Sunday, March 8 2015 21:40

Nara Tornikova, plastic surgery has
become popular with our society over the recent years. What is this tendency
mandated by? Compared with the previous years, how often have people started
turning to plastic surgeons aiming to correct their appearance?

- Yes, you have got the point. Plastic
surgery has recently become more popular with the Armenian society. The reason
for this tendency is particularly the change of people’s attitude towards their
appearance, as well as better availability of western trends in our republic. For
example, mostly women would turn to plastic correction several years ago and
even then not that often. However, nowadays men are also aspiring to look
handsome. When turning to rhinosurgery before, the Armenian menfolk would
particularly mention the correction of the curved nasal floor or a slight
correction of the nose but the way “no one would notice".  However, nowadays they are quite bold at making
appearance correction requests. It is remarkable that most our clients are “men
of high profile” ; that is probably mandated by their welfare, for plastic
surgery still remains a costly affair for a country like Armenia. Speaking of
men in that matter, I believe it to be quite clear that the number of women,
who turn to plastic surgery services, is permanently growing drawing on their
natural desire to always look good.

If we are to compare the number of
utilization of plastic surgery services to the ratio of population and
operations carried out in Armenia and the ones in foreign countries, do we lag
behind?

- I wouldn’t say so; the ratio is
almost the same.

Nara Tornikova, what are the most
frequent requests of your patients?

-Well, number one, of course, is nose
surgery; moreover, this service is popular both with men and women. It is
remarkable that there is long held perception that, by reference to the
so-called “Armenian nose”, this type of surgery is extremely popular in
Armenia. However, that is not true, for “nose job” is as popular overseas as in
our country. After rhinosurgery come breast, belly and buttocks correction
types.

What types of plastic surgery are
popular with men and women?

 

- Well,
women are quite often to turn with belly correction requests. Rejuvenating procedures,
such as botox injections and hyaluronan-products, are in great demand, too. However,
it is remarkable that these procedures have become more popular with men as
well. As it happens, Armenian men are also eager to look young. By the way, in
such cases they prefer absolute confidentiality.

What about the quality of plastic
surgery services? Are our specialists’ skills inferior to their overseas
colleagues’?

- As for nose surgery, I can say that
they are almost at the same level. Moreover, compared to services offered in
CIS, our services appear to be of higher quality. This is evidenced by clients
from abroad as well. 

What about financial issues? Despite
the adverse socio-economic situation you are saying that the number of plastic
surgery patients is growing taking into account the cost of the service and the
fact that plastic surgery is not on the list of health compulsory surgical
interventions. 

- I have already said that mostly
wealthy men turn to us. However, representatives of middle class have recently shown
a trend for utilizing our services. Pursuit of beauty often makes them save
expenditure in order to turn to a plastic surgeon.

Let’s speak of the psychological
aspect of the topic. Why do people turn to a plastic surgeon – drawing on their
natural desire to always look beautiful and various appearance complexes, are
there lots of people who see appearance correction as a solution to their
personal problems?

- There is a disorder – dysmorphophobia.
It is characterized by the constant need for appearance correction, as well as
by the permanent resentment over the latter. However, that is not to say that people,
who turn to plastic surgery, suffer from some psychiatric deviations.  In most cases they are guided by the natural aspiration
to look young and beautiful at any age. However, as a plastic surgeon, I can
assure you that the appearance is not always a recipe for success. All too
often people with less symmetric forms and features make greater advances than
people with a perfect and faultless appearance. Nevertheless, appearance
correction gives people more self-confidence.

I am a person to favour natural
beauty. What do you think, doesn’t a person “lose” from repairing to plastic
surgery? Doesn’t a person become just a copy and lose his/her native trait?

- Definitely, it is not so if there’s need
for surgery, and the surgical intervention is performed correctly. If there is
no need for a surgical intervention, we, doctors, often back down operations.

My last question probably interests
all filler-lovers. How safe is it to use fillers and are there any counter
indications?  

- As for botox, there are no special
counter indication, except perhaps, allergic individuals, people with diabetes
and pregnant women shouldn’t betake such procedures. I want to advise patients
to do injections at medical centres, and not in skin-care shops, for botulinum
toxin may cause allergic reactions up to Quincke’s disease. In such cases there
is need for emergency interventions which, however, one cannot get in skin-care
shops. As for hyaluronan, there are counter indications in case of autoimmune
diseases. 

To sum up, can we say that plastic
surgery is a successful medical sphere in Armenia?

- Definitely, this is evidenced both by service quality improvement and the growing number of
clients.