Interview with Dr Ammar Allouni - British trained Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon at Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Medical City

Interview with Dr Ammar Allouni - British-trained Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon at Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Medical City in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Ammar Allouni is a British Plastic Surgeon (FRCS Plast.) with extensive training and special interests in breast microsurgical reconstruction and aesthetic plastic surgery. Dr Ammar was a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Consultant at Hull University Teaching Hospitals in the UK, involved in teaching and research, with an additional private aesthetic surgery practice. In April 2024, he relocated to Tawam Hospital and is now also working in the recently opened Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Medical City in Al Ain, both part of SEHA Abu Dhabi Health Service Co., the largest healthcare network in the UAE. 

At Allocation Assist we love to keep in touch with our doctors after they relocate. It was great to catch up with Dr Ammar during his busy schedule and find out about his experience of working and living in Al Ain. 

Can you start by telling us about your training and special interests?

I am originally from Syria but went to Cairo in Egypt for Medical School, graduating in 2004. I then did my basic surgical and some plastic surgery training in Egypt, before relocating to the UK to seek higher plastic surgery training there. I fulfilled the requirements for licensing exams and surgical training in the UK and then worked in multiple plastic surgery units before being enrolled in the Yorkshire and the Humber Deanery rotation for plastic surgery consultant training. During my extensive training in all aspects of plastic and reconstructive surgery, I developed interests in breast microsurgery reconstruction and aesthetic surgery. This led me to complete advanced subspecialty fellowships, in breast microsurgery at Wynthenshawe Hospital in Manchester and the CAPSCO Aesthetic Fellowship programme at the centre of excellence at Wood Medispa in Devon. I am grateful to have received training and mentorship from leading plastic and aesthetic surgeons in the UK and abroad. 

Why did you choose to specialise in Plastic Surgery? 

Plastic and reconstructive surgery is a very versatile and challenging specialty. We operate on all parts of the body using a mix of different surgical skills, and no case is the same. As a plastic surgeon, you can do further training to subspecialise for different areas of the body, giving you the opportunity to develop your skills and expertise in a particular area. I enjoy collaborating with colleagues from different specialties within the hospital such as general surgeons, orthopaedics, dermatologists, cardiac surgeons and neurosurgeons. 

Are there any differences in your practice here, compared to the UK? 

There has been an initial adjustment period to working in a new healthcare system but my previous experience in private practice has been helpful. I have been getting busier with both elective and trauma work. We are three consultants in the Plastic Surgery department, so we share the on-calls. The hospital has established a new section for private cosmetic surgery, so this is also increasing. I am doing a lot of breast reconstruction and microsurgery but the way of working here is not as subspecialised as in the UK. There is a need to be flexible and see patients who are referred by colleagues, including some  general plastic surgery patients as well as in your subspecialty. Networking and building up good relationships with colleagues is important. 

What was in your decision to relocate and why did you choose Al Ain in the UAE?

There were many reasons why I decided to relocate here with my family. We were seeking an improved lifestyle, with opportunities for social life, and we love the culture in the UAE. It is very safe and family friendly. The salaries are good and there is no income tax, so this gives us the opportunity to have a higher standard of living while also saving for the future. In Al Ain, the cost of living is relatively less and it is easy to get help with housework and looking after the children at home. The weather in Al Ain is less humid than in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, as it is an oasis area more inland from the coast, and we are able to enjoy our garden and outdoor activities. The UAE is also a well connected travel hub, and it is easier to visit family in Syria, or for them to come here. On a professional level, the UAE healthcare sector is growing with a lot of opportunities to develop medical tourism and cosmetic surgery. 

What attracted you to Tawam Hospital and Sheikh Tahnoon Medical City?

I started off working in Tawam Hospital in Al Ain and then relocated to the new Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Medical City (STMC), part of the same hospital group, when it opened a couple of months ago. I still go to Tawam Hospital once a week. Both hospitals are large, tertiary referral centres, equipped with state of the art technologies and highly skilled doctors from different countries. The new STMC hospital building is very impressive and has a large oasis style garden in the middle of the hospital. A big factor that attracted me to this hospital is that I already knew colleagues here who had relocated from the UK before me. 

How do you and your family find living in Al Ain? 

Al Ain is an oasis city that is family-friendly and offers a great lifestyle. While it is a smaller, quieter city, there are advantages to living in Al Ain. The cost of living is less than Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which means that your tax-free salary goes much further. For example, rents and house prices are significantly less. There are great international schools and lots of activities for children. Our daughters have settled well in a British curriculum school in Al Ain which is an international branch of a highly reputed private school in the UK. The weather is less humid than the coastal areas of the UAE. Unlike the bigger cities, we don’t spend time stuck in traffic and we are closer to nature, such as the beautiful Al Ain Oasis. Everything is accessible, such as shops, clubs and golf courses. It is also very easy to visit Dubai or Abu Dhabi on the weekends, both are between one and one and a half hours drive away.

Article written by Vivienne Mendonca.