Top 5 Best Plastic Surgery Clinics in Calgary

• All surgeons certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
• Has performed over 10,000+ surgeries
• Staff regularly contact patients during recovery

• More expensive procedures
• Longer wait time due to large number of clients

Macleod Trail Plastic Surgery offers a wide variety of procedures through its three surgeons, who are all certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada.

Dr. Paul Whidden, a second-generation plastic surgeon, co-founded Macleod Plastic Surgery in 2011 with Dr. Douglas Humphreys.

With the surgeons’ 50 years of combined experience, they have performed over 10,000 surgeries. They are also all clinical professors for the University of Calgary.

Each surgeon charges a $100 + GST consultation fee for cosmetic procedures. This is a pretty average fee, considering the clinic is famous.

For an approximate cost of your specific surgery, you may contact the surgeon’s assistant. This is because they charge different procedure fees.

Due to the popularity of all three surgeons, expect to be charged more for procedures compared to other plastic surgery clinics in Calgary. Expect a longer wait time too due to the number of clients they have.

The clinic also gets top marks from us for its excellent patient aftercare. Staff are reportedly consistent in checking in with patients after their procedures to make sure that they are recovering nicely.

We also love that the clinic has a separate surgical waiting room in the main building. For VIPs and extra discreet patients, there’s an entrance and exit located at the back of the building for both privacy and convenience.

They have a separate state-of-the-art surgical facility inside the main building that specifically serves plastic surgery patients. This is fully accredited by the Royal College, which is great because it means it has been rigorously reviewed and has met the highest standards.

It helps that their website features before-and-after photos of actual procedures to give potential patients an idea of what they could expect, results-wise. Of course, it goes without saying that all bodies are different so results may vary from patient to patient.

We just wish that they would also open on weekends, if possible. This is to cater to patients who are not usually available during the week.

• Specialises in Mohs surgery
• Free non-surgical consultations

• Consultations tend to be booked months in advance
• Less non-surgical body treatments available

A member of the Royal College, Dr. Jeffrey C Dawes opened his own practice in 2010 after 17 years of post-secondary education. He has had extensive training ranging from aesthetic surgery to major facial trauma.

What we love about his clinic is that it specialises in Mohs micrographic surgery, a skin cancer treatment that removes tumours while leaving as much healthy skin as possible. Dr. Dawes is one of a handful of surgeons in Calgary that are qualified to perform this surgery.

Aside from various surgical procedures, they also offer a few non-surgical treatments like CoolSculpting, a fat-freezing technique that can slim down problematic areas of your body.

This is a great option for patients who want some improvement in certain areas of their bodies, but are not yet ready for invasive surgery.

Although they do offer CoolSculpting, we do hope they will offer more non-surgical treatments for the body. Currently, they have more skin care treatments.

Surgical consultations are priced at $100. But this amount will be carried over to your procedure fee if you decide to move forward.

Non-surgical consultations, on the other hand, are free. However, Dr. Dawes is an understandably popular surgeon, so be warned that consultations may have to be booked months in advance.

Previous clients tell us that the surgeon and nurses were very professional and experienced. The staff was also friendly and patient regarding questions about the procedure.

• Up-to-date with new surgical techniques
• Offers free phone pre-consultations
• Flexible financing options

• Only open four days a week
• Currently only accepting virtual consultations
• Range of services is limited

Dr. Kristina Zakhary has been running her own plastic surgery clinic in Calgary since 2005. With 18 years of experience under her belt, she is an otolaryngologist – a head and neck surgeon with a special focus on facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.

She specialises in rhinoplasty, facelift, forehead lift surgery, otoplasty, blepharoplasty, and ear lobe surgery.

Dr. Zakhary is known to be thorough in taking her patients through realistic expectations of their surgery and what they need to know about the healing process, which is admirable. This helps put patients at ease, since they’ve been empowered with information on their procedure.

She also customises her treatment plans based on the specific needs of a patient, which tells us that she’s focused on making sure her patients receive the best care possible.

To this day, Dr. Zakhary is the only surgeon in Calgary that performs the Optimum Mobility Facelift, a surgical technique that has a low complication rate and fast recovery results.

She’s also the only surgeon in Calgary capable of performing the Closed Scar-Less Mini Dissection Finesse Rhinoplasty, which is when little incisions are made inside the nose instead of the skin being fully detached from the nose.

We love that the clinic offers free phone pre-consultations to guide you in finding the right treatment based on your specific needs.

They have flexible financing options that start from $99 a month, which we think makes their services a lot more accessible. They accept Visa, Mastercard, and debit, so patients have a great range of payment options to choose from.

There aren’t a lot of treatments available. In our opinion, as a plastic surgery clinic, we’d like to see more procedures available in the future.

Pros

• Wide range of services
• Open by appointment on Saturdays

Cons

• Relatively high average cost
• Not a tonne of information about their surgeons based on their website

art&fact is a medical aesthetics clinic with a team of plastic surgeons specialising in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. True to their name, they have an aesthetically-pleasing clinic that provides a calm and welcoming environment.

Dr. Alexandra Hatchell, one of their surgeons, currently serves as ERAS Society’s Global Breast Surgery Specialty Lead.

ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) is a perioperative care programme that aims to lower the patient’s hospital stay. This ensures a faster recovery with a lower risk of complications, which we hope is being applied to patients in this clinic.

Consultation fee for their surgeons is $100 + GST. For their skin care specialists, the consultation is free, which is great news for those who just want input on daily skin maintenance and care.

We love that they offer various non-invasive procedures if you are not yet ready for surgery. One of these is Belkyra, a double-chin treatment that destroys fat cells permanently.

There are also various laser treatments available like the FRAC3 skin rejuvenation, which repairs micro-wounds and improves collagen growth.

Their average prices are much higher than other clinics in Calgary. For example, an invasive surgery like a tummy tuck will cost an average of $9,800 + GST per region, while some clinics offer an average of $9,000.

Their website has helpful information on the approximate downtime after surgery, average cost, and the kind of anesthesia needed. Procedure and recovery process instructions are listed there too.

It’s good that their website has helpful information about the surgeries, but we’d like to see the credentials of their surgeons listed there too. This can help their clients feel at ease about getting the surgery in their clinic.

Pros

• First of its kind to offer procedures for female intimate health concerns in Calgary
• Offers laser procedures for intimate areas

Cons

• Range of services is limited
• Longer wait time before procedure

A plastic surgery clinic that focuses on women’s health, Allan Centre is the first of its kind to do so in Calgary. Established in 2002, this private clinic specialises in sexual health and cosmetic gynecology procedures.

The clinic is designed to give patients a safe and comfortable space while discussing intimate health concerns.

It’s great that they have female staff to talk to their female clients about sensitive issues. We understand that it might be uncomfortable for others to openly discuss intimate concerns with male staff.

Allan Centre’s surgeon, Dr. Bruce Allan, is an obstetrician-gynecologist who has performed thousands of Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation procedures. He is also currently a staff surgeon at South Health Campus.

They only offer phone consultations for out-of-town patients. We hope they can add virtual consultations too.

After the consultation with Dr. Allan, the procedure will usually be booked within 4-8 weeks, possibly due to his commitments at his other clinic. Unfortunately, this is a longer wait time for those needing the surgery immediately.

It’s great that they offer procedures like bladder incontinence treatment for people with unwanted urine loss. For people with mobility issues, they offer pelvic floor physiotherapy.

Merle Morton, their physiotherapist, had advanced training in Canada and internationally. Over the years, she has successfully treated thousands of patients.

Unfortunately, cosmetic procedures such as laser labioplasty and vaginoplasty are not covered by insurance. Because not many people can shell out a full payment for one treatment, we do hope they will offer other payment plans for pricey procedures.