Dr Thomas Colson Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Abu Dhabi
Portrait of a woman wearing a white headscarf, photographed outdoors in the desert near Abu Dhabi. Illustrative image for facial aesthetic surgery.
Facial Aesthetics — SKMC, Abu Dhabi

Facial aesthetic surgery at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Facial surgery restores harmony without altering identity. Dr Thomas Colson performs facial aesthetic surgery at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), Abu Dhabi, where he heads the Department of Plastic Surgery.

Booking line 80050 The four procedures

Four procedures, assessed individually

Each indication is evaluated during consultation at SKMC. Where a change of skin quality or volume is what the face needs, rather than a change of structure, the non-surgical options are set out on the page for non-surgical cosmetic medicine. Reconstruction after trauma, skin cancer resection or a congenital condition is covered on the page for facial reconstruction.

Procedures

Rhinoplasty: preservation and structural approaches

Front-facing portrait of a young woman wearing a white headscarf, photographed in the desert with rock formations behind her. Illustrative image for rhinoplasty.
Illustrative photograph. Not a patient of the practice.

Dr Thomas Colson performs two distinct surgical pathways for rhinoplasty at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. In the United Arab Emirates, where many ethnicities converge, there is no single nose that suits every face: each rhinoplasty is planned around facial harmony, ethnicity and functional needs.

The choice between the two pathways is made during consultation, not in advance. What follows sets out when each applies. The operative detail, the recovery and the specific situations of revision surgery are covered on the dedicated rhinoplasty site.

Preservation Rhinoplasty

Reducing a dorsal hump has historically involved cutting the top off the nasal bridge, which disrupts the keystone area where bone meets cartilage. Preservation Rhinoplasty works from underneath the nasal foundation instead, so that the natural dorsal roof of skin and cartilage stays intact.

It is generally chosen for patients who want to reduce a hump but are content with the overall shape of their nasal tip.

Structural Rhinoplasty

Structural Rhinoplasty builds a stable framework using cartilage grafts taken from the septum or the rib, to support the airway and define the nasal tip.

It applies where significant tip refinement, a change of projection or the correction of a marked deviation is required, and where a previous nose operation has already taken place. It is also the approach retained for thick skin, which is common in Middle Eastern anatomy: thicker skin conceals surgical change, so a defined cartilage framework is needed for definition to show.

What the consultation assesses

  • Facial harmony and the proportions of the face as a whole
  • Ethnic anatomy and skin thickness
  • Nasal breathing and any functional obstruction
  • The shape and support of the nasal tip
  • Whether a previous nose operation has been performed
  • Which of the two surgical pathways applies

Rhinoplasty in detail

Rhinoplasty has its own dedicated site, in English and Arabic: rhinoplasty techniques and recovery in Abu Dhabi. Technique, operative detail, recovery and revision surgery are covered there rather than duplicated here.

TechniquePreservation Rhinoplasty: reducing a dorsal hump TechniqueStructural Rhinoplasty: cartilage grafts and tip definition TechniqueMinimally invasive rhinoplasty with ultrasonic instruments Non-surgicalMedical rhinoplasty: reshaping the nose with fillers

Deep Plane Facelift and neck lift

Portrait of a woman in her fifties beside a sunlit wall in Abu Dhabi. Illustrative image for deep plane facelift surgery.
Illustrative photograph. Not a patient of the practice.

The Deep Plane Facelift repositions the deep facial tissues rather than pulling the skin. The zygomatic and masseteric retaining ligaments are released, and the muscle-fat layer and the cheek fat pad are lifted as a single unit along a vertical vector. It is almost always combined with a deep neck lift.

Indications, the operation, the recovery timeline and the risks are set out on the dedicated page.

Deep Plane Facelift in Abu Dhabi

Blepharoplasty

Close-up portrait showing the eyes of a woman wearing a white lace headscarf. Illustrative image for eyelid surgery.
Illustrative photograph. Not a patient of the practice.

Genetics and time can produce excess skin and herniated fat pads that give a tired appearance which does not reflect a patient’s actual energy. Blepharoplasty addresses that, while preserving the natural shape of the eye.

Upper blepharoplasty addresses dermatochalasis, the heavy hooded skin that weighs down the upper lid. In marked cases this skin rests on the eyelashes and reduces the peripheral field of vision, which makes the indication functional as well as aesthetic. The excess skin and a conservative amount of muscle and fat are excised, and the incision is placed within the natural supratarsal crease.

Lower blepharoplasty uses fat transposition rather than simple removal. Under-eye bags are frequently accompanied by a tear trough, a hollow groove beneath the bag. Rather than removing the fat pad, Dr Colson repositions it into the tear trough, which smooths the transition between eyelid and cheek and avoids the hollowed appearance that fat removal alone can produce over the years. Where there is no excess skin, a transconjunctival approach places the incision inside the eyelid.

Indications

  • Heavy or hooded upper eyelid skin
  • Reduced peripheral vision caused by upper lid skin
  • Under-eye fat pads and tear trough hollowing
  • An appearance of fatigue that does not reflect the patient’s state

Otoplasty (ear correction)

Profile view of the ear and jawline of a young woman wearing a white headscarf against a blue sky. Illustrative image for ear correction surgery.
Illustrative photograph. Not a patient of the practice.

Otoplasty corrects prominent, protruding or asymmetrical ears. It is a functional and reconstructive correction of the cartilage framework, not a change of appearance for its own sake, and it addresses two structural findings.

Many prominent ears lack the natural antihelical fold in the upper ear. Internal sutures and scoring recreate that curve, which brings the upper ear closer to the head. Where the conchal bowl is too deep, a conchal setback reduces its projection. The incision is placed in the post-auricular sulcus, the natural fold behind the ear. The aim is not to flatten the ear against the skull but to restore a natural angle of projection, usually 15 to 20 mm.

In children, ear growth is 85 to 90 per cent complete from around six years of age, which is the earliest point at which the correction is considered. Surgery on a minor is undertaken only at the request of the parents or legal guardian, after assessment, and with their written informed consent. The indication and its alternatives are discussed with the family before any decision.

In adults the correction is equally applicable, and asymmetry between the two ears is common: one ear alone can be operated on to match the other.

Indications

  • Prominent or protruding ears
  • Absent or incomplete antihelical fold
  • Excessive depth of the conchal bowl
  • Asymmetry between the two ears

Frequently asked questions

Which rhinoplasty technique would apply to me?

Preservation Rhinoplasty is generally chosen for patients who want to reduce a dorsal hump but are content with the overall shape of their nasal tip. Structural Rhinoplasty applies where significant tip refinement, a change of projection or the correction of a marked deviation is needed, where a previous nose operation has taken place, or where thicker skin requires a defined cartilage framework. The pathway is decided during consultation at SKMC. Each technique is set out in full on the dedicated rhinoplasty site.

Will blepharoplasty remove my dark circles?

It depends on the cause. Where the darkness comes from shadows cast by under-eye bags or by a deep hollow, the fat transposition technique improves it. Where it comes from pigmentation of the skin itself, surgery will not change the skin tone, although chemical peels or lasers can be discussed separately.

What is the recovery time for eyelid surgery?

Eyelid skin heals quickly. Stitches are removed after five to seven days. Most bruising fades within ten to fourteen days. Major swelling subsides in about two weeks, with the final definition appearing over a few months.

From what age can otoplasty be considered in a child?

Ear growth is 85 to 90 per cent complete from around six years of age, which is the earliest point at which the correction is considered. Surgery on a minor is undertaken only at the request of the parents or legal guardian, after assessment, and with their written informed consent. The indication and its alternatives are discussed with the family beforehand.

Consultation

In the UAE, consultations and surgery are performed exclusively at SKMC, Abu Dhabi.

Booking line 80050 SEHA WhatsApp

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Educational disclaimer

The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified surgeon or health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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