First of all, we are trying to understand why they are scared from surgery. Some of our patients are scared from anesthesia and some others are scared from medical equipments such as drains or injections. In my opinion, a doctor should explain the operation clearly. Generally people are wrong in their thoughts about the surgeries. I try to crack the misunderstandings and fear by explaining calmly and simply every stage. However, even after the explanations some of the patients still continue to worry about the surgery.
2. If they aren’t satisfied from your explanations what do you do?
For that person, I have nothing to do. So, this means that they can change their mind and refuse the surgery.
3. Aesthetic surgery is relative and special. Are there any guarantees in aesthetic surgery? If the patient is not satisfied with his/her new appearance can you change it again? Do you take any extra fee for that?
There are no concrete answers in aesthetics. One cannot define the ‘’natural’’ look, if it fits the face than it’s natural . The first issue for a surgeon is to talk to his/her patient about the surgery. In my opinion patients must have realistic ideas. For example, a seventy-year old woman cannot look like a girl who is twenty with a face lifting. I try to satisfy realistic demands. That’s why I eliminate ‘’fantastic’’ surgery plans. After that, I talk again to the patient and explain the situation by drawing my limits. I am using computers very frequently to make my explanations clear. If the patient is not satisfied I can change it until the patient likes it. For me, patient’s happiness is the most important issue. My aim is to do the demands and make the patient happy. I am not taking any extra salary for the unsatisfied operations. My only wish is to make my patients happy.
4. How can you classify the plastic surgeries? Are you making plastic surgeries according to age? Can you please classify the general demands and their ages?
Actually, we are classifying plastic surgeries according to the necessities. Generally we are not doing face lifting until the age forty. We don’t do stomach lifts if the woman has not given birth, or has gained and lost a lot of weight. Teenagers generally want nose, surgery, breast prosthesis and protruding ear surgeries. Eyelid surgeries and breast steepen surgeries generally occur in ages between 35 to 40. However, we don’t have strong obligations for surgeries.
5. What do you think about the first face transplant in Antalya, Akdeniz University? Can you do it?
Face transplant needs a very specific and hard technique. We call these surgeries microsurgery. This means that you have to have the ability to bring the veins face to face under microscope. You can take some of the veins from your body and bring them to another part of your body. This is a really hard operation. Also, it is hard for the patient after the operation. That person has to use some medicines for the rest of their lives. In my opinion surgeons must explain the surgery and the after treatment very clearly. If the patient still wants to have this hard surgery, than he can deal with the problems. In my opinion, this face transplant operation is very successful. I am clearly saying it is successful because if it wasn’t the face would have fallen off in the first 24 hours. Also, Turkey is in the top 5 countries for plastic surgery and face transplant.
6. Can you please explain the funniest story that you have ever had in your career.
Oooh, there are so many. But, here is a short one: when I was at university, patients were asking me to give them diets to lose weight that had nothing to do with the aesthetic surgery. Even though the operation was successful, they wanted me to give them some medical treatment or diets to stay thin. So, I would find myself telling a patient I had operated her lips not to eat any peanuts!
