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Here they are, the most qualified plastic
surgeons congregating in Tunis to analyse the matter. The congress held
yesterday was initiated by the Plastic
surgery of the Tunisian Society and the
Soukra
Clinic. This isn’
t the first time it happened. It is the sixth meeting to
highlight that Tunisia, which is nowadays the second destination after South
Africa in respect of plastic surgery, aims to handle the issue. Nobody doubts
that the development of plastic surgery in this country has become a breeding
ground of savoir faire at low cost.
Dr Ali Adouani, manager of the surgical department, shows a lot of optimism and
even pride “among our guests, we have
French
Professor Laurent Lantieri who is the first in the world to have
performed a face transplant a year or so ago. He has accepted our invitation
because he knows that Tunisia is a well sought after country regarding
reconstructive surgery.
He
is right indeed. Today nearly 1000
leading plastic surgeons work in the private or public sector. Besides, it is
because of the osmosis of both sectors that has enabled the distinction of the
surgeons practicing in the public sector and who now work in hundreds of clinics
throughout the country. All practitioners work first in the public sector for
training. “Everybody can come to hospital
for liposuction, breast reduction, face lift or other type of plastic surgery,
but the priority is for the wounded of the road, the burnt patients or those
with any kind of deformity. At the hospital we receive people from 18 to 70
years old”, said Dr Adouani with
pride in his voice, for the astonishing success of jaw surgeries practicing in
his hospital and in other hospitals in the country. “We mana
ge to mend the jaw from a bone of the leg” he stated. Our
country has the potential to accommodate reconstruction or plastic surgery.
Because of this, we see a growing trade in medical tourism.
Plastic surgery in Tunisia boosts a good reputation bringing more and more
Europeans.
Bistoury
what’s different?
This worldwide success in plastic surgery causes
a lot of envy and makes European surgeons cringe to see more and more of their
clientele turning their backs on them to choose Tunisia in an attempt to look
pretty, hence Professor Laurent Lantieri’s involvement in the congress with his
Tunisian colleagues about unease issues, reflects on regulations in the
medical system.
After talks about face transplant and the
ethical subject on the reality of surgery and breast reconstruction, he
highlighted on the achievement of Tunisia in this field. According to him,
Tunisia is moving fast and its specialists are doing a very good job regarding
breast cancer, skin tumours, burns and all types of reconstructions. But the
eminent Professor quickly took his words back when he talked about the
problematic question of cosmetic surgery . “One
has to acknowledge there is a problem. There is a dilemma between France and
Tunisia on Plastic surgery, what I am talking about is touristic surgery.
Personally it frustrates me to train people for reparative surgery that end up specialising
in cosmetics when they go back to their own country. Medicine isn’t a business.
It mustn’t boost tourism. These aren’t spa resorts” he retorted.
On
the other hand, Dr Foued Hamza, a
Tunisian surgeon established in the 17th quarter in Paris, is trying
to reconcile the French and the Tunisian. “We
need to set rules. We need to emphasise on regulations, respect all forms of
collaborations and work in consortium. He went on “The
re is indeed some work to do, but the relationship isn’t impossible.”
He was sitting shyly between two seats
of hidden dispute.
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