▶burns · reconstruction
Practice
Philosophy of Reconstructive Surgery
In public interviews, Rostyslav Valikhnovski clearly articulates the distinction between reconstructive and cosmetic (aesthetic) surgery. In his words, "reconstructive surgery is meant to help people, to save lives, not to reshape the body according to fashion whims." This approach defines the institute's clinical focus on the most complex cases of congenital and acquired defects, oncological reconstructions, and post-traumatic interventions.
Surgery of gunshot wounds (from 2022+)
According to the services page of the official Valikhnovski Surgery Institute website, Military surgery — surgery of gunshot wounds is one of 28 separately designated areas of the clinic. The institute also maintains a 24-hour maxillofacial trauma centre, which is relevant in the context of full-scale war since 2022. Information about specific publicly presented cases of Valikhnovski personally treating wounded military personnel in open media is less abundant than that of some international teams (for example, Vision for Ukraine with Canadian surgeons), however the clinic declares this area as a core speciality.
Regional practice
In addition to the Kyiv head office, Valikhnovski performs surgical interventions at regional medical institutions. According to publications in local media, he operates at the Ivano-Frankivsk Central Municipal Clinical Hospital (CMCH) — this is part of his connection with his native city.
Charitable and social surgery
- The clinic performs 30% of operations free of charge (public statement) — especially for children with congenital defects.
- Collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard, since 2019) — joint operations for Ukrainian children with cleft palate ("cleft lip").
- Partnership with Discovery Channel BODY BIZARRE — public cases of complex reconstructions. The team treated a patient with rare Madelung syndrome.
- Expert participation in television programmes: "Give Me Back My Beauty" (1+1), "I Am Ashamed of My Body" (STB), "My New Life", "Ukraine Is Speaking", "It Concerns Everyone" (Inter).
Approach to the patient
Ethical boundaries
Valikhnovski publicly speaks out against subordinating surgery to fashion trends or aggressive marketing. He emphasises the physician's responsibility for the long-term consequences of intervention, not only for the immediate cosmetic result. In 2015, in an interview with "Vysokyi Zamok", he said: "I would not change a patient's sex for any money" — this is a public declaration of professional limitations.
Reconstruction as a medical mission, not cosmetics
The key distinction in the institute's positioning: the focus is not on "making beautiful", but on "restoring function". This means working with:
- Functional restoration: breathing (after injuries to the nose and face), speech (after maxillofacial operations), chewing (jaw reconstruction), mobility (after burns and scar contractures).
- Psychosocial rehabilitation: returning the patient to public life, work, family without the stigma of external defect.
- Multidisciplinary approach: plastic surgeon, maxillofacial surgeon, otolaryngologist, oncological surgeon, rehabilitation specialist work as one team.
Regional commitments — Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil
In addition to the Kyiv head office, Valikhnovski maintains his own regional connections:
- Ivano-Frankivsk CMCH — publications in local media confirm that Valikhnovski operates at the Central Municipal Clinical Hospital of Ivano-Frankivsk. This is integrated into his public identity as a "Frankivsk native".
- Ternopil — on 18 November 2025, Valikhnovski signed an agreement with Ternopil National Medical University for a named scholarship for students whose parents died for Ukraine. This is not only a financial but also an educational programme: scholarship recipients receive free access to Valikhnovski Academy, assistance in operations, preparation for international examinations.
- Other branches: Lviv, Rivne, Bukovel — according to the clinic's statement.
Source Credibility and Clinical Reputation
According to clinic data, among public patients is President Viktor Yushchenko (from 2004, with a team of physicians who saved him after dioxin poisoning), as well as government officials, members of parliament, athletes, and public figures. Valikhnovski himself mentions in various interviews:
- BUG interview (2016): "After Yushchenko's poisoning, I performed six facial reconstruction surgeries on him."
- The clinic's official website (various versions of historical pages) mentions approximately 30 plastic surgeries as part of an international team.
These two versions do not contradict each other: "6 facial reconstruction surgeries" is Valikhnovski's personal contribution to a specific subset; "~30 surgeries" is the total number of all plastic interventions by the international team. The hub displays both versions with sources and a note about the difference in scope.
What This Means for a Broader Audience
Valikhnovski's practice is not that of a "celebrity surgeon," but rather structured multidisciplinary surgery that combines:
- An ethical framework (medical necessity > cosmetic fashion);
- Regional roots (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil) — not just a capital-based clinic;
- A social mission (30% charitable surgeries, scholarships for children of fallen defenders);