Plastic surgeon Georgy Chemyanov told socialbites.ca this. Such a rush was explained by the increase in the exchange rate and the departure of European and American manufacturers of breast implants from the Russian market.
“Historically hardened Russians face tough times with their inherent resilience: they coped with panic with experienced stamina, smirked sarcastically, and went to clean their feathers. While you can,” the surgeon jokes.
Aleksey Anisimov, PhD, Head of the Department of Aesthetic Surgery of the Klazko Clinic, does not talk about a sharp increase in the number of patients, but notes that no less – the operations are not transferred, and all the necessary materials are still available for their implementation. “Knowing his needs, the clinic managed to buy everything for the future for several months,” he explains.
According to the doctor, only some patients canceled the operation, but there were also those who decided on the operation earlier than planned. There are patients whose surgeries we canceled or rescheduled in March 2022. But there are only a few of them,” he says. – On the contrary, there were patients who wanted to have fast surgery. The situation is very reminiscent of the start of the covid restrictions in the spring of 2020.”
Will implants fail?
According to Georgy Chemyanov, the whole situation is now shaped directly by the exchange rate and the shipping process of imported products, which is now becoming more complex. “All existing implants installed in Russia are produced only abroad. We have no analogues,” he says. The main implant suppliers are the USA, Brazil, South Korea and China. “But there is good news – there was no direct ban on the supply of silicone implants to Russia. Moreover, no company has recalled their products,” says Chemyanov.
Aleksey Anisimov describes the increase in implant prices as moderate, but complains that the size ranges are noticeably reduced – there are no “slow-moving” positions that make it difficult for surgeons to work with atypical interventions.
“Interestingly, patients often offer to make an upfront payment for implants to fix the cost and their availability in the warehouse. Our clinic does not accept this and does not charge upfront,” says the surgeon.
Plastic surgeon Nadezhda Strelkova believes that difficulties with the procurement and purchase of implants cannot be avoided. “When we take the same type of implants into the OR with a small volume difference for the final selection, it won’t be the luxury it used to be,” she says. Still, the doctor hopes that domestic manufacturers will not stand aside and develop their own implants.
What awaits the industry
According to Georgy Chemyanov, the cost of implants is likely to increase significantly, which means breast augmentation surgeries will become more expensive. Other surgical procedures have only increased their prices by 15-20% as they use far fewer consumables. Breast augmentation is more difficult.
“We expect a certain shortage of implants, working dimensions. The surgeon will no longer have to choose from hundreds of different products, but will be faced with choosing the right one from the available. Unfortunately, this takes us back to the level of development in the early 2000s,” says Chemyanov.
According to Alexey Anisimov, this will put clinics ahead of the need to search for new suppliers. “I think there is now an incentive for new companies and brands to enter the Russian market. Maybe there will be more China or Korea. At the very least, there will be attempts to be part of the market, or even to penetrate the entire market,” he says.
Meanwhile, Nadezhda Strelkova predicts a decline in demand for augmentation mammoplasty due to shortages of consumables and further rise in service prices. “How long is that? I can’t answer yet. However, I believe that with a possible decline in the quality of services provided, unfortunately, there will be a shift from elitism in all areas to a more accessible segment. Unfortunately, our patients will have to be more careful,” says the doctor.
is there any alternative
In recent years, an alternative to silicone implants has become breast augmentation with one’s own fat. According to Georgy Chemyanov, the result is much more aesthetic and natural than surgery with silicone implants.
“Of course, it sounds pretty funny given the scarcity and high cost of imported flavors. So while a Russian woman “tightens her belt” during liposuction, the doctor fills in the volume of her breasts with her own layer of fat from other parts of her body,” she says.
Nadezhda Strelkova is not so optimistic: according to the surgeon, only a similar high-quality proven product can become an alternative to proven high-quality implants.
“In other words, no. Lipofling is a great method, but it is safe to use in the area of the mammary glands only in small volumes, which cannot be a full-fledged alternative to implants,” he says.
Alexey Anisimov also considers implants indispensable in female breast surgery. The surgeon is confident that breast augmentation with own fat will not replace breast augmentation with implants. “There are too many constraints for such an intervention. I would say more – I would even warn surgeons and patients against the very widespread use of breast lipofilling. This method has very narrow indications and a definite result,” he says.