Hot seat: Dr. Luiz Toledo

zoom

Dr. Luiz Toledo, one of the world's top plastic surgeons, is an expert on beauty in the Arab region. Originally from Brazil, he has joined the International Modern Hospital as Head of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

What types of procedures are offered for plastic surgery? What do you specialise in?

There are basically two types of procedures: surgical and non-surgical. Fillers and botox are non-surgical, for example, and more popular now than surgical ones, which can take a long time to recover from. I have been trained in all areas of plastic surgery, but for the past 27 years I have dedicated more time to aesthetic surgery. Besides practicing it, I have written papers and given lectures on the subject. Around 60 per cent of my surgeries include facial contouring and rejuvenation.

I also do other kinds of surgeries, such as liposuction and abdominoplasty.

How do you find the patients here compared to other parts of the world?

They want the same things that people in the West do, but have their own role models for looks as well. And apart from those who've never had plastic surgery before, most people here are very well off financially, have travelled more, and have already had a couple of procedures.

So are there more nationals than expats having surgeries in Dubai?

Initially, about 90 per cent of my patients were nationals. But now I think there are more expats getting procedures done in Dubai than before; they are finding it more comfortable here.

You've been successful wherever you've worked; Brazil, Germany, the US and now Dubai. A lot of surgeons must be asking to work with you.

I get about 300 emails a year on average from Brazilian plastic surgeons, wanting to know what it's like over here, and offering to come and be my assistant. They all know about Dubai now, as compared to 10 years ago when nobody knew where it was. And it's a new market to them; they think the streets here are paved with gold.

So why don't you get them on your staff?

It's difficult to find out how good they actually are. Anybody with a two-week course on liposuction can call himself a plastic surgeon. Only those belonging to international societies can be trusted, because they make aspirants undergo very tough exams and evaluate every aspect of their training very closely. For example, the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery admits a surgeon only if he's done two years of general surgery and three years of plastic surgery, cleared the exam and been evaluated by his peers.

How should a patient choose a plastic surgeon?

It's extremely important to evaluate the surgeon's credentials. Most doctors are good with a specific type of surgery, so the patient should find out the doctor's experience and success rate with the kind of procedure he or she wants done. Speaking to former patients is always good. And, to be extra sure, the doctor's society can be asked for information on him. In the end, the trust between the patient and doctor is very important.

There are a lot of places one can go to now for getting procedures done for a lot less. Do you think Dubai is on its way to becoming such a place in the Middle East?

There are some Asian countries specialising in low-budget surgeries. Those doctors train somewhere else, then return to their home countries and set up practices, where they charge 30 per cent less than elsewhere. But Dubai isn't like that yet; the money around here is like that in North America or any European country; people can afford proper surgeries.

Still, it's a very expensive place, and the potential for cheaper surgeries is very much there.

Well, there are a few companies establishing lower-priced practices here, and if this continues, problems will start to arise. The patient has to know that the reason the prices are lower isn't because the doctor is using cheap materials or isn't properly trained. You cannot pay the price of a Volkswagen and get a Porsche; you get what you pay for.

Is there an increasing trend in the Arab world towards plastic surgery?

Everybody's looking to improve their image, especially now that surgeries are so much safer, with faster recovery times, lighter anaesthesia and smaller incisions. The procedures are also less dramatic so people won't look at you and say, ‘Oh! You've had plastic surgery!' It's more like maintenance.

Do you ever recommend a certain look to a patient?

No, that wouldn't be right. Over here, people want to follow trends from Lebanon. So it's never good when people come to me with photos of celebrities they want to look like.

I tell them that I can only work with the materials at hand, which are the features they have. I try hard to avoid the stereotype.

See www.imh.ae for more details on the International Modern Hospital.

Print | Email | Discuss this article |

READERS' COMMENTS

View all comments (0)

Have your say

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM