Dr. med. Dimitrije E. Panfilov
Academician, Professor of IAAPS
Plastic, Aesthetic and General Surgeon
President and Professor of IAAPS
Founder of GESAPS
Member of ASAPS and ISAPS
Recipient of the Sushruta Medal
Recipient of two Golden Scalpels
Academician of the Serbian Royal Academy of Scientists and Artists
“A painter has one flat surface, a sculptor has 60 planes, and I have 62 planes. I work with human tissue and human hopes.”
– Dr. Panfilov
Clinic Olymp’s beginnings are closely linked to the internationally renowned Dr. Dimitrije E. Panfilov, a pioneer of aesthetic surgery in the region and beyond. He has been licensed to practise in Germany, Austria, Qatar, and Serbia. He received two Golden Scalpel awards and became the fifth recipient worldwide of the prestigious Sushruta Medal, presented to him by the President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil, in 2004.
He founded the Department of Plastic Surgery at Vukovar Hospital, the internationally recognized private clinic Nofretete in Bonn, Germany, and the Special Hospital Clinic Olymp in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Dr. Panfilov has more than 30 years of experience and over 16,000 operations to his name. His career includes running his own award-winning private clinic in Germany, developing numerous innovations, organizing 15 international professional symposia, lecturing on every continent, receiving prestigious awards and distinctions, and maintaining membership in leading professional organizations.
He is the author of numerous books, including Aesthetic Surgery of the Facial Mosaic, which has been praised by American colleagues as an exceptionally comprehensive textbook on aesthetic facial surgery. French colleagues have referred to it as the “new Bible of facelift surgery.”
Although Dr. Panfilov no longer performs operations, he remains an invaluable member of our team. His knowledge, experience, and guidance continue to contribute to the quality of care at Clinic Olymp.
We believe there are surgeons and Surgeons. Becoming the latter requires much more than a degree and years of surgical practice. It takes extensive experience both in and outside the operating room. A true surgeon must also be a psychologist, able to listen to patients and understand their concerns, aspirations, and hopes.
A true surgeon must have a passion for the profession and a refined sense of beauty. Every movement must be gentle yet precise, every gesture controlled, every procedure performed with dedication, patience, and meticulous attention to detail, much like the work of a master artist.
Dr. Panfilov embodies both the surgeon and the artist, with no clear boundary between the two. Some patients have called him the “Michelangelo of the scalpel.” His deep appreciation for beauty, whether in poetry, painting, or the human body, is reflected in his approach and work.
Dr. Panfilov’s Innovations, Books and Awards
It is almost impossible to list every achievement, innovation, book, professional membership, and distinction that has marked Dr. Dimitrije E. Panfilov’s career spanning more than three decades. We have already covered many of his awards and honors in the Our Team section, so here we focus on his books, innovations, professional affiliations, artistic interests, contributions, symposia, and collaborations with leading colleagues worldwide.
Dr. Panfilov, recipient of the Sushruta Medal
Dr. Panfilov’s Golden Scalpel awards
Books
Dr. Panfilov has written 10 professional books and textbooks in Serbian, Croatian, English, Spanish, Russian, and German.
Regarding his book Cosmetic Surgery Today, a correspondent for The Times in London described it as a “brilliant book.” The official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons published a review of his textbook Aesthetic Surgery of the Facial Mosaic by New York plastic surgeon Charles Thorn, who described it as one of the most comprehensive textbooks available at the time.
Charles Thorn wrote:
“I see Panfilov’s text as a book for experienced plastic surgeons and experts rather than for students and trainees. Aesthetic Surgery of the Facial Mosaic explores the most current techniques in aesthetic facial surgery more comprehensively than any other book on the market today. The book is outstanding, and I can almost guarantee that I will consult it in my own surgical practice as early as next week.”
Dr. Bernard Cornette de Saint Cyr, M.D., President of the French Society of Plastic Surgeons, also referred to the same textbook as the “new Bible of facelift surgery.”
Aesthetic Surgery of the Facial Mosaic by Dr. Dimitrije E. Panfilov
More About Dr. Panfilov
After completing his medical studies in Belgrade, Dr. Panfilov specialized in general surgery in Düsseldorf in 1977. In 1980, he completed his specialization in plastic surgery at the Clinic for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Goethe University in Frankfurt, under the renowned plastic surgeon Professor Lemperle. Since then, he has devoted his career exclusively to plastic and aesthetic surgery.
As a member of the North Rhine Medical Association, Dr. Panfilov received authorization to train surgeons in plastic surgery and organize surgical courses with international participation.
He has been licensed to practise in Germany, Austria, Qatar, and Serbia.
He founded the Department of Plastic Surgery at Vukovar Hospital, the internationally recognized private clinic Nofretete in Bonn, Germany, and the Special Hospital Clinic Olymp in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Throughout his career, he has continuously developed his expertise and kept up with advances in the field. He further expanded his professional knowledge through visits and training with leading specialists in Paris, Madrid, Cambridge, Glasgow, New York, Mexico City, San Francisco, São Paulo, and other international centers.
He has delivered invited lectures and performed surgical demonstrations on every continent.
Dr. Panfilov organized 15 international symposia in plastic and aesthetic surgery and participated as a guest at more than 90 symposia worldwide.
He has published ten professional books in Serbian, Russian, English, German, and Spanish, more than 140 professional papers, and produced 21 films on aesthetic and plastic surgery.
His book Secrets of Aesthetic Surgery, written for readers interested in aesthetic surgery, has been translated into German, English, and Russian. Published in several editions, it became a bestseller.
Professional Memberships and Distinctions
Dr. Panfilov is a member of numerous important national and international professional organizations.
- He was the first surgeon from this region—and at the time the only surgeon from Germany and one of the few non-American surgeons—to become a member of the prestigious ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery).
- He is a member of ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) and has also been appointed one of its honorary members. He founded GESAPS (Global Expert Service Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) and served as editor-in-chief of its journal, Aesthetic News.
- He serves as President and Visiting Professor of IAAPS (International Academy for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). He is also an associate professor at the university in Vilnius, Lithuania.
- In October 1988, between the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Dr. Panfilov led an international Interplast team that volunteered its services and provided free surgery to 76 economically disadvantaged South Koreans, including 40 children. In recognition of this humanitarian mission, colleagues at Seoul National University Hospital presented the Interplast team members with gold medals.
- He became the fifth recipient worldwide of the prestigious Sushruta Medal, named after Sushruta, an ancient Indian physician regarded as one of the pioneers of plastic surgery, who lived around 600 BCE. The medal was presented to Dr. Panfilov by the President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil, in 2004.
- He received two Golden Scalpel awards, presented by fellow professionals at the International Forum for Plastic Surgery in Hungary in 2009 and 2011.
- Dr. Panfilov was among 39 distinguished plastic surgeons from around the world invited to a symposium marking the 800th anniversary of the oldest faculty of medicine and surgery and the 920th anniversary of the world’s oldest university in Bologna.
Dr. Panfilov is an academician of the Serbian Academy of Innovation Sciences “Nikola Tesla,” in recognition of his introduction of ten new surgical techniques, and of the Serbian Royal Academy of Scientists and Artists.
