The Scalpel Saga
Anesthesia, blood and failure form one side of the plastic surgery story. Sunanda Pati goes over to the other side and finds out more.
Wonder what Sushruta must have thought seeing so many people go under the knife whether they require physical correction or not? For those of you not familiar with that name, Sushruta was supposedly the first plastic surgeon India saw and he lived as long back as 600 BC! Considering figure correction has existed so long in the nation, it is not surprising to see thousands of people consulting cosmetic surgeons every year. The trend has caught up in Bangalore too and quite fast at that. Though the initial days saw more of celebrities and people from the upper crust choosing to go under the scalpel, the popularity of figure correction is no less amongst the not-so-rich today. With a definitive lifestyle shift, Bangaloreans are less tolerant of physical defects now. They want results and real fast ones.
Here and Now
Over the years, even though plastic surgery takers have increased dramatically, most of them still seem to be in the dark. Why? For most, if not all, are unable to make out the difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery. Like most Bangaloreans, Ayesha thinks “every plastic surgery is cosmetic surgery”. There’s really a fine line that separates the two of them for the latter is a part of the former. Apart from cosmetic procedures, plastic surgery also involves reconstruction therapy. According to Dr. Pooya Mozzaferry of Pooya’s Health Care Center, “people are too apprehensive to find out the truth”. This means they continue to suffer from a misconception that makes it impossible for them to distinguish between plastic and cosmetic surgery. But that definitely is not something that’s stopping people from experimenting. Everybody’s game
Bangalore for one is a city that seems to have grown a fetish for nose jobs. Known as Rhinoplasty more scientifically, nose jobs seem to be the new makeover mantra for the city. And if it’s rhinoplasty you’re talking of, you couldn’t possibly miss out on Dr. M.S Venkatesh’s name. The doctor, who is well known for his rhinoplasty successes, claims how Bangaloreans have developed a special corner for aesthetic surgery, nose jobs being their topmost priority. Dr. Venkatesh speaks of an elderly Kannadiga who opted for rhinoplasty at the age of 60 because other responsibilities did not let him fulfill the aspiration of getting a sharper nose. If Dr. Venkatesh’s words are not enough to make you sure, Dr. Udaya Shankar’s opinions can definitely change your mind. According to this plastic surgery specialist in an interview with the Times of India, most takers have their eyes set on a “small, straight and thin” nose. Dr Mozzaferry, though, believes rhinoplasty takers could be more had it not been for the apprehension that others may find out the truth behind the enhanced appearance!
Coming in a close second to Rhinoplasty in popularity is liposuction. The city has people coming in from far off places to get going with figure correction. Outside India, a simple liposuction procedure could cost a fortune whereas within the country you could have cost worries slashed to a great extent. Dr Mozzaferry says, “Bangalore’s inexpensive not only when you compare it with other countries but also with the rest of the important cities in India. While in Bangalore a liposuction procedure could cost 80, 000 rupees in other cities like Delhi and Mumbai, it could cost exactly double! As for international comparisons, Bangalore charges 30% of what the US or UK charges.”
Since the trend of getting plastic surgeries is catching up rapidly, there are other procedures that have come up to give rhinoplasty and liposuction a run for their money. Face lifts, thread lifts, cheek and chin augmentation, fillers and breast augmentation have completely flooded the Bangalore plastic surgery scene. Thread lifts are a comparatively newer variety of plastic surgery available now. Unlike face lifts that cater to major age related sagging, thread lifts serve minor problems over a lesser area. The newest entrant in this race, according to Mozzaferry, is scar revision. Bangaloreans, it seems, do not want the slightest blemishes to show and scars, in that case, are unforgivable. Worth time and money
If there’s anything that stops people from getting plastic surgery done, then its money. According to Dr. M.S Venkatesh it has also got something to do with fear of failure. He says, “People are not sure what plastic surgery’s about. Generally, they do not have the knowledge to empower them to face the situation upfront.” Mozzaferry has something similar to say too when he expresses how people relate plastic surgery with “the OT, knives, scalpels and the fear that the procedure may go wrong.”
In case you’re thinking along the same lines, a breather comes from the doctors who claim “Bangalore is far less expensive compared to all other metros”. If you’re considering a nose job, it usually comes at 25, 000 rupees at the lower end and goes up to about 60, 000. Liposuction, on the other hand, could cost as less as 20, 000 rupees if the quantity of fat to be reduced is not considerable. Going by Dr Venkatesh’s experience of “removing up to 15 liters of fat”, excessive obesity could actually make you spend 90, 000 on a comprehensive liposuction procedure. A breast augmentation procedure is a more expensive counterpart and usually causes a monetary setback of 70, 000 to 90, 000 rupees.
The question of time is something else that lots of people fret about. Dr Venkatesh offers a note of consolation by saying “most plastic and cosmetic procedures do not take much long. Major procedures like rhinoplasty and breast augmentation take only about an hour and a half or maybe two at the most”.
Plastic surgery is rewarding only as long as you’re ready to take on the ‘risk’. Though there are many cases of breast and nose jobs going wrong, a chance is what you need to take in case you want to make a great difference to your appearance. There are many more successes than failures and the best way to deal with it is by being positive, says Dr. Venkatesh. Amongst other things what you need is a dependable doctor, a great backup team (which includes the anesthetist), a reputed hospital and excellent OT facilities. As for the rest, Dr. Pooya’s words, “a plastic surgery is as risky as walking on the road. If you have the fear of getting hit, you can never actually set foot outside”, say it all!
Wonder what Sushruta must have thought seeing so many people go under the knife whether they require physical correction or not? For those of you not familiar with that name, Sushruta was supposedly the first plastic surgeon India saw and he lived as long back as 600 BC! Considering figure correction has existed so long in the nation, it is not surprising to see thousands of people consulting cosmetic surgeons every year. The trend has caught up in Bangalore too and quite fast at that. Though the initial days saw more of celebrities and people from the upper crust choosing to go under the scalpel, the popularity of figure correction is no less amongst the not-so-rich today. With a definitive lifestyle shift, Bangaloreans are less tolerant of physical defects now. They want results and real fast ones. Here and Now
Over the years, even though plastic surgery takers have increased dramatically, most of them still seem to be in the dark. Why? For most, if not all, are unable to make out the difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery. Like most Bangaloreans, Ayesha thinks “every plastic surgery is cosmetic surgery”. There’s really a fine line that separates the two of them for the latter is a part of the former. Apart from cosmetic procedures, plastic surgery also involves reconstruction therapy. According to Dr. Pooya Mozzaferry of Pooya’s Health Care Center, “people are too apprehensive to find out the truth”. This means they continue to suffer from a misconception that makes it impossible for them to distinguish between plastic and cosmetic surgery. But that definitely is not something that’s stopping people from experimenting. Everybody’s game
Bangalore for one is a city that seems to have grown a fetish for nose jobs. Known as Rhinoplasty more scientifically, nose jobs seem to be the new makeover mantra for the city. And if it’s rhinoplasty you’re talking of, you couldn’t possibly miss out on Dr. M.S Venkatesh’s name. The doctor, who is well known for his rhinoplasty successes, claims how Bangaloreans have developed a special corner for aesthetic surgery, nose jobs being their topmost priority. Dr. Venkatesh speaks of an elderly Kannadiga who opted for rhinoplasty at the age of 60 because other responsibilities did not let him fulfill the aspiration of getting a sharper nose. If Dr. Venkatesh’s words are not enough to make you sure, Dr. Udaya Shankar’s opinions can definitely change your mind. According to this plastic surgery specialist in an interview with the Times of India, most takers have their eyes set on a “small, straight and thin” nose. Dr Mozzaferry, though, believes rhinoplasty takers could be more had it not been for the apprehension that others may find out the truth behind the enhanced appearance! Coming in a close second to Rhinoplasty in popularity is liposuction. The city has people coming in from far off places to get going with figure correction. Outside India, a simple liposuction procedure could cost a fortune whereas within the country you could have cost worries slashed to a great extent. Dr Mozzaferry says, “Bangalore’s inexpensive not only when you compare it with other countries but also with the rest of the important cities in India. While in Bangalore a liposuction procedure could cost 80, 000 rupees in other cities like Delhi and Mumbai, it could cost exactly double! As for international comparisons, Bangalore charges 30% of what the US or UK charges.”
Since the trend of getting plastic surgeries is catching up rapidly, there are other procedures that have come up to give rhinoplasty and liposuction a run for their money. Face lifts, thread lifts, cheek and chin augmentation, fillers and breast augmentation have completely flooded the Bangalore plastic surgery scene. Thread lifts are a comparatively newer variety of plastic surgery available now. Unlike face lifts that cater to major age related sagging, thread lifts serve minor problems over a lesser area. The newest entrant in this race, according to Mozzaferry, is scar revision. Bangaloreans, it seems, do not want the slightest blemishes to show and scars, in that case, are unforgivable. Worth time and money
If there’s anything that stops people from getting plastic surgery done, then its money. According to Dr. M.S Venkatesh it has also got something to do with fear of failure. He says, “People are not sure what plastic surgery’s about. Generally, they do not have the knowledge to empower them to face the situation upfront.” Mozzaferry has something similar to say too when he expresses how people relate plastic surgery with “the OT, knives, scalpels and the fear that the procedure may go wrong.” In case you’re thinking along the same lines, a breather comes from the doctors who claim “Bangalore is far less expensive compared to all other metros”. If you’re considering a nose job, it usually comes at 25, 000 rupees at the lower end and goes up to about 60, 000. Liposuction, on the other hand, could cost as less as 20, 000 rupees if the quantity of fat to be reduced is not considerable. Going by Dr Venkatesh’s experience of “removing up to 15 liters of fat”, excessive obesity could actually make you spend 90, 000 on a comprehensive liposuction procedure. A breast augmentation procedure is a more expensive counterpart and usually causes a monetary setback of 70, 000 to 90, 000 rupees.
The question of time is something else that lots of people fret about. Dr Venkatesh offers a note of consolation by saying “most plastic and cosmetic procedures do not take much long. Major procedures like rhinoplasty and breast augmentation take only about an hour and a half or maybe two at the most”.
Plastic surgery is rewarding only as long as you’re ready to take on the ‘risk’. Though there are many cases of breast and nose jobs going wrong, a chance is what you need to take in case you want to make a great difference to your appearance. There are many more successes than failures and the best way to deal with it is by being positive, says Dr. Venkatesh. Amongst other things what you need is a dependable doctor, a great backup team (which includes the anesthetist), a reputed hospital and excellent OT facilities. As for the rest, Dr. Pooya’s words, “a plastic surgery is as risky as walking on the road. If you have the fear of getting hit, you can never actually set foot outside”, say it all!