New state-of-the-art cosmetic surgery hidden in Harrogate village

Last updated Sep 24, 2021

L to R: Mr Mallappa Kolar, Mrs Karuna Kolar and Dr Senthil Kumar.

Forget nipping to the village shop for a pint of milk, you can now pop for a facelift at a new cosmetic surgery clinic near Bishop Thornton.

Nestled in the rolling hills of the Harrogate countryside, Kliniken, Swedish for “the clinic”, is aimed at moving away from a clinical hospital environment.

Instead it wants patients to feel like they have just checked into a luxury hotel, rather than a cold, sterile hospital environment.

I was intrigued when I heard about this new rural clinic, which boasts its own state-of-the-art operating theatre.

Firstly, due to its quirky location in the middle of nowhere, miles away – literally – from the typical urban setting, such as Leeds, Manchester or London’s famous plastic surgery hub, Harley Street.

And secondly, when I heard two of the owners had sold their old house to fund the venture, as well as remortgaging their current home. In the current climate, this takes guts.

Hotel lobby

Consultant plastic surgeon Mallappa Kolar, who runs the practice with his wife, Karuna Kolar, and business partner Dr Senthil Kumar, said:

“The reception area has been designed with the thought process that we wanted it to feel professional and welcoming.

“We have tried to keep things discreet, so there is only ever two sets of patients who can be here at any one time. It is meant to feel more like a hotel lobby.

“When you walk in, the ladies greet you as a patient and you get a drinks menu to choose from.”

One of the receptionists who welcomes patients to Kliniken.

I’ve driven past Oakwood Park Business Centre, on Fountains Road, many times, but I had no idea here was a whole business community there out in the sticks. With amazing views stretching for miles around, it really did feel calm and serene.

Different feel

When I walked in, it definitely had a different feel to the usual clinical environment you often get in a hospital or GP surgery. I was expecting someone to hand me a key and show me to my room.

Talking of rooms, it’s actually quite a big place, a bit like a tardis. It features two consultation rooms designed around patient comfort which boast flat screen TVs, reclining seats and shiny black desks to match the shiny black Apple Macs.

It is essentially as far removed from a typical cluttered GP’s room as it gets.

One of the consultation rooms at Kliniken.

There is also a therapy room, with colourful art on the walls, where you can pop in for some botox, fillers or laser treatments.

Mr Kolar said:

“This is designed to feel more like an experience. It is meant to feel comfortable, not cramped. If there is someone with you, they can sit down and have a drink.”

Split into two parts, the other area of the building is known as “the surgery hub”, which features two private recovery rooms.

Mr Kolar said:

“Patients will be greeted on the day of surgery by their own nurse, they will have their own patient care coordinator, their own surgeon and their own anesthetist. Those people are available throughout the entire patient journey.

“They will also get the receptionist’s number and the surgeon’s number.”

Hi-tech operating theatre

But perhaps most impressive is the high-tech operating theatre, which boasts fancy intelligent lighting and the best surgical equipment you can buy, according to Mr Kolar.

You would never expect to find a full working operating theatre just down the road from Fountains Abbey.

The operating theatre at Kliniken.

Mr Kolar, who is believed to be the only full-time plastic surgeon based in Harrogate, said:

“I didn’t want it to be in the city centre. You should see it in the winter when there is snow, it is literally picture postcard Yorkshire.

“We want it to be the equivalent to Harley Street, but here.”

” I have two brothers who both live in London and for them it’s inconceivable to see something like this.

“We have a son and I want him to appreciate the countryside and the clean air and the rehab and things like that. I feel if I want that for my family, I want that for my patients.”

The clinic has been six years in the planning and the trio have thrown everything they have into it.

Investment

Mr and Mrs Kolar sold their student house and have remortgaged their current property to fund the business venture. Mr Kolar also decided not to go for an NHS consultant job so he could concentrate fully on the clinic.

Dr Kumar, who met Mr Kolar three years ago when he was a registrar completing his training, has also invested heavily.

He flew back to England just a day after his wife gave birth in India as he had an important meeting with the Care Quality Commission.

Mr Kolar said:

It’s unusual to do what I’ve done, finish training and leave and set up a private practice. There are not many people who do that. A lot of people weren’t happy that I was doing that and a lot of people doubted us.

“You get so emotionally invested into this, you don’t have any spare time. It sounds cheesy, but because you’re putting so much into this everything else is paled into insignificance.

“At the end of the day patients are trusting us with their body and it is a privilege.”

However, the determined trio are confident their goal of “redefining the healthcare experience” in natural surroundings will make the clinic a success.

Innovation

Innovative treatments at the clinic include a “one-stop shop” for procedures such as hand surgery. This can be done in a day, rather than the patient having to keep coming back for consultations and the surgery itself.

Fat grafting is also available, which involves using a very thin needle to harvest cells from an area of your body. These cells are then injected into the area being enhanced.

Mr Kolar, who has done both an MD and PhD in fat stem cells in Sweden, said:

“There is probably only a handful of places in the country that would do it. So it’s using it for simple things like acne scars, volume rejuvenations, so a natural alternative to fillers. For example it can be used on the décolletage area for women. As we get older the creasing starts to increase, so we can rejuvenate that using fat. It can be used for all these different things.”

Together with their team of surgeons, they are now ready to go “full steam ahead” after being hit by a string of delays due to the pandemic.

Dr Kumar said:

I look at it as an opportunity to basically redefine the healthcare experience. I think we have pretty much nailed it on the head in this particular place.”