Annual Cost of Plastic Surgeries in Gulf Nearing 4 Billion Dirhams

In this 2011 file photo, a woman undergoes a double eyelid surgery. REUTERS
In this 2011 file photo, a woman undergoes a double eyelid surgery. REUTERS
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Annual Cost of Plastic Surgeries in Gulf Nearing 4 Billion Dirhams

In this 2011 file photo, a woman undergoes a double eyelid surgery. REUTERS
In this 2011 file photo, a woman undergoes a double eyelid surgery. REUTERS

Demands for plastic surgeries have been on the rise in the Gulf region as men and women starting from the age of 18 are seeking physical perfection.

A recent study has shown that the cost of plastic surgeries in the Gulf has neared 4 billion dirhams (more than 1 billion dollars) annually, 1 billion dirhams alone in the UAE.

The study, which will be discussed at the upcoming Dubai International Symposium for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (DISPRS 2018) at the end of this month, says that mainly young men and women are undergoing plastic surgeries.

The two-day event, to be held at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City on Feb 28, will feature prominent regional and international plastic surgeons who will address and discuss the latest procedures, developments and breakthroughs in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Qassim Ahli, a plastic surgery adviser at the Dubai Health Authority and a keynote speaker at the symposium, said that 60 percent of procedures focus on liposuction, tummy tucks and arm lifts that are done mainly after weight loss.

Ahli said in a statement that Botox, fillers and laser form 30 percent of procedures, 75 percent of which are carried out by women.

US Plastic Surgeon Dr. George Bitar also said that the symposium will include important keynote speeches by doctors from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iraq, in addition to the United States, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, India, Italy and France.

The symposium is organized by Segma and held under the patronage of The Dubai Health Authority, and supported by the Emirates Plastic Surgeons Society, Bitar, who is also a keynote speaker, said.

DISPRS 2018 also features a groundbreaking new public exhibition featuring major clinics and hospitals in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery, specialist cosmetics manufacturers and distributors, and for specialist medical supplies.



Oregon House Cat Died after Eating Pet Food that Tested Positive for Bird Flu

Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" in this illustration taken on Jun 10, 2024. (File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" in this illustration taken on Jun 10, 2024. (File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
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Oregon House Cat Died after Eating Pet Food that Tested Positive for Bird Flu

Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" in this illustration taken on Jun 10, 2024. (File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" in this illustration taken on Jun 10, 2024. (File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

An Oregon house cat died after eating pet food that tested positive for bird flu, Oregon authorities said, prompting a recall of raw frozen pet food that was sold nationwide.

Northwest Naturals, a pet food company based in Portland, Oregon, said Tuesday it had voluntarily recalled one batch of its two-pound Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it tested positive for the virus. The product was sold through distributors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, as well as Canada's British Columbia.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” Oregon Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said in a Tuesday news release. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”

The recalled product is packaged in two-pound plastic bags with “best if used by” dates of May 21, 2026, and June 23, 2026. The company and Oregon authorities said that consumers who bought the recalled product should throw it away immediately and contact the place of purchase for a refund, The AP reported.

No human cases of bird flu have been linked to the incident, but those who were in contact with the cat are being monitored for flu symptoms, Oregon authorities said.

More than 60 people in eight states have been infected, with mostly mild illnesses, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. One person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with the nation’s first known severe illness caused by the virus, health officials said last week.

So far, the CDC has confirmed one human case of bird flu in Oregon. The person was linked to a previously reported outbreak at a commercial poultry operation and fully recovered after experiencing mild illness, according to a November news release from the Oregon Health Authority.

In late October, the US Department of Agriculture announced that a pig at a backyard farm in Oregon was found to have bird flu, marking the first detection of the virus in US swine.