• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

A Day in the Life: Dr. Anna Wong

By David Challenger
CNN

Adjust font size:

Editor's note: Many people have fantasized about a perfect job. CNN's "Day in the Life" examines people earning a living doing what others dream of.

HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Two very handsome male cosmetic surgeons slice and dice up a female client on an operating table as classical music drifts from an expensive sound system.

Witty banter bounces around the theater as one of the doctors relates his latest sexual conquests to his colleague.

Just days later, with the client back for a post-op check up -- and looking as if she's just arrived from a Playboy magazine shoot -- the surgeons examine their masterpiece and beam.

"Perfect," one says.

Welcome to the world of cosmetic surgery?

"Not quite," laughs Hong Kong-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Anna Wong.

"Yes, I've watched Nip/Tuck (a dark but funny U.S. television show based on the lives of two cosmetic surgeons), but it's not very realistic. We are far more serious, and spend far more time talking with our clients.

"And we never use the word 'perfect'. We say 'improvement' ... but the show's good for a laugh," she says.

The two main areas of plastic surgery are reconstruction and cosmetic, both of which Wong is experienced in.

Originally starting her academic life as an anesthetist student, she changed track to study as a doctor and graduated from Hong Kong University in 1993 after five years of study.

In 1995 she began surgical training, which was followed by study as a plastic surgeon in 1998 --- all the time working in a government hospital.

After gaining her full qualifications in 2001, she continued working in the hospital system, until she moved out to start her own practice in Hong Kong's Central district in 2003.

"Although cosmetic and reconstructive surgery involve the same basic skills, they're quite different," Wong explains.

"Both involve the handling of bodily tissues, and trying to deal with wounds as best possible. When I was in the government hospital, I worked in reconstruction with mainly skin and breast cancer patients.

"But in many ways, cosmetic surgery is even more challenging, as you're dealing with 'normal' people without defects, but who are unhappy with their appearance. We apply our skills to try and meet their expectations, which makes for a very interesting job," she says.

Women comprise 80 percent of Wong's clients, and of those, most are unhappy with their eyes or noses, the latter of which involves filling out or raising the bridge through either injections or implants.

But while Wong also does other procedures that include Botox injections, breast augmentation and liposuction, it's the windows to the soul that create most interest.

"A common problem with Chinese women is the absence of a skin fold in the upper eye lid. So we create an upper eye lid skin crease (blepharoplasty), using a procedure called the stitch method. This makes the eyes look bigger and more beautiful looking," Wong says.

"During the first consultation, I'll show before-and-after photos of past clients' eyes, and present a demonstration of possible complications (such as asymmetry) and post-operative wounds."

Consultations are never rushed, and while some make a quick decision, Wong says clients have been known to take a year to decide.

Wong also takes numerous photos of the client's face before the operation, all of whom are usually at least 16.

"By that age, a person's bone and soft tissue development is complete," she says.

The eye lid procedure is carried out in Wong's office surgery with the aid of a nurse, and involves about 15 minutes of preparation (including local anesthetic), two hours for the actual operation, and about 30 minutes recovery time.

Complications such as infection are rare, Wong says, and bleeding is normally mild. There's also only one follow-up visit, when clients come in to have the stitches removed.

Critics of such cosmetic procedures say a domineering Western culture is influencing Asian women to look more European, a claim Wong strongly rejects.

"Asians who request cosmetic surgery absolutely do not want to look more Western," she argues.

"For starters, the facial skeleton between the two races are completely different, and any attempt to mimic the other would end up looking absurd ... therefore, I have no moral dilemmas for such procedures."

Wong's most difficult operation is breast implants.

Numerous consultations are needed between her and the client (usually over the age of 18) to discuss risks, complications, recovery time, and of course the size and type (silicon vs. saline) of the implants.

She tests for the best size by asking her clients to bring in a specially bought bra, and then fits the sample implants inside.

"Fitting for the best size is important as some women may have unrealistic expectations if choosing a dimension by themselves," Wong says.

"I refuse to operate on women who want unnaturally big breasts, especially if they are already very petite."

Wong emphasizes the importance of consultations for any procedure, as it helps weed out potentially problematic clients.

"I have seen some very mentally abnormal people," she says.

"We (cosmetic surgeons in Hong Kong) have a list of names of such people. They are always shopping around, wanting to talk about procedures, but never going through with it.

"There are others who have no physical problems whatsoever, but keep wanting improvements. I refuse to operate on such clients," she says.

Wong always performs the breast operations in a hospital with the aid of an anesthetist and nurse, and if needed, the patient will sometimes stay overnight after the two-hour ordeal.

"The risks are much higher than blepharoplasty," she says.

"If silicon implants start leaking, they need to be removed immediately. Also, if the body rejects the implants, major scar tissue can result that may cause contracture -- a painful condition that sometimes distorts the shape of the implants."

Once completed, clients will need to visit Wong another half dozen times, to make sure there are no complications, and that the implants are sitting correctly.

So, just as a mechanic has his/her car fixed, or a hairdresser submits to a regular snip, do cosmetic surgeons practice what they preach?

"I'm certainly not adverse to personal changes. I've had an injection to fill my nose out, but didn't follow through with a second, simply due to time constraints," Wong says.

"I guess like most women, I wouldn't mind some liposuction around the tummy area, but again, it's all about time.

"And I prefer to spend that on my patients. After all, the most rewarding thing for me is when a patient returns after an operation full of smiles and gratitude, their expectations met."

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

---

• Coroner releases Jackson death details
• Indian trooper charged over teenager's death
• 'A freaky, freaky trip'
• Greek workers stage national strike
• American Airlines to charge $8 for blankets

• Irish PM to quit over payments scandal
• NATO chief: Afghan troop increase likely
• Militants hunted as calm retuns to Basra
• Pressure on Bush to skip Olympics
• BA sending misplaced T5 baggage to Milan

• Recruiting suicide bombers (2:50)
• London was lucky (2:36)
• Cars in London rigged as bombs (3:48)
• Second explosives-packed car foun (2:32)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)