An Exclusive Interview with Award-Winning Plastic Surgeon Dr. Bander Aithan

Plastic surgery has grown in popularity over the last few years, with more people opting to alter their looks to fit into the body they want. Once considered the preserve of celebrities and the wealthy, plastic surgery is now accessible to anyone, though it is still pricey. We interviewed Dr. Bander Aithan, a famous Saudi plastic surgeon, to find out more about plastic surgery.

Hi, Dr. Bander Aithan! Thank you for coming.

Hello! Thank you for having me; it is my pleasure to be here.

How did you end up in medicine, plastic surgery to be precise?

Medicine is something that I’ve always wanted to do. Once I graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, I decided that I wanted to specialize in plastic surgery. I have been working as a plastic surgeon for over ten years now.

In those ten or more years that you have been practicing, which are the most popular procedures that you have done?

I think that at this point, I’ve done almost every plastic surgery procedure that can be done. I’ve done lots of work on the face such as facelifts, hair replacement surgery, lip augmentation, and even nose reshaping for those who are not happy with how their nose looks. I’ve also done breast augmentation, breast lift, Botox, and tattoo removal. The most popular procedures that I’ve done are breast enlargement (this is the most common one), liposuction, tummy tuck, breast lift, and facelifts. 

That is quite the list of procedures! Who would you consider the best candidate for such? 

The ideal plastic surgery candidate is a person who wants to change a part of their body and is motivated internally, i.e., someone who is not pushed by external pressures such as pressure from a partner or social media. On the medical side, this is someone who is generally in good health and does not have a medical condition, as this would inhibit their healing process. So, a person who is in good health and is motivated by the right reasons is the ideal plastic surgery candidate.

Having a plastic surgery procedure is a huge decision – how do you assist your patients through that first step?

I ensure that they are well informed before they can give their consent for the procedure. I explain in detail the likely outcome of the surgery, any risks, and the possible side effects or complications that can result from the procedure. This way, the patient can give informed consent, where they make the decision to go under the knife armed with all the information they need.  

Do you also work on individuals whose prior plastic surgery attempts had less than ideal results?

Yes, I do that quite often. More often than not, you’ll find that they had gone for really cheap surgeries, though there are occasions where they went for a reputable surgeon but still did not get the results they wanted. It takes a lot for a patient to trust a new plastic surgeon when you’ve already had subpar results with a previous surgeon, so I do my best to set them at ease when they come to see me. I have lots of experience in reconstructive surgery, and I use my skills to come up with the best solution to give them a result that they are happy with.

As we wrap up this interview, what is the future of plastic surgery, in your opinion?

Plastic surgery will definitely keep on growing in popularity, and we as surgeons are looking for ways to make it more non-invasive than it currently is. Since the first cleft palate surgery to the various plastic surgery procedures we have today, the field has really grown in leaps and bounds. It will be exciting to see what will come next for plastic surgery.