Move over Dr Phil: Dr Andrew Ordon and Dr Ritu Chopra are the new hot property of daytime TV. The Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeons and partners join a team of experts on popular US talk show The Doctors, offering nuggets of wisdom to curious viewers on often embarrassing subjects such as how to preserve your eyesight and how to keep ‘the perk’. Last month they visited the UAE to put the wheels in motion to bring their plastic surgery prowess to our city. Here, we caught up with the duo to talk all things health and image.
How do you find the time to appear in a talk show?
Dr Ordon: Being one of the hosts, I have to split my time between practice and surgery. That is why Dr Chopra and I are partners. When I am filming for the TV show twice a week, he is operating. However there are times when both of us are on the show and then things get a little hectic. But we love to have that variety in our work.
Describe a typical day for you.
Dr Ordon: My days are very straightforward: two and a half days are spent in the office and the other two and a half days are spent in the studio taping The Doctors.
Dr Chopra: My days are generally spent operating, but there has been times where I have started on the show and later that day have found myself in the operating room. The variety is exciting. But we still manage to find spare time to surf, work out and play golf together.
How many famous faces have you have treated?
Dr Ordon: Let’s just put it this way… a lot. But famous or not famous, everyone gets VIP treatment.
Why do you think the show has proven so popular?
Dr Ordon: People are curious about their health and with four different doctors and the countless experts we bring on, they are getting the latest in medical knowledge. And we have fun. People connect with us. The topics we discuss are issues we all have experienced at some point.
Dr Chopra: The show covers such a vast array of topics: health, wellness and beauty. People are always searching for improvement in beauty and I think this is a great way to channel information.
You are planning to bring your services to the UAE – how did this opportunity arise?
Dr Ordon: With all the patients that we are getting from the Middle East in our Beverly Hills clinic, and the popularity of the show, we thought it was time to see if there were opportunities out here for us. And let me tell you, there are a lot and we are both really excited. Dubai Health Authority were so accommodating in assisting with our licensing.
How much time will you spend in Dubai once the surgery opens?
Dr Chopra: Our goal right now is to come out four to five times a year for about 10-12 days. But who knows what time and opportunity will bring in the future.
What procedures do each of you specialise in?
Dr Ordon: As seen on The Doctors, Dr Chopra and I will operate simultaneously in different parts of the body, in order to decrease anesthesia time and provide the most cutting edge expertise for the patient. I focus on the nose with my ENT (ear, nose and throat) background and face.
Dr Chopra: I focus on the face and body. We like to say we operate from the nose to the toes.
Why do you think Dubai is a good place to open up a surgery?
Dr Chopra: I think people in the UAE want the best: the tallest building, the largest fountain, the biggest mall and now they want the best surgeons – and they should have them. It’s also a wonderful cultural experience for us both.
You visited the UAE in February – did you do any sightseeing?
Dr Ordon: The highlight was seeing Old Dubai. We visited Dubai Creek and Bastakiya and we got to enter a mosque which was an amazing experience. Next time we come back we plan to really explore the region. It’s amazing to say the least. We are amazed at the growth, engineering and architecture of this wonderous place.
Dr Chopra: Dubai offers a variety of international restaurants, but we both enjoyed local Arabic cuisine most. We had Arabic cuisine almost every day, at different restaurants.
The Doctors airs daily every Saturday to Wednesday at 8pm on MBC4.
NetDoctor.co.uk
If watching medical shows on TV has left you with burning questions or pondering the state of your health, check out one of the many online medical resources that are available, such as www.netdoctor.co.uk. They can’t replace a proper medical diagnosis though.
