İçerik
The Interview on Aesthetic Surgery given by Plastic surgeon Dr. Vasfi ÇELİK to MERSİ (a Local Magazine in Mersin)
We had an enjoyable conversation on aesthetic surgery with plastic surgeon Dr. Vasfi Çelik, who graduated from Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, completed his specialty training on Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at Mersin University Faculty of Medicine in 2014, and then put Mersin Aesthetic Plastic Surgery clinic into service.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Vasfi Çelik told the unknowns about plastic surgery for MERSI readers, stating that plastic surgery keeps developing rapidly in the world, and that he keeps a close eye on the latest techniques and devices by attending seminars and congresses at home and abroad, with the awareness that it is never possible to say “I’ve learned everything” in this profession.
Mr. Çelik, with your successful operations in the field of plastic surgery, you’ve come to an important position in the field of your specialization. Can we get to know you first? Can you tell us how you started this successful career?
First of all, I’d like to thank you for your nice words. I was born on August 10, 1983 in Bitlis. After completing my middle and high school education in Mersin, I completed my university education at Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, and then my specialty training on Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at Mersin University Faculty of Medicine in 2014. After working at Aksaray State Hospital for a certain period of time, I worked at Mersin State Hospital in 2016 and Mersin City Hospital a year later. In August 2017, I left my job at Mersin City Hospital and established my own clinic.
So, what are the important points you pay attention to about plastic surgery?
When talking to patients, I share with them all my knowledge including information from books and my own experience, in a very sincere way. First of all, I tell them about the techniques from A to Z. I tell about the surgical scars, the contributions that it will make, and even the problems that may arise in consequence of the operation, because there is no surgery with zero risk. If you perform the right surgical procedure on the right person, you can really change the life of that person.
However, you are totally wrong if you think that you can have a surgical procedure just because a friend of yours had the same or that you need to have plastic surgery just because your spouse doesn’t like your physical appearance. Your body belongs to you, and only you can make decisions about it. Never let anyone else guides you in this regard. A procedure with permanent or temporary results will be performed on your own body and you will be the one who will bear all the burden of it, no one else. So it you must think carefully to make the right decision.
“You are totally wrong if you think that you can have a surgical procedure just because a friend of yours had the same or that you need to have plastic surgery just because your spouse doesn’t like your physical appearance. Your body belongs to you, and only you can make decisions about it. Never let anyone else guides you in this regard.”
Mr. Çelik, you carry out successful operations intended for body contouring and breast implant placement in particular. Can you tell us first about the aesthetic operations that you perform frequently?
I perform the surgeries on the basis of medical articles as well as the medical reports which have constituted the subject of many academic articles, and most of which have been presented in international congresses, using advanced techniques such as the spider web technique, fat transfer, prominent ear aesthetics with threads, prominent ear aesthetics with the flap technique, filling, botox injection, genital rejuvenation, mixed rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty with rib grafts, transconjunctival blepharoplasty, mammoplasty, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), and Laser-vaser liposuction.
In today’s conditions, patients can have plastic surgery without having to go to metropolitan cities such as Istanbul and Ankara by suffering both material and moral losses. This is because the advanced technology makes it possible to perform surgical operations using the same techniques and technologically equipped devices in any city in Turkey and the rest of the world. In the field of aesthetic surgery, Turkey shows an undeniable parallelism with the developed countries of the world. We, as the new-generation surgeons, try to achieve the same quality thanks to our invaluable professors who shed light on our path.
“Just as good results, complications should be acknowledged, as well. When things don’t go as we expected, we should not leave patients helpless.”
We know there are several different techniques used in breast augmentation operations. What techniques do you use for your patients and under what conditions?
There are many techniques used in breast augmentation operations, but we get the best results with silicone breast implants. There are 2 main types of silicone breast implants: Teardrop implants and round implants.
Teardrop implants have a variety of diameters and heights. More options are available. They are tapered at the top and fuller at the bottom
Round implants have equal fullness on top and bottom. Regarding breast implants, it is necessary to act in accordance with the patient’s request.
Basically, breast implants can be placed from 3 locations. The most commonly used location is the inframammary line, where the lower part of the breast meets the chest (the inframammary incision technique). Breast implants are also commonly placed through crescent-shaped incisions made along the lower border of the areola (the periareolar incision technique). The least used location is the armpit area (the transaxillary incision technique). Besides these, it is also important to decide on the location where the breast implant will be placed, and we determine it based on the measurements we make on the breast.
Particularly in cases where the cleavage area on the upper part of the breast is thin, we try to achieve fullness there by placing an implant partially under the chest muscle. We can also place the implant completely under the muscles or the breast tissue. Ultimately, we decide on the shape of the breast implant, the location of the incision, and the plane in which we will place the implant, by evaluating the patient’s wishes together with the result of the measurements.
“Just as good results, complications should be acknowledged, as well. When things don’t go as we expected, we should not leave patients helpless.”
We know there are several different techniques used in breast augmentation operations. What techniques do you use for your patients and under what conditions?
There are many techniques used in breast augmentation operations, but we get the best results with silicone breast implants. There are 2 main types of silicone breast implants: Teardrop implants and round implants.
Teardrop implants have a variety of diameters and heights. More options are available. They are tapered at the top and fuller at the bottom
Round implants have equal fullness on top and bottom. Regarding breast implants, it is necessary to act in accordance with the patient’s request.
Basically, breast implants can be placed from 3 locations. The most commonly used location is the inframammary line, where the lower part of the breast meets the chest (the inframammary incision technique). Breast implants are also commonly placed through crescent-shaped incisions made along the lower border of the areola (the periareolar incision technique). The least used location is the armpit area (the transaxillary incision technique). Besides these, it is also important to decide on the location where the breast implant will be placed, and we determine it based on the measurements we make on the breast.
Particularly in cases where the cleavage area on the upper part of the breast is thin, we try to achieve fullness there by placing an implant partially under the chest muscle. We can also place the implant completely under the muscles or the breast tissue. Ultimately, we decide on the shape of the breast implant, the location of the incision, and the plane in which we will place the implant, by evaluating the patient’s wishes together with the result of the measurements.
“This is because the advanced technology makes it possible to perform surgical operations using the same techniques and technologically equipped devices in any city in Turkey and the rest of the world.”
In your job, it is of great importance to establish trust. Today, there are countless specialists and aesthetic centers. Why must people choose you?
When a patient comes, I personally allocate considerable time for the patient. I explain all aspects of the procedure or surgery that I will perform, and it takes at least 30-45 minutes. I don’t make promises about how the patient will look after the operation. Instead, after taking photos of patients, I explain what can be possible, while drawing pictures on the computer screen, and then I prompt patients to make their own decisions on whether the possible results will meet their expectations.
Of course, patients come to us after searching and reading through social media or the internet. The accuracy of the information obtained in this way is really questionable. Patients may have unrealistic expectations although they know about the procedures or they may unfortunately misinterpret the information. This is because most of what they hear and read is usually subjective things.
As I said at the beginning of our interview, it is necessary to perform the right surgery on the right person. Most of our patients come to us because they are not satisfied with their current appearances and want to look better and more beautiful. Therefore, every procedure to be performed on the human body should be performed by expert hands, paying attention to the patient’s privacy.
Just as good results, complications should be acknowledged, as well; and when things don’t go as we expected, we should not leave patients helpless. That’s when the difference appears. In order to become a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, we receive 6 years of medical education, pass the TUS exam, which is considered as one of the most difficult exams in the world, and then go through an assistantship process by working day and night for a period of 5 years. In our profession, we can achieve specialist status only after we go through all these processes. Over time, we progress on this path, adding our experience to our knowledge.
As a person who respects his profession and always do his job properly, I think my patients deserve the best. Since I received specialty training at Mersin University, I had the opportunity to work with invaluable professors. The things I saw on this path showed me that nothing is impossible. Many procedures, the videos of which you watch or the pictures of which fascinate you, can be performed in Mersin, in accordance with the standards accepted by developed countries of the world. In order to improve myself, I keep a close eye on the latest techniques and devices by attending seminars and congresses at home and abroad.
Plastic surgery keeps developing rapidly, so it is never possible to say “I’ve learned everything” in our profession. The door of our clinic is open to everyone. People always come to us without hesitation when they want to talk about the questions in their minds or when they want to get information about surgical procedures. This makes us very happy. If you want to have a cup of tea and an enjoyable conversation with us, or if you want to ask any questions in your mind, we’d like to welcome you to our clinic. The best result we achieve in this profession is the smile that we see on your face when you leave our clinic.