Risk Benefit Ratio and Regular people

Hi all...

Welcome back to my blog.

This is in continuum with my previous blog regarding the program related to Cosmetic surgery. Now, in this blog, let us address the issue of cosmetic surgery as related to the “regular Joe or regular Jane” if I may.

Because of my first hand interaction with the people opting for cosmetic surgery , operating on them and then following them up, I would really like to put to rest a few common notions that are doing the rounds and which were also highlighted in the program.

1. Not on impulse: Contrary to what one may believe, none of my patients to date has come to me asking for a procedure just as a dare. Nor for the fact that they just woke up one morning and said..” Hmm what can I do different today.. OK!!! let me get a nose job!!” Most, if not all of them have had it in the back of their mind to do something about it and they would have thought about it many times even before picking up the phone to call for an appointment. This is true even for the west but more so in our country..

2. For others: It's usually said that one was forced to get something done by the husband, wife , mother in law, friend, so on and so forth. From what I have seen the actual percentage of people actually forced is minuscule. Most of such instances are only the final call that brought them to my office, which could be the husband or the wife. On inquiring more, its seen that it was something they themselves had been thinking about for quite a while. And as a rule I DO NOT operate on a patient who comes seeking a correction because someone else suggested it.

3. Only for Narcissistic People: I sincerely feel that everyone first has to love themselves before they can love others. If one feels good about oneself then his or her outlook to life changes. There is nothing wrong in trying to look good. One might argue that its whats inside that counts... Never judge a book by its cover..!!!
   

4. But talking honestly, who has the time nowadays to really see inside? STOP .. Read this carefully... I'm not saying what's inside doesn't count... what I am saying is that, in today's fast paced life no one has the time to really see inside. It's like choosing amongst the so many books lying on a book shelf. How does one pick up a book to read what is inside??? Yes... it's by looking at the cover. Once the cover has caught your attention, then it's easier to find out what's inside. Of course, if the content is worthless then anyway doesn't matter cover or no cover. Similarly beauty plays an equally important part in our daily lives to bring people closer to one another , to get to know the qualities one possesses.

5. Only for women: A totally wrong statement. Nowadays we have more men coming in for cosmetic procedures than ever before. Previously we used operate on 1 male for every 10 females. Nowadays we operate on 5-6 men for every 5 women. In many cases the wives come with their husbands. Yes the “ Metro sexual Male “ has arrived.

So , it would be very wrong to judge anyone without knowing their reasons for doing anything. And it cannot be an easy decision to take, be it for a female or a male. Unlike the west where mostly the decision to do a certain procedure is only limited to him or his immediate spouse, here the whole family and relatives have a say. People who have had surgery done and have lost weigh or look fitter, wouldn't want anyone to know that it was because of the surgery. They would rather talk about how they starved themselves and put themselves through a fitness regimen in spite of their busy busy schedules. That shows that the acceptance levels are still low. But anyway after a few days everything is forgotten and people move onto the next best thing to criticize.

It's sad that we criticize any effort anyone makes to look good, but at the same time if you look at the matrimonial columns and the glitzy advertisements, one can see the hypocrisy existing in our society.

But, the heartening fact is that (notwithstanding the so called “moral brigade”) at least in the general population there is more tolerance to the way people are reacting to what others do. Isn't it what democracy is all about? Accepting people for what they are and allowing them to do what they feel right without injuring or hurting others. But, then again its digressing from the topic of this blog.

So ,to put it in perspective, whether one likes it or not, this is a branch of medicine that is here to stay and grow. And medically speaking, it has improved how we treat reconstructions. Reconstructive surgery down the ages was always more concentrated towards function rather than aesthetics. But now the trend is changing to make reconstruction aesthetic too, along with being functional , which is a welcome change, be it in a child with a cleft lip or a man with a crushed hand.

Controversy regarding whether it is good or bad will be on for a long time to come. As a person involved in providing the service I would put in as a procedure which gives best results for those in whom it is indicated and for people with realistic expectations with good awareness of the pro's / con's and options.

As long as the complications do not outweigh the risks involved I wouldn't mind doing them, which again brings us to the “ RISK BENEFIT RATIO” which is not as skewed in favor of a procedure as in celebrities . So awareness is the key, knowing all your options is the key and of course knowing whom to go to for the said procedures.

So for anyone out there contemplating a procedure, go meet someone qualified to do your procedure, do your due diligence in finding out all you can about the procedure.

Once you have done that, do your own Risk Benefit Ratio analysis. It will help you take an educated decision about your procedure. And trust your doctor and share all your doubts with him/her and make that educated decision.

And remember it “HAS” to be “YOUR” decision ,,, not your husband's/ wife's/ relative's / friend's or doctor's decision.

'm sure everyone has a point of view on this and would really appreciate comments.

Dr.Surindher

Move over ladies... The Men R Here!!!!

Any reporter or journalist who has met me has invariably put this question to me....." do men get cosmetic surgery done too???"

Well, the answer to this is very simple.. " Yes!!!"

But hidden in that " yes" are a lot of other things. Men have been getting cosmetic surgery even in the past but the ration of women is to men undergoing the procedure was maybe 9 women to 1 man or less. But in the last few years there has been a sea change in the number of men who are exploring surgical options, with the ratio almost coming to about 5 women to 5 men. So hows that for equality?

With a change in attitudes in today's world , the classical image of a man rugged n unkempt has taken a beating. Women of today like their men well groomed, smelling good, with manicured hands as well as a close shave and of course they want their men to be fit too, hence emerges the " New METRO SEXUAL Male " of today.

So the man of today doesn't mind taking care of what he wears , how he dresses and how he looks. I can tell by my own experience, when 11 years back my sister suggested I get a facial before my marriage..Ii scoffed at the idea and threw a tantrum at her ,but recently when my dermatologist suggested I come in for a peel, Ii said yes... though haven't been able to get to it. But it surprised me as just as much as it did my sister when I told her this.

Skin, be it a man's or a woman's needs to be taken care of in the same way.. and more for the man because of repeated trauma daily in the form of shaving, traffic and being out, etc. Similarly as people are becoming more health conscious, so also there is a perceptible increase in consciousness about their " Body Image".

More and more men are coming in asking for solutions to a variety of problems. But each problem has its differences as to the approach to it in a male and in a female because of differences in the body composition . Hence this blog will just try and touch on different aspects of cosmetic surgery for men and the common sought out procedures.

1.Gynaecomastia: ( Male Breast)
A very common condition. Here there is a slight increase of tissue under the nipple areas on the chest. This usually starts in adolescence due to the pubertal hormonal changes and in many it persists into adult hood. This becomes very embarrassing when a person goes to the gym, swimming pool or in the locker room. This is one of the few conditions where we operate on teenagers too, when the condition warrants it. This has taken over the number one spot as the most commonly sought after procedure by men.
The treatment consists of liposuction of the fat with or without a gland removal. The excess skin has to shrink back, for which the patient is required to wear a custom made pressure garment to give him the best results. This is a procedure that definitely gives immense satisfaction to the patient as well as the plastic surgeon. But this is a surgery which can be very easily botched up also, so proper doctor selection is again important.

2.Rhinoplasty( Nose Job)
Till a few years back this was the most common surgery even in men. The procedure is the same as for women with a few basic differences, like the skin in males being more thick, nose tip surgeries have limited results as far as sharpness of tip is concerned, which is one of the commonest requests that we as surgeons get.
Read more about rhinoplasty at

http://cosmesisindia.blogspot.com/2007/02/i-hate-my-nose.html

3. Liposuction :
This is another procedure which is often asked for by men and women equally. The areas to be targeted being the famous " INDIAN PAUNCH" and the "LOVE HANDLE'S". Here fat is sucked out from the abdomen and flanks through small 1cm cuts, 2 or 3 of them, depending on the amount of fat that has to be sucked out and the areas to be targeted.
Post operatively the patient is required to wear a pressure garment vest for the next 3 months to help the skin shrink back and as also helping the swelling go down.


4. Scar Revisions:
"Scarface", was a rage once upon a time , though the movie is still a rage, a scarred face doesn't hold the same charm or intrigue it used to. So scar revision is another common procedure performed. But the problem here is that " Once a scar always a scar"!!!! The only way to correct a scar is by not having it in the first place. A scar can only be revised, reduced, camouflaged.. it can never be erased.
Depending on where and how many scars are present various procedures are done to help reduce the scars or camouflage them into normally present facial creases.

5. Problems with deep lines and wrinkles
Fillers ,BOTOX and CONTOUR threads are now equally becoming a part of a man's schedule as a females. Be it forehead wrinkles, laughter lines around the eyes, deep nasolobial creases all are being tackled with increasing frequency.

6. Hair Transplants :
Another area which is very unique to men and very common affliction with genetic and hormonal influences. Its a whole chapter in itself and just enough to mention here that its a time consuming process and needs a very motivated patient to be able to go through with the procedure and wait for the hair to grow to the necessary length and also go in for second sittings as and when required.
Nowadays, follicular hair transplants are being done where a strip of skin from the back of the head is taken out and from it single hair follicular units are dissected out and transplanted into the bald areas.

Apart from these common operations, other procedure performed for males in varying frequencies are chin and malar implants, jaw reshaping, dermabrasions, calf augmentation , lip reductions, penile lengthening, etc.

So to wrap it up, cosmetic surgery for men is on the rise and is here to stay. But as mentioned earlier properly motivated patient with valid reasons to have a surgery will have the best effort to satisfaction ratio.

So men don't need to be ashamed of attempting to look good. You are not the first one taking the decision to undergo a cosmetic procedure and believe me you wont be the last. But educate yourself properly as to what can be done safely and who is qualified to do it.

Along with proper diet, nutrition , exercise, grooming and clothes, a cosmetic procedure will definitely help in improving one's own body image , helping you feel good about yourself when you look in the mirror or wear that tight t shirt when u go to the gym to work out.


Dr.Surindher
www.cosmesisindia.com