Plastic Surgery Undressed

Earlier this year the BBC commissioned a TV series that would offer a unique experience to members of the public considering cosmetic surgery called ‘Plastic Surgery Undressed’. Six episodes were produced, each featuring four ‘surgery seekers’ looking to get a variety of procedures including a Rhinoplasty, liposculpture and breast augmentation, with the opportunity to ask questions directly to the surgeons as the operations took place.

The format of the show is unique in that the presenters and ‘surgery seekers’ in the studio watch the procedure they wish to undergo taking place via Livestream while discussing their thoughts with the presenters and receiving advice on all aspects and implications of cosmetic surgery from a further on-site consultant plastic surgeon. The series features a total of 5 surgeons, all of whom are BAPRAS members – Sultan Hassan and Amir Nekhdjevani who perform the surgeries live and answer questions from the seekers, as well as newly qualified consultants Anton Fries, Rachel Holt and Georgette Oni who are in the studio to provide expert advice and answer any in-depth queries the ‘surgery seekers’ or presenters may have.

Here’s what  our featured members had to say:

Sultan Hassan

“I was thrilled to be involved with this new groundbreaking BBC documentary. Each episode concentrates on one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures in the country and informs patients considering cosmetic surgery about what to expect through the journey and how to make a safe and informed decision about undergoing surgery. Patients get to watch live surgery via a video feed in real-time, as it happens! They have the unique opportunity to ask the surgeons questions and clarify any uncertainties. With an ever increasing number of patients seeking cosmetic procedures it is commendable that the BBC have produced such a programme to help patients make informed decisions about cosmetic surgery.”

Rachel Holt

"I was delighted to be asked to contribute to Plastic Surgery Undressed. I have, for some time, had real concerns about the way cosmetic surgery is portrayed and often trivialised in modern-day reports and social media.

Plastic Surgery Undressed offers those thinking about surgery an opportunity to see the surgery happen in real-time and explore important questions. Over the series we examine a number of popular procedures and cover topics such as finding a surgeon through BAPRAS or BAAPS, cosmetic surgery abroad, what happens in theatre and the implications and potential complications of the procedures.​

I do think it's important that as Plastic Surgeons we contribute to  programmes aimed at the younger generation to inspire them to make well-informed choices rather than Instagram-influenced impulsive decisions."

Anton Fries

Georgette Oni

For the foreseeable future reality TV, podcasts and social media info blogs are here to stay.  It is the go to information source for the 18-30’s.  They are making their ‘informed’ decisions on what they see and what they read online, increasingly through their mobile devices.  The pressure to be selfie perfect is fuelling the desire to explore and engage in cosmetic surgery.  As highly trained plastic surgeon members of BAPRAS we need to be sensitive to this and place ourselves in visible advocacy positions that allow the correct messages about patient safety and surgeon selection to permeate through the fog of misinformation that is online.  And we need to do that in a voice that is heard by the demographic that we are targeting.  That is why I got involved in plastic surgery undressed – it was an opportunity to ensure that as a patient advocate the correct information got into the public domain to target those most vulnerable by misinformation.

Watch Plastic Surgery Undressed on BBC One at 22:45 on Tuesday 26 November and 3/10 December with the further episodes to be aired in the new year, or catch the first three episodes now on iPlayer.