Published
02/04/2025, 12:00In recent years, Kyrgyzstan has become a major hub for aesthetic medicine enthusiasts. Local plastic surgeons, particularly in the field of blepharoplasty, have gained international recognition. Patients from Russia, Kazakhstan, Europe and even South Korea — a global leader in aesthetic surgery — travel to Bishkek to entrust their appearance to Kyrgyz specialists.
Kyrgyzstan is particularly renowned for blepharoplasty — eyelid correction surgery. This procedure has become the country’s signature specialty and local surgeons are considered among the best in this field.
Today, dozens of clinics in Bishkek and other cities across the country offer a wide range of services, including rhinoplasty, liposuction, mammoplasty, abdominoplasty and more. According to the Ministry of Health, the number of such facilities is steadily growing, driven by increasing interest in aesthetic medicine and the development of medical tourism.
The professional recognition of Kyrgyzstan’s plastic surgeons is due to their pioneering role in the region — they were among the first in Central Asia to actively develop modern techniques, making them their key specialization. A particularly strong niche has been Asian blepharoplasty, a field that requires deep knowledge of the eyelid anatomy of East Asian patients.
According to Nursultan Mirbekov, a plastic surgeon at "Sagynbaeva Clinic" with over seven years of experience, a significant share of their patients are foreigners.
"Kyrgyz surgeons are on par with their foreign colleagues in terms of skill, while our services remain competitively priced. For example, blepharoplasty in Bishkek costs between 30,000 and 50,000 KGS, whereas the same procedure in Russia ranges from 80,000 to 200,000 rubles. For many, this is an opportunity to achieve high-quality results without overpaying," — he explained.
Plastic surgery in Kyrgyzstan is a relatively young but rapidly developing field. To become a plastic surgeon, one must complete six years of medical university, one year of internship and two years of residency in the specialty. Young doctors are increasingly choosing plastic surgery, seeing it as an opportunity for professional growth and high income.
To go beyond university education, many aspiring surgeons seek mentorship, whether in Kyrgyzstan or abroad, as Nursultan Mirbekov shared. Even experienced plastic surgeons attend conferences every month to learn best practices from their international colleagues. This enables them to offer high-quality services. Successful patient cases and positive reviews further strengthen trust in local specialists. Moreover, plastic surgeons working in private clinics earn significantly more than their counterparts in state institutions. Given the relatively low salaries of medical professionals in state hospitals, this makes the profession even more attractive to young doctors.
Five to seven years ago, blepharoplasty was the most popular procedure. While it remains a leading choice today, more patients are now opting for comprehensive surgeries. Abdominoplasty — abdominal contouring after pregnancy or significant weight loss — is becoming increasingly in demand.
Liposuction and lipofilling, which involve removing fat from problem areas and transferring it to enhance body contours, are also gaining popularity. Mammoplasty, including breast augmentation or lift, remains one of the most in-demand procedures. Interestingly, about 50% of surgeries are performed for medical reasons, while the rest are for aesthetic enhancements.
Despite the evident success and great potential of Kyrgyz plastic surgery, its development is being held back. Rising prices for materials, driven by global economic factors and import challenges, negatively impact the cost of procedures, potentially making them less accessible to patients.
However, according to experts, the industry will continue to grow. To support this development, it is essential to expand training programs and workshops within the country, host more international conferences, and promote medical tourism by positioning Kyrgyzstan as a hub for aesthetic medicine.
"As I mentioned earlier, we often travel to other countries for conferences, while it is important — it can be costly, so we also need to develop our own platform and invite world-renowned surgeons to our country," — he said, emphasizing that despite the lack of adequate infrastructure, Kyrgyz surgeons are already training colleagues from other countries, which speaks to their high level of professionalism.
Nursultan Mirbekov noted that Kyrgyzstan has proven it can compete on the international stage in the field of plastic surgery.
"Thanks to high-quality services, affordable prices and unique experiences, the country has become an attractive destination for medical tourism. Bishkek is now on the path to becoming as popular as Seoul, which is number one for facial surgery, Istanbul, where people go for beautiful noses, or Brazil, known for its buttock procedures," — the surgeon said.
