Martin Ajujo, MD - Plastic Surgeon in Nairobi, Kenya

Eva Sheie (00:03):
The purpose of this podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person, because you're making a life-changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be. There's no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close. I'm your host, Eva Sheie, and you're listening to Meet the Doctor. Welcome to Meet the Doctor. My guest this afternoon is Martin Ajujo and he is from Nairobi, Kenya. And I believe you're the first person from Kenya that I've ever had on the podcast.

Dr. Ajujo (00:44):
My pleasure to be here.

Eva Sheie (00:46):
So you are a plastic surgeon and let's maybe go in reverse. And why don't you start with how did you end up here in the United States?

Dr. Ajujo (00:54):
I came here for the meeting, the Plastic Surgery Conference at Austin. Before that, I'm a member of Share Global Fellowship, the year 2020, 2024. I'll be graduating that class next year, but my training is in the University of Nairobi, both for undergraduate and postgraduate in Kenya.

Eva Sheie (01:16):
So are you still training right now or are you practicing?

Dr. Ajujo (01:19):
I'm practicing. I finished my postgraduate in 2019 and I'm now working as a private practice and a public practice I'm doing for the state, for the county government of Nairobi. It also have my own Center for Cosmetic practice AJ Plastic Surgery Center.

Eva Sheie (01:39):
And how is plastic surgery different in Kenya than from the United States?

Dr. Ajujo (01:44):
The practice is picking up, especially for cosmetics procedures for breast and body procedures, a number of facial procedures. However, there's a huge, huge demand for cosmetic procedure aesthetic procedures, and I do about 30 to 40 procedures a month, purely cosmetic. And right now, the last two years or so, my practice has been more of aesthetic procedures, let's say 60 40 compared to reconstructive procedures.

Eva Sheie (02:15):
And do they find you on the internet or,

Dr. Ajujo (02:19):
Yeah, social media has a lot of influence and reach in Kenya with a good internet penetration and mobile. So a good number of my patients come from Instagram and some of them they just Google through my website. Some of them find me through just referral word of mouth for my colleagues.

Eva Sheie (02:44):
How many plastic surgeons are there in Nairobi?

Dr. Ajujo (02:48):
Total number of plastic surgeon in Kenya, we are think 20, approaching 30. Nairobi has 60% of that number. And then a few scattered different cities in Kenya.

Eva Sheie (02:58):
And are you friends with each other?

Dr. Ajujo (03:00):
Yeah, we very good friends. However, in that number, because they only 30% of the plastics who do aesthetic procedures. So we like four or five surgeons who do aesthetics. Yes.

Eva Sheie (03:16):
What procedures are most popular? Is it really similar to the United States or do you think that it's slightly different? And I'm curious if there's a reason why, if it is different.

Dr. Ajujo (03:27):
It is slightly different. For example, here for breast procedure, number one is augmentation, for our population is reduction. So I do more of breast reduction procedures than augmentation.

Eva Sheie (03:40):
That is interesting. Is breast reduction purely cosmetic procedure or does insurance, do you have an insurance system like we do in the United States?

Dr. Ajujo (03:51):
Yeah. It's almost, we have almost similar third payer arrangement with America. There's a huge fight and a huge of advocacy for insurance company to cover a breast reduction procedure.

Eva Sheie (04:02):
But they don't right now.

Dr. Ajujo (04:03):
They don't. It is case by case basis, really have to justify it being to a medical procedure. However, we, at least in the last six months or so, one year I can say I've done a number of patients paid by insurance for best reduction.

Eva Sheie (04:18):
Oh, that's promising.

Dr. Ajujo (04:19):
Yes. The sad thing is that our patients present very late when they really are symptomatic and we do massive reductions. I think the largest I've done is 16 kilograms. Dunno how much that would be pounds, quick math.

Eva Sheie (04:36):
Yeah, no, I would have to Google that. I would ask Siri.

Dr. Ajujo (04:41):
Yeah, but my average reduction is above five kilograms. You see? That is high. And normally the world we average is below you know two kilograms. So you can see we are doing double because they present on late.

Eva Sheie (04:57):
That makes me wonder, are their breasts actually growing over a long period of time to the point where then they become so miserable that yeah.

Dr. Ajujo (05:06):
Yes. That's the sad part of it, yeah, of it.

Eva Sheie (05:08):
Is that a medical condition?

Dr. Ajujo (05:10):
It is a medical condition, but most insurance will push it to be a cosmetic procedures and unfortunately, yeah. So that's why for us, we do more of breast reduction procedures as opposed to augmentation.

Eva Sheie (05:26):
That makes sense.

Dr. Ajujo (05:27):
So for body procedure, there's a very, very huge uptick and inquiry about liposuction, Lipo 360 and BBLs. It's a big deal. And of course body conferring procedures, tummy tuck being within and the mommy make covers. So almost you can see a ratio of one is 30, 40%. We're doing body procedures, just the body, the body, cont tummy tuck, and a small number of patients body controlling after massive weight loss because there's a huge shift towards weight loss and on rapid weight loss procedure with balloons or gastric sleeves.

Eva Sheie (06:08):
Oh yeah.

Dr. Ajujo (06:09):
Yes.

Eva Sheie (06:10):
When people come to see you for the first time, what can they expect from that appointment?

Dr. Ajujo (06:17):
I actually say the first appointment is just knowing your patient and setting up what are your aesthetic goals and really have to know that I have to try and give you what I can have to achieve what you want. If I can, then I'll have to let you know this is how far you can go the once you've set the goals, then I screen you to see if they're fit for procedure. Then once, if you're fit for procedure, then I set up most of the time a second consultation so that we go over again about if I needed to have lab test or imaging. We review the imaging, we review your aesthetic goals, then you do your booking. Yeah.

Eva Sheie (06:56):
Who else is on your team that someone might meet while they're there to see you?

Dr. Ajujo (07:01):
Yeah, I have two doctors, junior doctors who assist me and a wonderful team of nurses that I work with, but if you don't find me in the first consultation, you either find my two assistants.

Eva Sheie (07:16):
And then do you have a staff around the three of you or is it just the doctors?

Dr. Ajujo (07:22):
We have doctors, then we have nurses, we have data technicians, have anesthesiologist, pharm techs. There's a huge team. Team of about 15 care.

Eva Sheie (07:35):
Is there someone who your patients, like a patient coordinator or someone who holds their hand, takes care of them, makes sure that they have everything they need?

Dr. Ajujo (07:46):
Yes. Yes, I do. I have the customer service team have three members in that team. Two of them will be physically be the office, but one of them runs the virtual, the WhatsApp, the Instagram dms. So I have that Team three.

Eva Sheie (08:05):
They end up being your patients best friends for a while.

Dr. Ajujo (08:08):
When fact, when my patients come, they ask, I want to meet so-and-so before they even meet me, and they're very wonderful and I'm very, very grateful to have to team with me.

Eva Sheie (08:19):
Did you grow up in Kenya?

Dr. Ajujo (08:20):
Yes, born and bread to Kenya.

Eva Sheie (08:23):
And then when did you decide that you were going to become a doctor?

Dr. Ajujo (08:28):
I think I was torn between being a doctor and a pilot and at some point being a fighter pilot. And then that's when I went to high school. I did a bit of aviation and I say it is not my thing. When I joined med school, I knew I wanted to use my hands, but I didn't know where really to do that. Then the first year when I did my first cardiovascular dissection, then just it means that I have to be a surgeon. But even then, I didn't know about plastic surgery. I didn't know how to be a plastic surgeon. Actually until during my internship I went to a military hospital and that time we had the Kenya invaded Somalia. So we had a lot of casualties from that work and I was taking care of the soldiers who were injured. Some plastic surgeon were called in to do reconstructive work. And then that's when I said, this is what I wanted to do. Yeah.

Eva Sheie (09:33):
Do you remember any patients in particular that you saw or met at that time that

Dr. Ajujo (09:38):
Yeah, I remember a young man who had, was a victim of an explosive IED. So he had severe injuries, fractures, burns, so in combined fractures and burns. And I remember I had to take him to theater almost every day to do change of dressings, just to prepare the wound bed for reconstruction. He had also injured along the pelvic area. We had to do panel reconstruction, we had to do huge flaps in that patient. And there's another patient that had a huge defect, the leg after gunshot wound. And then we were in theater for about six or seven hours. We did a flap and then at the last minute we advanced, we had to move and take another flap. So all that really, I can say prepared me for what plastic surgery entails and how you have really to be on your feet and really have to change your from plan A, plan B, plan C quickly. And I thought that that's what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Eva Sheie (10:49):
And do you still to this day have a plan A, plan B, plan C for every patient?

Dr. Ajujo (10:54):
Definitely.

Eva Sheie (10:54):
Yeah,

Dr. Ajujo (10:55):
Definitely. You cannot, I don't think any plastic surgeon survive going to theater without plan A, B, C, because things change.

Eva Sheie (11:05):
What do you like to do when you're not at work? Are you a fighter pilot in your free time?

Dr. Ajujo (11:12):
Funny thing, I don't like flying.

Eva Sheie (11:16):
Good thing you picked surgery.

Dr. Ajujo (11:20):
I was just telling you it was a long flight from Nairobi to Texas.

Eva Sheie (11:25):
Did you fly to Houston first?

Dr. Ajujo (11:27):
No. No, actually.

Eva Sheie (11:28):
Or Dallas.

Dr. Ajujo (11:29):
To Dallas. Yeah. I don't like flying, but I like listening to music while traveling. But so that's why I have to say, yeah, week just to travel and meet new people and read. Yes.

Eva Sheie (11:46):
What are you reading right now?

Dr. Ajujo (11:52):
It's a Japanese book.

Eva Sheie (11:55):
If someone's listening to this podcast and wants to find out more about you, where should they go? Online?

Dr. Ajujo (12:01):
I'm across all platform. I can AJ Plastic Surgery. That is on Instagram. Website, AJ Plastic surgery.co.ke/. Also on TikTok, AJ Plastic Surgery Center. Twitter or AJPSC AJ Plastic Surgery Center- Official.

Eva Sheie (12:23):
Official.

Dr. Ajujo (12:24):
Yeah. We are on

Eva Sheie (12:25):
Somebody copying you.

Dr. Ajujo (12:26):
Yes.

Eva Sheie (12:27):
Oh no, that's the worst. Well, is Twitter more important in Kenya than it is here for plastic surgery? It's terrible here.

Dr. Ajujo (12:37):
Okay, let me just say this. I hope Max is not listening, but there are more bullies on Twitter than fans. For plastic surgery, really it's not useful. Instagram is because we're able to compare, see before and afters.

Eva Sheie (12:51):
Yeah. Twitter never really took off for patients to find surgeons and surgeons. You have to have a lot of time to be on Twitter and do it well, so it just doesn't work. Yeah. But I know a lot of doctors connect with each other on Twitter and that does work.

Dr. Ajujo (13:10):
And also LinkedIn,

Eva Sheie (13:11):
Hm-hmmm.

Dr. Ajujo (13:12):
Especially, the professional connection is good for professional connection. However, for patients, I find Instagram to be more useful.

Eva Sheie (13:18):
Definitely. Well, I'll make sure we put all those links in the description of this podcast so they're easy to find.

Dr. Ajujo (13:24):
Thank you.

Eva Sheie (13:25):
And thank you for sharing yourself with us today. It was a pleasure to meet you.

Dr. Ajujo (13:29):
You too.

Eva Sheie (13:33):
If you are considering making an appointment or are on your way to meet this doctor, be sure to let them know you heard them on the Meet the Doctor podcast. Check the show notes for links including the doctor's website and Instagram to learn more. Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who'd like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book your free recording session at Meet the doctor podcast.com. Meet the Doctor is Made with Love in Austin, Texas and is a production of The Axis, T-H-E-A-X-I-S.io.