I’ll be frank. I stood on the crossroads of plastic surgery for longer than most others, tossing the coin that had aesthetic surgery and reconstructive surgery etched on either side.
Why did I become a surgeon? To save life and limb. What am I supposed to pursue then? Reconstructive surgery of course. The choice was clear. Sir Harold Gillies in World War I established comprehensive facial repair, and Sir Archibald McIndoe in World War II famously treated RAF burn victims. And thus, Sir Atul Philipose was supposed to be a reconstructive surgeon waiting for World War III to bloom and shine. I was wrong.
A young lady from Bangladesh knocked on my OPD door 3 years back. It took us a while to see face to face, given the layers of clothing separating her face from mine. In her broken Bengali-Hindi she conveyed that she wanted her flabby multiparous abdomen to look toned. I did an archaic and careless liposuction and abdominoplasty on her, like reconstructive surgeons do. Any surgery that does not require Ethilon 10-0 and handheld doppler was to be considered vain and disposed with, without much thought, often as the first or last case of the day, a case to be (mis)managed by minions, not the boss.
Her post-operative countenance surprised me. For the next 3 weeks, she met me for a total of 6 times. Every time she seemed profusely grateful. Gratefulness, where I work, is a rarity. We spend large parts of our rounds convincing patients that the bulky toad covering their lower third leg defect is a work of anastomosis and art to be appreciated, not to be embarrassed about. On her last visit, I asked her why she was so grateful. Her response stunned me. She said her husband was to leave her and marry another. The fat and the flab that motherhood left her with was now a sore in his eyes. After the fat loss journey, she stood a chance of keeping her husband.
Last year, a 35 year old software engineer came in requesting abdomen and thigh liposuction. By this time, I was more astutely trained by aesthetic surgery mentors and workshops. I did a fairly decent job I felt. Weeks later came the confession. She had been a victim of sexual assault. Binge eating became her standard response to the tedious legal proceedings she had filed for. The fat loss and body transformation now motivated her to start life afresh.
Two weeks back, I did liposculpting and webster’s procedure for a 16 year old suffering from ovotesticular difference of sex development. He had a karyotype of 46 XX, had a penis, ovaries that had been removed, an empty scrotum and identified as male. The current overarching problem was breast development that was affecting his psyche to face the world.
“The way you think about yourself determines your reality. You are not being hurt by the way people think about you. Many of those people are a reflection of how you think about yourself.”
― Shannon L. Alder
I now identify more as an aesthetic surgeon. To be able to walk with a patient through their fat loss journey, to help them achieve their contour goals, especially in a vain and biased world,I believe, is no lesser than saving their limb. I re-iterate- to save a mind from feeling inferior and insecure is no lesser than saving a limb. To demean and desecrate such an uplifting task as “vain” surgeries done by “spa” surgeons is gross disservice. In fact, knowing the confidence boost a safe and effective surgical procedure can provide, it is imperative that we dedicate time and energy to acquire skills and adequate knowledge. Even if we stood on the crossroads of plastic surgery for longer than most others.
Author: Dr. Atul
Disclaimer : The opinions here are personal views of the authors. IAAPS is not responsible. All members may not have the same scientific view point
