exactly what Obeng dreamed of, and he would not allow himself to fail. He moved to the states in 1993, where he attended medical school. He took a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, while also being an assistant surgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr Obeng said, “I never let anything deter me, because when you have a
dream, people say you can’t do it, but actually it motivates you and makes you work harder.”

He has performed over 400 procedures and is doing complex reconstructions, cosmetic surgery, and hand surgery. He says of his patients, “These are people that would rather be treated elsewhere. But with my skill set, we’re able to keep these sets of patients in the Youngstown area, and it has been very rewarding.” Dr. Obeng is proud to be able to provide a service that is so badly needed for many who have deformities and disfigurements.

He has also started an organization to help provide reconstructive surgeries in other countries. The organization is called Restore Worldwide and it stands for Restoring Emotional Stability Through Outstanding Reconstructive Efforts. This organization obviously stems from his experiences of the life changing effect that reconstructive surgery can have on a person. Some of his efforts have been geared toward surgeries on women who have congenital breast deformities from breast cancer.

He has a goal of traveling to a different country each year, and teaching the local surgeons how to perform these reconstructive procedures. He knows that his organization cannot help everyone in each area that he visits. He says that he wants to teach the local physicians, “So when we leave they can still continue to do some of the work that we’re not able to get to.”

Plastic surgery is meant to make people more beautiful and in some cases it is merely to make someone look like everyone else around them. Accident victims often must undergo reconstructive surgery to restore features that have become deformed. Some people are not victims of an accident but instead are born with a physical deformity. Such deformities include cleft palates and lips, which occur in one of every 600-700 births in Nepal. Many lucky children in Nepal, with these defects, are being treated for free, thanks to the Interplast Surgical Outreach Program (ISOP).

Dr. Shankar Man Rai, founder of ISOP, is a motivated surgeon who performs many of these free surgeries. In 1992 he had a fated meeting with an Interplast Inc. team of surgeons from the United States. These plastic surgeons were performing a free surgery to repair a cleft lip on a child and Dr. Rai wanted to learn this procedure. Interplast had been looking for a local surgeon to lead the free surgery initiative in Nepal and he fit the bill. By 1999 Dr. Rai was able to form the ISOP at the Model Hospital on Pradarshanimarg. The organization has, since, done 13,000 surgeries on Nepalese children born with cleft lips and palates.

Dr. Rai told myrepublica.com, “I don’t need to worry whether a needy patient can afford treatment, as what we provide is free of cost. Tell me, how many doctors in the country have the privilege of not having to think about a patient’s financial background?” He says that he feels rewarded knowing that these children can be transformed into normal looking people, regardless of their financial status.

Dr. Rai has created a large organization which performs a wide range of free reconstructive surgeries. His team has many specialists, including plastic surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, and orthodontists. He even has Nepal’s first hand surgeon working with the ISOP. The team offers more than just surgery. They provide
aftercare such as speech therapy and dental therapy. They have organized camps in many villages to help congenital and burn deformity victims. They also travel to Butwal, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Birgunj and Pokara at least once a month.

Dr. Rai told myrepublica.com that he believes that doctors in a country like Nepal must reach out to the people. Many people are afraid to leave their small villages. Towns and cities are foreign to them and they may not have the finances to travel there in the first place. He said, ” A majority of patients are in peripheral parts of the country. To make sure that they get treatment, we must go there ourselves.”

Dr. Rai feels fortunate to be able to provide this service for the Nepalese people and would be happy to see similar programs in other fields of medicine.

Society is slowly changing their attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. The continuous increase in the numbers of procedures performed each year is a testament to this fact. However, not everyone is comfortable admitting to having undergone a cosmetic procedure. United States politicians are rumored to have undergone plastic surgery, but they are not telling.

Dr. Ayman Hakki, of the Luxxery Cosmetic Medical Boutique in Waldorf, Maryland, is an accomplished cosmetic surgeon who has a keen eye for individuals who have undergone plastic surgery. He has performed procedures on Miss America and Washington Redskins Hall of Famers. He has been touted as a celebrity cosmetic surgeon and his opinions are respected throughout the US. He has compiled a list concerning which politicians he believes have undergone plastic surgery.

The Plastic Surgery Channel reported some of these results and many high profile politicians have made the list. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denied having any plastic surgery when question about it, however Dr. Hakki sees strong signs that indicate that Mrs. Clinton had Botox injections in her forehead. Another high profile female politician is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who he claims has had a face and neck lift.

Dr. Hakki is sure that political plastic surgery is not monopolized by women. He claimed that Vice president Joe Bidden and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have both under gone procedures. He believes that Bidden had hair transplants and Botox, and Schwarzenegger had a partial face lift. Dr. Hakki admits that he has not performed any procedures on these individuals , but he is confident in his ability
to spot the signs.

Even with the change of attitude in society, concerning cosmetic procedures, many politicians are not willing to admit to them. They fear that people will consider them vain and some will have procedures done in small stages over a long period of time, to avoid arousing suspicion. On the website A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Cap Lesesne said, “Politicians want to come away looking younger, better, healthier, but with something that does not say they have had plastic surgery.”

Some Chinese officials who have also undergone plastic surgery are reluctant to admit to it. Whereas Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh all admit to using Botoz, the injectable wrinkle relaxer.

When people are constantly in the media, whether it be on TV or in pictures, they want to look their best. Government officials in the western world have availed themselves of cosmetic procedures to maintain those good looks on camera. Now China’s politicians have also decided to embrace the benefits of using plastic surgery.

The Telegraph reported that more then 500 officials of the Chinese government undergo plastic surgery procedures each year. Many of these procedures are performed at the Plastic Surgery Hospital at Beijing’s Union Medical College. A senior surgeon, named Chen Huanran, told Telegraph that China’s politicians want to stand out more, like their Western counterparts. He said, “They want to make sure they have the strong features that government officials are supposed to have.” According to Dr. Chen at least 200 procedures each year are performed on senior members of the government. He denied any claims that members of the current Politburo have had surgical procedures.

These officials may be willing to have procedures done , but they do not want it to be known. Dr. Chen said, “The officials are usually between 40 and 60 years old. They simply want to look younger, but they don’t want others to notice any changes.” They are very secretive about their procedures. Many of the surgeries are performed after hours when the hospital is not open. Some are even held in secret locations
and contact information is merely a telephone number, to create more security. They will use holidays or downtime throughout the day for the procedures.

Plastic surgery has become a huge industry in China and is growing at a rate of 20 percent each year. Dr. Chen told the Telegraph that lots of marketing companies actually give plastic surgery packages as gifts to government officials. It is believed that there are probably over a million cosmetic procedures performed in
China each year. The most popular procedure for officials is eyelid lifts followed closely by other facial reconstruction and rejuvenating enhancements. Botox and fillers for wrinkles have been thoroughly utilized by China’s elite.

The popularity of plastic surgery has indeed spread all over the world and people believe that to stay ahead they must employ this service. Many men and women have undergone procedures to maintain a youthful look and be more marketable in their careers. They believe that looking young is a good way to keep other’s confident of their abilities. China’s officials have obviously come to the same conclusion. They use cosmetic procedures to keep the image that they believe an important person
should have.

Though Dr. Jerome Manuceau has been banned from practicing medicine in the UK, that hasn’t stopped him from wielding his scalpel over British citizens.

The doctor accused of negligence has taken his practice to Paris and begun advertising via the internet for UK patients to come on over to France so he can operate on them there. It’s a new twist in the popular “cosmetic tourism” trend where patients travel overseas for aborted the desired procedures that are cheaper in other countries. Dr. Manuceau has capitalized on his ability to woo patients through internet advertising in spite of his notorious reputation in his home town of Belfast.

It all began when his patient Bernadette Reid died of complications from surgery at Manuceau’s Advanced Cosmetic Surgery Clinic in Dublin in 2007. The morbidly obese woman was having a gastric band fitted but Manuceau aborted the surgery when he discovered cancer in the woman’s abdominal cavity. The mother of six died hours after the aborted surgery leaving a lot of questions for what really happened in the operating room.

Soon after, allegations surfaced against Dr. Manuceau in four other cases, prompting the Irish Medical Council to suspend Manuceau from practicing medicine in the UK. While charges are pending Manuceau is still seeing patients, he has opened up a clinic in Paris and is encouraging his UK clients to travel to Paris for procedures. He touts his new attitude on his website by stating: “We have strictly regulated clinics and surgeons in Paris, which is not always the case in England, Poland, Belgium, Ireland and many other European countries.” The clinic Manuceau worked for in Dublin has since gone bankrupt with debts of more than one million pounds still owed to creditors.

Though it may seem strange that in their own cities, the appeal of “cosmetic holidays” is widespread in modern culture making the idea of going on holiday and returning not only rested, but with a brand new body is an exciting one. Dr. Mauceau has found a way to not only keep practicing, but to grow his business by appealing to the sense of adventure in his clients and providing the backdrop of cosmopolitan Paris as a place to rejuvenate not only your tired mind and spirit, but your body as well.

On the northern side of Beirut’s Mediterranean seaboard stretches a promenade called Corniche, a popular walkway for strollers, power walkers, and shoppers alike.

It doesn’t take much time to realize that the people walking buy are unusually good-looking, many of them with exquisite bone structure and flawless skin. However, not all of this beauty is due to good genes and hereditary inheritance, Beirut has become a hot spot for cosmetic surgery, making the procedures easy to come by through easily attained bank loans and discounts and deals from the dozens of clinics that have sprung up seemingly over night in the city with a scarred past.

City cosmetic surgeons learned their craft in the trenches of war. Twenty years ago a massive civil war was tearing the country apart, most of the needs for surgery stemmed from war wounds and doctors found themselves involved in reconstructive surgeries as they patched together broken bodies and tried to make the scars of war less noticeable. Now that peace has come, these same doctors have transferred they expertise to capitalize on the growing interest in cosmetic surgery.

Perhaps to forget the past, perhaps to reach out to a more modern future, the citizens of this cosmopolitan city have embraced all things cosmetic, reaching out for beauty even if it takes a transforming surgery to get it. Even in difficult financial times such as these, local banks are fueling the public mantra that “beauty s no longer a luxury” as they hand out loans for much as 5,000.00 USD at ultra-low interest rates for medical procedures.

Lebanon’s First National Bank asks few questions and hands out the loans under the blanket statement “to cover all your plastic surgery operations.” For a country that has so long suffered on medical needs of another kind, the concept of elective surgery empowers a nation anxious to gain control of their future.

A stroll down the Corniche can make one feel like they are surrounded by fashion models and not just merely every day citizens on their way to the ark of the grocery store. Beirut’s new found glamour has its roots in the operating rooms of former military doctors who have traded sewing up soldiers for sewing up the of their customers, who like Beirut, are anxious to show a new face to the world.