Kat & Co Aesthetics

We talk to the woman behind the cosmetic clinic setting new standards of treatment at the heart of the Medical Quarter – and reveal her big plans to grow in 2020

Making lives beautiful is the mission of CC Kat and her team at Kat & Co Aesthetics in Edgbaston. The skin, laser and cosmetic surgery clinic on the Calthorpe Estate offers a wide range of aesthetic treatments including both surgical and non-surgical procedures. And as more women, and men, seek out the clinic’s expertise, CC has seen her business grow to become a major force in the industry – so much so that there are big plans to expand the services offered in 2020 with further state-of-the-art treatments and more specialist additions to the staff.

For many the image of the industry is coloured by the excesses of celebrity culture (big boobs, bums, lips… and so on) and sobering reality TV shows like Botched, which reveal the problems when surgery by unscrupulous practitioners goes horribly wrong.

Even CC herself says: “The industry is a exploding and very lucrative and this can invite a lot of practitioners who are not – let me chose my words carefully here – as honest about what they do.” Reputation, quality and care are the bywords of her clinic.

WELL-BEING

“My motivation and that of my team is to make a life beautiful – and that isn’t necessarily about physical beauty. Often very minor things can impact a person’s self-esteem and confidence. Something as small as removing a small mole on someone’s nose makes a huge difference to that person’s well-being and quality of life.”

Kat & Co is a real Birmingham success story located in the heart of the city’s hugely important, world-class Medical Quarter. It has been listed in Tatler’s Beauty and Cosmetic Surgery Guide – the cosmetic surgery power list –in 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Times has also listed CC as one of the top breast surgeons in the UK. “It’s nice to get the recognition,” she said, “but success for me is not measured in awards but the fact that what I do touches and improves people’s lives.”

After a number of years as a consultant specialising in breast reconstruction at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, CC took the plunge and set up her own clinic in just two rooms in Sherbourne Street in 2008 in a move that she says was ‘unusual’ at the time for being outside of London. “Within four years, the clinic needed more space and we added a unit across the road which became our first operating theatre,” said CC. A year later, an old GP’s clinic 50 yards away was added “primarily because it had a large car park and we desperately needed somewhere where our growing number of clients could park”.

BIG MOVE

In 2018, CC and her husband made the decision that they needed bigger, purpose-made premises and the deal was done to move to 20 Calthorpe Road. During all of this time, CC’s team was also expanding with the range of services and procedures being offered.

She says: I have been very lucky, I’ve had a few good breaks. I had really good training, word got out that I was a perfectionist and being a woman it was easier for women who needed help to relate to a female plastic surgeon when at the time the industry was completely dominated by men.”

The four-storey Edwardian building in Calthorpe Road houses a team of medical aesthetics practitioners, skin therapists, consultant dermatologist and consultant gynaecologist. Facilities include operating theatre, laser treatment room, skin therapy rooms, recovery areas and consultation rooms. The clinic also forms the administrative hub of the practice.

DIFFERENT NEEDS

CC provides a full range of plastic surgical treatments that includes breast surgeries, facial rejuvenation and body contouring. Her interest in breast reconstruction has led to her refinement of related procedures like breast augmentation. CC provides a full range of plastic surgical treatments that includes breast surgeries, facial rejuvenation and body contouring. Her interest in breast reconstruction has led to her refinement of related procedures like breast augmentation.

“People have different needs in different phases of their lives,” said CC “By providing the full spectrum of therapies and treatments from non-surgical to surgical we can cater to younger patients who want to keep on top of their maintenance and more mature patients who need more of a nip and tuck.”

“Our holistic approach means we can provide what is best for the patient, from basic skin care to complex surgical procedures. Our patients love to come to a place where they can see a team of dedicated professionals who work cohesively together and who are committed to being the best in their field.”

DENTAL PLANS

Plans for 2020 include launching cosmetic dental clinics, expanding the operating theatre and anaesthesia team to allow for the introduction of new, less invasive forms of sedation and additional plastic surgeons specialising in specific areas of surgery.

A well woman clinic is a further addition and CC revealed that this has been exclusively selected by ProFaM, founded by a group of clinicians to enable women to preserve fertility and provide the option to postpone naturally the menopause and its symptoms. “ProFaM is incredibly exciting, imagine being able to postpone the menopause for a number of years,” said CC.

CC says the practice’s biggest challenges moving forward are “how to maintain the success of something that is successful, continuing to have strong quality control checks in place and expanding the infrastructure as the business continues to grow”. She adds: “We have proved that quality medicine does not have to be situated in Harley Street – we have women from London, from all over the UK and from all over the world coming right here to Birmingham.”