Dubai 1999, picture this: there were just 10 plastic surgeons in the city. Prices for procedures were sky-high! Slowly, the numbers began rising after Dubai’s initiative to become a hub for foreign investments. Apart from Dubai residents, many come to Dubai for such procedures. Plastic surgery is one of the five leading popular procedures for health tourism.
In 2016 alone, medical tourism generated more than $381 million (Dh1.4 billion) for the city, according to Dubai’s Medical Tourism Council. Investors in plastic surgery clinics have taken over the scene in Dubai. Demand for liposuction is the highest whilst other common surgeries and cosmetic procedures include botox, dermal fillers, and liposuction. Although there are many doctors and surgeons dominating the field, some stand out more than others.
Dr. Afschin Ghofrani is a German board Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeon who’s been practicing for more than 25 years in his field. He is trained in all aspects of Plastic/ Aesthetic/ Reconstructive and Hand Surgery. By the end of 2010, he relocated to Dubai, and as of 2011, he consults and operates out of Dubai on clientele from all over the world at his clinic, Aestheticon, to offer all aspects of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery.
We contacted Dr. Ghofrani and interviewed him about his experience in the field of plastic surgery, as well as his endeavors in opening a clinic in Dubai.
- You launched the Aestheticon center in Dubai in 2010. Can you tell us a bit about the Dubai facility? Actually the launch was in April 2012. Our center is focused on Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery and the connected services in a broader sense. I would call it a 360-degree service within the large field of plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments. As a German Plastic/ Aesthetic surgeon, I focus on the surgical procedures with a strong focus on my areas of super specialization: the face and the breasts. I offer surgical techniques, which only a few surgeons in the world do, and which deliver very effective yet natural results.
- Why did you decide to specialize in plastic surgery? During my medical studies in Germany, I was working on my doctoral thesis which was in the field of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery and dealt with skin transplants on burns trauma patients. This was my first touchpoint with Plastic Surgery and I got hooked and pursued training and career in Plastic Surgery after finishing my doctoral thesis.
- What are the most requested procedures in your Dubai practice? Are these different from those requested by your German patients? The most requested surgeries for women in Dubai are Liposuction, tummy tuck, breast surgery, and Facelifts. For men, it is Liposuction, Gynecomastia removal, eyelid lifts, and tummy tuck after weight loss. For non-surgical, it is by far the laser hair removal followed by filler and Botox treatments. The difference between Germany and Dubai is that in Germany the patients decide easier to undergo a surgical procedure compared with Dubai. Also, Eyelid lifts and Facelifts are more demanded in Germany.
- It seems more than ever, people are opting to go under the knife to change their appearance. Is there any advice you would give to someone looking to change their body via surgery? Actually the opposite is true. People try to achieve the results of surgeries by non-invasive means like injectables and fancy devices. Although I understand the desire to avoid surgeries, there is only so much you can achieve with non-surgical treatments. It is the doctor’s responsibility to know the limits of each treatment and guide and educate the patient in the right way. My advice is if you want/ need a big change in your features due to the current status of the tissue, you most probably will have to undergo surgery.
- Women in Dubai tend to live exceptionally busy lives, what are the most effective procedures that have the least downtime? Within the limits of the non-invasive treatments, filler, and botox if the applied right can give a very satisfactory result. The same applies to modern cosmetology treatments with or without devices. The same is true for body and face toning with different devices.
- How should a patient prepare before coming to see you? There is really nothing to prepare. If you are looking for a sound and honest recommendation based on decades of experience and hands-on work in different parts of the world you have come to the right place.
- Speaking of treatments, can you tell us one new treatment/procedure that you are most excited about and why? I would not want to talk about anything new, but something rewarding and quick and easy to perform on patients. The PRP hair treatment, which boosts your hair growth in areas of thinned out hair, gives reliably fast and visible results. Patients usually are very happy and relieved. It does not replace a hair transplant if you need one, but otherwise, there is really no downside in it.
