Dr.Sandhya Balasubramanyan: 2016

Friday 5 August 2016

Top 5 Myths about Plastic surgery

There are plenty of myths and misconceptions surrounding the field of Plastic surgery. But plastic surgery is very much like any other field of medicine with highly trained and specialised surgeons performing all kinds of reconstructive and cosmetic work. In this article I would try my best to clear some of the myths about Plastic surgery.

Myth #5- Plastic surgery is all about glamour and beauty

Not necessarily. Though there are number of cosmetic procedures like breast augmentation, botox, rhinoplasty, liposuction to name a few, the field actually encompasses everything from correcting birth defects like cleft lip and palate to complex reconstruction following accidents to breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Plastic surgeons are trained to focus on restoring the function and form , and not just aesthetics.

Most often cosmetic surgery is resorted to if the correction is near impossible with nonsurgical methods.

Myth# 4- Plastic surgery is a scarless surgery and lasts for ever.

Very often patients ask me if the scars are totally invisible after plastic surgery. Yes best plastic surgeons are trained to deliver scars that are minimal /small and refined, but it does leave a scar after any type of plastic surgery. The scar formation is a long run process that can continue for an year. We can recommend scar treatments in the form of creams, nonsurgical methods and precautions to be taken after surgery.

Many of the cosmetic procedures lasts long if taken proper care after surgery. Plastic surgeons do decelerate the hands of clock, but the clock keeps ticking. Hence procedures like facelift, liposuction, tummy tuck can give you years with good skin care, surgical touch ups and nonsurgical interventions.

Myth #3 – All cosmetic surgeons are Plastic surgeons.

Unfortunately it is not so. Any person with a medical degree and license can practice cosmetic surgery in India. There are many clinics without a certified Plastic surgeon treating patients with liposuction, hair transplantation and what not. So it has become a ‘buyer beware’ speciality.

Patients choosing a plastic surgeon should inquire about the training and certification , whether surgeries are done in accredited centers with safe anesthesia practice .

Myth #2 - Plastic surgery is only for women

It is not so now. A good number of men are now opting for procedures to enhance their looks and self esteem. While there a procedures like botox and fillers for a rejuvenated youthful face there are also more invasive surgeries like liposuction for gynecomastia ; rhinoplasty and facelift for a chiseled facial profile or a abdominal etching for toned abdominal wall. Other common cosmetic surgeries that men opt to are chin implant for a firm jawline, liposuction for a double chin and body contouring after massive weight loss.

Myth #1- Plastic surgery is only for the rich and famous.

This is #1 myth about Plastic surgery. Most of the aesthetic patients are normal patients who want to look as good as they feel. This can restore confidence, overrall appearance and improve their lives. Cosmetic surgeries opted for correction of deformities not amenable to nonsurgical methods is not going to burn a hole in your pockets. It is tremendously going to improve your self esteem -to name a few, correction of gynecomastia in a young man who is extremely embarrassed to wear any T-shirts, or a mommy makeover for a otherwise healthy lady with lax breasts and abdomen, or a breast implant in a young girl who is depressed about her body image. Any of these above mentioned procedure is going to cost an affordable amount .

Yes it shouldn’t become an obsession to look good and undergo repeated surgeries when it is called body dysmorphism.

Dr.Sandhya Balasubramanyan M.S, M.Ch

Columbia Asia hospital,Whitefield
Varthur Kodi, Varthur Hobli,
Ramagundanahalli Village, Bangalore East - 560057

(+91) 7259605940/ 080-6165666

Email: drsandhyabala@gmail.com
Web: www.drsandhyabala.com

Thursday 4 August 2016

An overview of liposuction- what you need to know about it

And so the battle against the bulge still continues. Hence I decided to write this post.

There are umpteen number of options for weight loss, body toning , sculpted body and like wise. From hot water with honey and lemon to green tea , weight loss capsules, protein shakes -skip your meal types , or just simple veggies everything is on a roll now. Your neighbourhood is teaming with stores which stock them . There are slimming centers, gyms, Zumba and aerobic classes which can complement these stores. But still you are unsatisfied with your body. You are unable to get rid of the back rolls, bulge on your lower tummy, love handles on your flanks or the banana rolls on your buttocks with all your efforts . That is when you should consult a Plastic surgeon.

Safe Liposuction practice started by Dr Ilouz and Dr Fournier in the 1980’s in France has now become the most common cosmetic procedure worldwide. Though it initially started with simple manual liposuction , now there are power assisted liposuction, ultrasound liposuction and laser lipolysis. Your Plastic surgeon can guide you into which method is suitable for you depending upon the amount of fat, skin quality and preferred areas of liposuction. Ideally liposuction is targeted for inch loss and body contouring though you can lose your weight anywhere between 3-6 kgs postprocedure. Though the American guidelines for safe liposuction practice is removal of 5 liters of fat in a sitting, megaliposuction can be done in selected cases with utmost caution in which 8-10 % of your body weight can be sucked out in a sitting. Hence patients with BMI > 35 kg/m2 would benefit from a bariatric weight loss surgery rather than a liposuction.

This surgery is done through small 3 mm incisions placed along the concealed areas. A fluid is injected into the fat cells to break down the cells and liquefied fat is aspirated out. It is done under general anesthesia though local anesthesia can be given for small areas of liposuction. On an average 2-5 lts of fat is taken out from the body. Your surgeon may advise you to wear a compression garment postoperatively which helps reduce the swelling. Recovery after liposuction is smooth. You may have bruising, swelling which can last for 10-15 days. You can get back to work 2-3 days after surgery. The body starts shaping after 6 weeks, however the final result can take as long as 3 months.

Liposuction is combined with tummy tuck if there is excess lax skin in the lower abdomen. In a tummy tuck , a long incision is done spanning your hip bones on either side to remove all the extra skin. Umbilicus is also re-positioned in the waist. Similarly Liposuction surgery is also an ancillary procedure undertaken in a person who had a massive weight loss surgery done. Here the folds of skin on the abdomen and thighs /arms are excised with liposuction of the remaining fat. Sometimes a breast reduction surgery can be accomplished by liposuction alone in young girls where preserving the breast architecture and lactation is vital. This can be a stop gap solution to heavy breasts until child bearing and lactation is completed.

The fat that is sucked out from the body has stem cells( ADSC- adipose derived stem cells) which has the potential to regenerate and multiply. This same fat, is filtered and centrifuged and can be injected in fat deficient areas of the face like the cheeks, laugh lines, wrinkles for a rejuvenated look. This has also been used for a subtle augmentation of the breasts in a natural “no implants” way. However the flipside of this procedure is the atrophy of 30% of fat cells and need for redo fat grafting sometimes.

The results of liposuction are technically permanent since the fat cells are removed from body. However your body shape and contour can change according to weight gain, lifestyle changes,aging, pregnancy etc. So the basic message is to keep your weight stable for a long lasting result.