Prof. dr Boško Milojević – Pioneer and one of the co-creators of modern aesthetic surgery and medicine – 50 years of tradition of the Milo Clinic
THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT PROF BOSKO MILOJEVIC
It is difficult to truly describe my father, Prof. dr Bosko Milojevic, within just one blog. He was a special man, a great man, a visionary, a one in a million, touched by a kind of magic, and destined to be the best.
We recently celebrated the 50th birthday since he in 1967. opened the first clinic for aesthetic plastic surgery in southeastern Europe, and indeed the first such private clinic in eastern Europe. He was brave, he was a pioneer, and he broke the ice for many who after him opened private practices, and who in decades to come decided to work in aesthetic surgery and medicine, following the path well trodden, by this true doyen of aesthetics, that is my father of whom I am so proud.
In 1967., my father had the knowledge and foresight do do this. Back then, the TVs were black and white, and mobile phones and the Internet would come 25 years later! England footballers were still basking from their only World Cup success from the summer before, and it would be another two years before Neil Armstrong would take that «one small step» on the moon. The poetry in this fact is that my father worked and prepared these same astronauts while he was in America from 1963-1967. In 1967, the Concorde was first presented, and The Beatles released their most famous Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.
Whilst working in Iowa with the astronauts on the vestibular apparatus, (as he was also a renowned ENT surgeon) and whilst everyone was staring up at the moon, my father noticed that greats in USA, like Dr Bernstein, were performing new operations like liposuctions, breast implants and face lifts, and witnessed the birth of a wonderful modern branch of medicine. He could not wait to return to Europe and to spread the word…
Yes that same year, in 1967, my father, having returned to Croatia, opened his practice, in his apartment in the center of Zagreb, which was in those days a part of the then Socialist Yugoslavia ruled by President Tito, making this an even more incredible feat. How did he manage to open such an avantgarde private practice in the middle of the Cold War eastern Europe!? And it was almost like he had a time machine, like he knew what the 21st century would look like and what our needs would be in the future. He entered into this modern branch of medicine, knowing that beauty and self confidence were essential needs of all of us, and he used his scalpel like a magic wand, like a psychological tool, making thousands of people happy.
He was the best friend and colleague with the world greats of plastic surgery such as Ivo Pitanguy from Brazil, and Bob Flowers from Hawaii, and he was redarded as one of the best aesthetic plastic surgeons in the world, especially for the rhinoplasty operations on the nose. He wrote many international books, organised international congresses, taught many doctors, passed on his pioneering knowledge. He operated as many as 10-15 operations per day, thousands of operations, rhinoplasties, otoplasties, face lifts, liposuctions, and all of the results were always perfect, all without mistakes, as if a computer precision and divine proportions of the face and body were interwoven into his DNA. Hundreds of his patients from throughout Europe, still contact me and still come to see me for treatments, and I hear only words of the highest praise.
The heritage of Prof Milojevic lives on in many aesthetic doctors throughout the world today, as many of his techniques are still used, many of his pupils still use them, such as his otoplasty and rhinoplasty operations. Due to his pioneering work, he is one of the reasons why aesthteic plastic surgery is so well developed in Europe in the 21st century, and why medical tourism in aesthetics is so thriving and trusted. Medical tourism in the direction of Zagreb, and his clinic Milo was booming in the 70s and 80s, when others did not even know the term MEDICAL TOURISM.
The incredible story of the legendary Bosko, is now carried and retold by his family, his children, his grandchildren, his friends. His anecdotes, his adventures, (he was often invited to secret destinations of some of the world’s top leaders and indeed Arab dictators for consultations for potential plastic surgeries, and the brave adventurer that he was, he never turned these trips down, but…there are so many other incredible stories…all for another blog, or indeed for a book…there is so much) his example, his morals, his standards, his skill. He liked not only the wealthy man, but loved and respected the ordinary man. Indeed, those who could not afford to pay for their operations, he often performed the operations for free. That was just his extraordinary nature. All to inspire us, and to make us strive to be even better, better people for those around us.
It is 50 years since he started it all, 25 years since he tragically died playing his favourite sport, tennis. I personally have had a rocky path in my career, not least because of my father’s premature death, while I was still at medical school. This meant that I did not want to continue in aesthetics, without my mentor, my inspiration, my father. But after a few wrong turns, after a lot of soul searching and hard work, like a phoenix from the ashes, I came back into aesthetics, through the modern branch of non surgical aesthetic medicine. Did the birth of botox and dermal fillers , and indeed aesthetic medicine happen by accident in the late 90s, or did my incredible father send this new specialty my way? In any case, through these wonderful new cutting edge procedures, I now continue his tradition and legacy, and his DNA lives on in me and his 7 grandchildren. It is often difficult for the children of successful people to carry on their work and legacy, but I am sure that the Milojevic tradition in aesthetics will carry on for decades, and who knows what pioneering procedures and findings we will come up with in the future for stopping the aging sands of time, and to indeed make us live longer.
You know, when I am fixing eyebags or noses with dermal fillers, I always feel that my father is here, on my shoulder, watching.. Always pedantic, always perfect, always here…
At the bottom fo this blog you will find two links to our YouTube channel. Links to two films from a very special night in the history of the Milo Clinic. A link to a documentary about my father, and a link to the video of the party we organised for the 50th anniversary since my father opened the first aesthetic practice, the 50th anniversary of the tradition of the Milo Clinic. As you will see, it was a special and emotional warm summer night, when everyone turned up… Everyone came along to pay tribute and respects to one of the greats of modern Europe. Everyone watched the documentary on the big screen, friends, colleagues and family alike. Many celebrities were there too, and there was not a dry eye in the house.
Do enjoy the film, in the hope that you will get at least a slight taste of a night which will live long in the memories of all who were there. So that you can get a taste of Bosko Milojevic, who visited us once again that night, walked around between us, chatted to us.
I hope he is proud of me, I hope he can see how we have carried on his pioneering work.
I miss my dad, I miss him every day..
50TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY VIDEO