AsiaLIFE

With the emergence of an affluent Khmer middle class, more and more people are seeking a nose job or silicon implants. Dr Reid Sheftall, a plastic surgeon at the American Medical Center and Royal Rattanak Hospital sat down with AsiaLIFE to answer a few questions about the quest for perfection in the Kingdom and the pitfalls therein.

AsiaLIFE: Have you seen an increase in plastic surgery recently?
Dr. Reid Sheftall: Yes. In the last year or so, the volume has increased two to three-fold.
 
What are the most common cosmetic procedures here in Phnom Penh?
In women, the most common procedure is breast augmentation. Then comes scar revision (mostly on the face), liposuction, tummy tuck, breast lift, nose augmentation, etc. We also do some Botox injecting. For men, almost all of the cases are liposuction mostly from the breast area or belly.
 
Are most of your patients expats?
Being American, most of my patients come from the States, naturally. Many are Khmer-Americans visiting family or vacationing here in Cambodia. After that in descending order I see patients from Vietnam, France, Thailand, Cambodia, other European countries, Australia and New Zealand, China and Singapore.
 
Before our interview you mentioned some duplicitous practices – such as free silicon injection – clearly this is something you feel strongly about?
Never allow anyone to inject free silicone into your body. This is against the law in the U.S. – for good reason. The free silicone can migrate to unwanted parts of your body and will surely form granulomas (hard round masses) that will be painful and disfigure your breasts and face. We regularly see patients who have had this done in Thailand or Cambodia and are coming in to have us remove the silicone. It is very hard to remove! And it involves an operation under general anesthesia. Then of course the breasts need to be reconstructed or augmented to look good again. It is best to avoid getting injected in the first place.
 
Is there any other advice you’d give anyone thinking of having some plastic surgery?
Select a surgeon who has been formally trained to perform the procedures. There are many doctors and even non-doctors who come to places like Cambodia and Thailand, who do not know how to do the procedures. The results are frequently disastrous. Recently our practice has been dominated by women who have come in to have us repair mistakes made locally.
 
Can you give any examples?
One lady had lost her nipple and areola complex as the result of a botched breast reduction in Thailand. This happened in a famous hospital that many Cambodians used to go to. We were able to repair the wounds sufficiently – she also had flap necrosis from a bad tummy tuck by the same doctor – but she will need more reconstructive work in the future to be made cosmetically whole.
 
So, how can we tell the good surgeon from the quack?
Ask to see examples of his or her work in the form or before-and-after pictures of previous patients. This is not an infallible way to choose a surgeon as we all tend to present only our best results – but it is better than nothing. Ask to see the doctor’s credentials. Make sure he or she is the type of person who will see you through the entire process, complications included. Beware of any doctor who claims to have never had any complications. Anyone who has done enough procedures to be qualified to do this kind of surgery has had them.
 
But, surely plastic surgery is still expensive?
The prices vary depending on which procedure you are having. We have kept our prices below the average fees in Thailand, which has been very helpful in getting our practice started. Starting with a lower price for the procedure itself and then adding the savings incurred in not having to buy plane tickets, airport tax, hotel rooms, taxi fares, etc. makes for a saving of around a thousand dollars for most procedures. The surgical fees are the same for Khmers and foreigners since we wish to provide this service at an easily affordable price for everyone.
 
Dr. Reid Sheftall is the Chief of Surgery and Division Chief – Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Royal Angkor International Hospital in Siem Reap and Plastic Surgery Attending at the Royal Rattanak Hospital in Phnom Penh. He performs cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures at these hospitals and at the American Medical Centre, Hotel Cambodiana, Phnom Penh, which he founded in 2001. He can be reached at 023 991 863 or 012 591 041.