Czechs following western trends in their love of plastic surgery
Two months of uncertainty after an unexpected death of a young and healthy female patient have not changed anything so far. The 31-year-old woman died in February this year at a renowned Prague clinic Esthé after a breast enlargement surgery. Although doctors have not explained the tragedy yet, the atmosphere in the consulting rooms of plastic surgeons still seems to be excellent. Clients are not concerned too much about the risks. On the contrary: the demand for plastic surgery has been growing and pumping more and more money into the sector. And judging by western trends, the course is not changing despite the crisis.
Cinderella before the ball
Although aesthetic plastic surgeons allegedly turn down at least one third of applicants for embellishing cosmetic surgeries (because there is no real need for the surgery or because the client is uncertain), the figures speak clearly. According to the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic, almost 14,000 people underwent plastic surgery in ČR in 2007 (data for 2008 are not yet available). The institute factors in only those surgeries where the patient spent at least one night in hospital. Those who leave the hospital several hours after eyelid surgery are not included in the statistics. On the other hand, the statistics comprise people whose surgery was necessary because of their health condition. There are several dozens of facilities providing aesthetic plastic surgeries (the Health Ministry does not have exact numbers). And the Prague top two clinics Esthé and Perfect Clinic say that they operated on over 3,000 clients in 2007. We can suppose that the total number of surgeries is much higher.
In comparison with foreign countries, the Czech Republic, with its dozens of thousands of patients and a turnover of dozens of millions of crowns, still seems like Cinderella before the ball. The British spent half a billion pounds for plastic surgeries in 2006, the Americans almost six billion dollars, which, when calculated per capita, shows that Czechs still have a lot of catching up to do.
It’s about money
Since the beginning of the year not a single question on the pitfalls of general anaesthesia appeared in the internet discussion dedicated to breast augmentation on the website www.plasticka-chirurgie.info.
Not even in February when media reported on the death of a 31-year-old mother of two children who died a few minutes after her surgery at the Esthé clinic co-owned by probably the biggest expert of Czech plastic surgery, Jan Měšťák. The circumstances of the tragic death are still under police investigation. Expert opinions that should reveal the causes of her death and whether doctors are responsible will be available within several weeks, according to the Prague police press department. Whether it was the fault of the doctors or an embolism, (a risk, which can never be completely eliminated during general anaesthesia) that was responsible for the young woman’s death, the situation has not changed. “The price of surgery plays a bigger role than health. Moreover, people get a feeling from mass media and advertising that these are simple surgeries with big results,” said the president of the Czech Association of Patients, Luboš Olejár.
And if they are not satisfied with the result, they complain only occasionally. “We’ve had about 10 cases of complaints about unsuccessful cosmetic surgeries in the past two years, out of which three were brought to court and have not still been decided,” said Viktor Pak, the lawyer of the Czech Association of Patients. The lawyer attributes the small number of official complaints mainly to out-of-court settlements that the healthcare facilities accept rather than to have their good reputation spoiled.
And that’s really what is at stake. When it comes to promotional videos, stories, and photos Czech clinics can easily compete with foreign clinics. Not even foreign visitors to Czech websites will lack stories of perfect surgeries, as these are translated into several languages. Interpreters are also available.
Each year there are more medical tourists all over the world who are looking for a cheap hospital. And not even the financial crisis would change anything. Last year there were 32 million, an estimate for this year is even by eight million higher. Czech prices are three to five times lower than in the western world. Moreover, the Czech Republic can offer a lot – the renowned agency Forbes Traveler has ranked the Czech Republic among ten best medical destinations in the world.
Who is it for?
There are several reasons why men do not undergo cosmetic surgeries as often as women. Cosmetic surgery is more demanding in case of men – men have firmer tissue that bleeds more. Moreover, men have other priorities than breast enlargement and liposuction. There would probably be demand for the removal of a “beer belly”, but fat in this case deposits in the abdominal cavity, so liposuction cannot be used. Another favourite procedure – penis enlargement – is technically possible, but it endangers erection.
Despite these limits of aesthetic surgery, men form 10% to 20% of clients of Czech clinics and their number is still increasing (rhinoplasty and ear pinning are the two procedures in highest demand among men).
So something is changing. “Do you know what I welcome? When a woman comes to the consultation with her partner. He’s the sponsor, so he should know what he’s investing in,” the renowned plastic surgeon Svatopluk Svoboda said four years ago in a debate about his job. The number of Czech celebrities who are more open in acknowledging cosmetic surgeries that they have undergone send this statement deep into the past.
