▶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 directions of the clinic. The institute also maintains a 24-hour maxillofacial trauma center, which is relevant in the context of full-scale war since 2022. There is less publicly available information about specific cases of Valikhnovski personally treating wounded military personnel in open media than from some international teams (for example, Vision for Ukraine with Canadian surgeons), but the clinic declares this direction as core.
Regional Practice
In addition to the main Kyiv office, Valikhnovski performs surgical interventions at regional medical facilities. According to local media publications, he operates at the Ivano-Frankivsk Central City Clinical Hospital (CCCH) — 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 programs: "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 Patients
In Valikhnovski's statements, the theme of prayerful preparation for surgery consistently emerges: "Before each operation, I turn to God, and make the sign of the cross over both the patient and myself." This approach, after 2020 when he became a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), also received formal spiritual framing.
Ethical Boundaries
Valikhnovski publicly speaks out against subordinating surgery to fashion trends or aggressive marketing. He emphasizes the physician's responsibility for long-term consequences of interventions, not just for immediate cosmetic results. 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 boundaries.
Reconstruction as 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 nasal and facial trauma), 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 main Kyiv office, Valikhnovski maintains his own regional connections:
- Ivano-Frankivsk CCCH — local media publications confirm that Valikhnovski operates at the Central City 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 program: scholarship recipients receive free access to Valikhnovski Academy, assistance in operations, and preparation for international examinations.
- Other branches: Lviv, Rivne, Bukovel — according to the clinic's statement.
Source Credibility and Clinical Reputation
According to clinic data, public patients include President Viktor Yushchenko (from 2004, with the medical team that saved him after dioxin poisoning), as well as state 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" represents Valikhnovski's personal contribution to a specific subset; "~30 surgeries" is the total number of all plastic interventions by the international team. The hub presents both versions with sources and notation regarding 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 appropriateness > cosmetic fashion);
- Regional anchoring (Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil)—not solely a capital-city clinic;
- A social mission (30% charitable surgeries, scholarship fund for children of fallen defenders);
- A spiritual-ethical component (prayer preparation, archpriest identity as public persona).