Aesthetic surgery indications at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu

Abstract

Background : Aesthetic surgery is not well developed in Nigeria. It forms a small part of plastic surgery service at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu. Few reports of the scope of aesthetic surgery are available from the sub region. We report our experience of aesthetic surgery in our centre, a Nigerian sub regional apex hospital specializing in plastic, orthopaedic and trauma surgery, and make pertinent recommendations. Patients and methods : Retrospective analysis records of consecutive patients attended to between January 2000 and December 2005. Results : Elective plastic surgical procedures performed were 3,759, of which 68 (1.81%) were for aesthetic indications. Fifteen of the clients (22.06%) were male and 53 (77.94%) female. Fifty procedures (73.53%) were performed on the face, nine on the limbs, six on the trunk, two on the skull and one on the neck. Fifty four of these (79.41%) were scar revisions, six mammoplasties, and three were otoplasties, two cranioplasties, and one lip augmentation, one abdominoplasty and one rhinoplasty. Forty nine were carried out by consultants and nineteen by senior residents; seventeen of those procedures being scar revision. Specialized instruments such as lasers and cannulae for liposuction or liposculpture were not available. Conclusion : Aesthetic surgery is still underdeveloped in our practice.