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24/03/2009 14:18 (241 Day 22:52 minutes ago) | |||||
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The FINANCIAL -- Gia Gvaramia’s Aesthetic Medicine Centre was awarded a Golden Brand 2008. Levan Lomtadze, reporter of The FINANCIAL, tried to identify the current trends in this business and find out whether or not aesthetic medical service in the country has been affected by the economic downturn. Mr. Gvaramia answers the questions of The FINANCIAL.
Q. What has the effect of the crisis been on the industry of aesthetic medicine in Georgia? Has there been a fall in demand? Have you decreased the number of your employees?
A. To analyze the current trends in aesthetic medicine and make forecasts we need to look at the tendencies abroad. Through the last 4 months the demand for aesthetic medicine in Germany, France and Italy has fallen by nearly 50%. For this reason aesthetic medicine centres abroad started offering discounts to attract more clients.
The situation in Georgia is not so severe. But to be on the safe side we are more critical in analyzing our work. Now we are more alert to the changing market needs.
The demand for aesthetic service has not undergone significant changes in our case. The number of expensive surgeries decreased. As for the cheaper surgeries they are still being done in the same numbers as before the crisis.
You are surely interested in whether or not we’ve started staff reductions. My answer is no.
There are 40 employees working in Gvaramia’s Clinic. The majority of these people have 10 years of experience and laying them off would be a disaster for us. The only possibility for staff reduction is in the case of closing. Currently we keep working at a normal pace.
Q. What measures were taken by your centre to face the difficulties provoked by the economic downturn?
A. If we have a look at aesthetic medical centres in Tbilisi , we’ll see that most of them are offering discounts. Some of them have reduced overall prices. Our clinic has not reduced prices yet. One of the reasons is that we have stronger positions on the market and the quality of our service is higher.
Q. In one of your interviews with The FINANCIAL you said that 2007 had been a year of continuous success for Dr Gia Gvaramia’s Centre of Aesthetic Medicine. In 2007 the number of your clients and the operations performed doubled. How successful has 2008 been for your clinic?
A. 2008 was quite successful for us. We extended our services, enlarged our office area, surgery facilities and opened a new branch. The total investments made in 2008 equalled USD 700,000. This money was provided entirely by the clinic’s own resources.
Q. How important do you regard becoming Golden Brand in terms of the company’s image promotion, especially during the financial crisis which has become the number one enemy for companies?
A. This award is first of all crucial for our reputation and brand image. After becoming Golden Brand our motivation has doubled. The Golden Brand Award has a three year history and the fact that our clinic has won all of the 3 year’s Favourite Clinic Nominations, I guess it gives us more assurance that we’re on the right track of development. Another thing is that when our clients know we’ve won this award they will become more confident in the quality of our service.
It’s worth mentioning that this tribute has even more meaning during the economic downturn. The financial crisis in Georgia is not aggravating in the same pace as it is abroad. Still, I think the situation will probably worsen before it improves.
Q. Liposuction is one of the most widespread surgeries performed, especially among women. What would your advice be for people having undergone the operation in order to maintain the achieved shape?
A. The main source of our income is plastic surgery. 60% of total revenues are from surgical operations.
In 2008 the most demanded operation was laser-ultrasound liposuction. My prior advice to women applying for the surgery would be that they should all keep in mind that liposuction is a body correction operation and not a means for weight loss.
Rhynoplasty also remains at the top of the list of the clinic’s surgery offers. All the patients are treated individually and our team of professionals helps them get the most optimal option to best suit their face. The most demanded is the so called “Greek” nose.
In 2008 the cheapest operations included removal of unwanted moles, skin tags and nodules by laser or radio-surgery techniques for as low as GEL 35-50 whereas the most expensive was face lifting - GEL 5,500. As for the prices of Rhinoplasty, Blepharoplast, ear operations and Liposuction, they have increased by 20% on average.
Q. How affordable were your services in 2008? Could you please name the most expensive/the cheapest aesthetic surgeries in 2008?
A. The most expensive surgery in 2008 was a face stretching procedure which cost GEL 6,000.
We raised prices by 20% in 2008. This was necessary because we acquired expensive modern equipment and made an entire renovation of our technical base. We didn’t increase prices just because we wanted to do so. Clients trust us and our prices are one of the factors which strengthen this trust. With new technologies patients are recovering in shorter periods of time and at the same time service quality is much higher.
At the beginning of 2008 the clinic bought the unique Fraxel SR equipment for the removal and cure of skin pigment spots, melasma, post operational and post trauma scars, and wrinkles.
Gvaramia’s Centre is constantly focused on investing in cutting edge technologies. It’s equipped with the top US and European brands Candela and Ellemann Surgitron.
As for the price - four Candela machines cost USD 75-95 thousand. By means of the advanced technologies the rehabilitation periods can last for as little as 2 days. One of the lasers that were bought from a German company cost EUR 85,000.
Q. How expensive are the advanced technologies you offer in terms of aesthetic surgery?
A. Expensiveness is a relative term in this business. If you compare the prices of surgeries in Georgia with the prices abroad, you’ll see that they are far more expensive. The labour costs are much higher there, plus the clients are wealthier. As for the surgery and procedure materials they are of the same high quality in our clinic as in France or any other European country. Taking into account all of the mentioned above I think our prices are adequate.
Q. What is your outlook for year 2009?
A. I doubt that in 2009 we’ll have a growth in the number of clients and services. But the plans that we had towards expanding are still active.
Throughout his career Dr. Gvaramia underwent training in different clinics of the Russian Federation, the USA, Germany etc. He is a co-director of the Georgian Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. He has implemented a multitude of novelties in Georgia (e.g. ultrasound assisted lipoplasy, endoscopic face and forehead lift, hair transplantation, different methods of face rejuvenation and resurfacing, Botox injections etc).
Written By Levan Lomtadze
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