What brings expats to the Silicon Valley of India? Not IT jobs. This time, Bangalore has seen a rise in expats from Iran and Arab for Rhinoplasty surgeries, due to which the cosmetology industry witnessed a dramatic growth in the city.
Bangalore, April 12, 2018: Bangalore witnessed a 30 per cent increase in the inflow of Arab and Iranian nationals due to a spurt in the demand for cosmetic surgeries like Rhinoplasty, City hospitals like Fortis, Manipal, Columbia Asia and Apollo treat up to 40 international patients per month. Rhinoplasty patients, alone, has recorded a growth from four to 15 patients, which also includes the Arab and Iranian patients. Dr. Deepak, a cosmetologist in the city’s Fortis hospital said, “There is clearly an increase by 30 per cent as compared to previous years. I used to treat two to three patients in a month and now treat 16 cases, at least.” Explaining why Rhinoplasty is particularly popular and highly demanded by the Arab and Iranian nationals, he said, “The Arabs and the Iranians have a very prominent nose because of which they want to change the appearance of their noses more. So over the years, Bangalore’s hospitals have plastic surgeons who use the latest technologies and charge a reasonable amount for a high standard of treatment which is a huge plus point.” Masa Naimasa, an Iranian dentistry student from Dr.Ambedkar Dental College, said, “After I got my admission in Bangalore, I found out from my friends that Bangalore is the best place for rhinoplasty. So, I got my nose job done at Apollo Hospital. They have a separate wing for international patients.” She added, “I knew a lot of my friends and family members back home who traveled to Bangalore mainly for rhinoplasty surgery.” Dr. Srinath, a surgeon in Manipal Hospital said, “In 2016, I used to see four patients a month. All of a sudden, there was a rise in the demand. Now, I see 15 patients a month. A lot of young Arabs and Iranians drag their parents down to Bangalore to get a perfectly countered nose as they are known to have bigger noses. Also, “The amount that they pay here is half the amount they can pay anywhere else in the world but with a better nose job.” The International Society of Aesthetic Plastics Surgery (ISAPS), in their report (hyperlink), said India ranks seventh in the number of cosmetic procedures completed in 2017. The surgeries account for 3.7 per cent for all procedures recorded globally. Abid H, owner of city-based, Buraq Medical Tourism said, “In India, Delhi witnesses the highest number of expats for medical treatments followed by Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kerala. It goes unsaid Bangalore has one of the best medical facilities in the country, mainly we have experts in the field of cosmetology in Fortis, Apollo, Columbia Asian and so on. He said marketing of rhinoplasty has helped Bangalore become the most trusted cosmetology hub. “My clients usually like how the hospitals in the city take personal care and trust the hands of experienced doctors. In the international market, Turkey and Jordan also have the best technologies but instead of investing in hospitals there, they come down to Bangalore only for the experienced doctors,” He said. Priya Mehta, Medical Tourism, Marketing manager, “Marketing is the ultimate key that spreads the word about Bangalore’s best medical success stories. Keeping in touch with the embassies and Ministry of Health of other countries is important to tell them, about our new technologies and surgeries. We abide by all the rules of Medical Tourism of the country. But with the advent of social media, we have seen a lot of improvement.” Salman Alaa, an expat from Libya underwent a Rhinoplasty surgery at Ester Hospital. He said, “Back home, our face does not have a nose, our nose has a face.” Laughing sheepishly, he said, “I am getting married by the end of this year and I always wanted a slender nose like you, Indians. My friend, who had studied here, mentioned that Rhinoplasty surgeries are available in Bangalore for cheap and by experienced doctors.” He added, “Apart from the regular visa, I applied for a medical visa, which allows me to stay here for the maximum of three months.” Ester Hospital’s ENT surgeon said, “The duration of a patient’s stay in the country depends on the intensity of the surgery the patient undergoes. For instance, kidney and knee transplants require a resting time of six months but cosmetic surgeries need only three months after which the patients can leave the country.”
