COSMETIC SURGERY: MOMMY MAKEOVER

Mommy Makeover: The Indian Woman Has Arrived?

There's nothing quite like the joy of being a mother. The thrill of feeling your baby kick, seeing that miraculous little face for the first time, the tenderness of breastfeeding. It's an incredible experience. But as great as parenthood is, it can take a real toll on your body. Weight gain, stretch marks, loss of muscle tone, sagging breasts – the list of physical "side-effects" goes on and on. Your body goes through tremendous changes during pregnancy, and more often than not, it doesn't change back.

 Mommy makeover: What is it?

It depends on the needs of the individual, but most commonly, mommy makeover is a combination of tummy tuck, breast lift or enhancement, and liposuction.

Mommy makeover: Who It Is For?

It is for all those women wanting to restore the look of their pre-pregnancy bodies or better.

How to Lose those Stubborn Fat Deposits?

Diet and exercise don't help with these deposits localized in the abdomen, hips, thighs and back which makes liposuction the ideal solution for tackling trouble spots.
Liposuction may be suction assisted (SAL), Ultrasound assisted (VASER^R) or Mechinical Assisted (Micoair^R) ; but please be aware that liposuction is not a weight loss tool. The excess fat removed during liposuction surgery can also be used for Brazilian butt lift for fuller, more attractive buttocks.

Why should I Tighten up the Tummy?

Liposuction alone cannot do anything to treat stretched muscles or extra skin. A tummy tuck takes care of all of the abdominal issues—the stretch marks, excess skin and stretched abdominal wall—and also gives surgeons the ability to bring in the waist like a corset; to accentuate the waist and add definition to the abdomen. This is a crucial part of any Mommy Makeover. A nicely contoured waist blends into the flattened abdomen in a natural way.Women who have had C-sections scars can get this surgery done through the same.

Can Mommy Makeover make my Breasts Youthful?

Yes by a breast lift or breast augmentation or both. A breast lift removes excess stretched skin, raises the nipples and reduces sagging. If you've lost significant volume, a breast augmentation may be the right choice for you. On the other hand, some women's breasts increase uncomfortably in size during pregnancy, and stay that way after childbirth. In that case, a breast reduction may be the way to go. It’s important to know that all breast lift surgery results in scars that are well hidden if properly planned.

How do I get rid of my Stretch Marks?

Preventing them by applying coconut oil massages daily from day one of your pregnancy is the best way around. But once they develop they are difficult to get rid of. Laser skin-resurfacing treatments apart from tummy tuck surgery are definite ways. Microdermabrasion also aids reducing their visibility but requires multiple sittings with the plastic surgeon.

Can My Bikini Area Be Young Looking?

Private part rejuvenation (genital rejuv) is a combination of procedures including hymenoplasty, vaginal tightening, labioplasty and fat injections for a youthful and naive appearance.

When can I get a Mommy Makeover?

Most plastic surgeons recommend letting the body heal for three to six months after delivery before surgery. You’ll also need to have stopped breast-feeding so your doctor can get an idea of the true size and position of your breasts.

Can I have children after Mommy Makeover Surgery?

If you are done having children, it is safe to go ahead with a Mommy Makeover. Additional pregnancies will probably reverse the results of any surgery you might have.

Are your kids old enough to be cared for by someone else for two weeks while you recover from your mommy makeover?

Making lunches, doing laundry and carrying around a toddler could impact your recovery, the results of the surgery — and your overall health.

Will you be able to take at least two weeks off for your mommy makeover?

Your body needs time to heal and recuperate, before you set on to your daily schedule.

What do you expect from your mommy makeover surgery?

It will make your body look better, and it will definitely give you more self-confidence.

 

DR. ASHISH GUPTA

CONSULTANT PLASTIC SURGEON

S.P.S. APOLLO HOSPITALS LUDHIANA.
Mobile: +91- 977977-1111

 

DOCTORSAB, JUST POOCHNA THA.......

DOCTORSAB, JUST POOCHNA THA.......

This phrase is common to almost every person who has ever visited a doctor and the most common line heard by every medical professional who has been in clinical practice in our country. A family of four will enter the doctor’s chambers with the patient in tow. Once the consultation is done, the eldest will start with a smile, “Doctorsab, ek aur cheez poochni thi” (one more thing to ask) and the list of medical complaints will start to unravel, featuring every individual sitting in the room with the doctor calmly listening and answering the string of queries.

 

            It is considered rude to ask for consultation fee when the questions begin with this phrase. I was probably less taken aback than the lady sitting across the table when after half an hour of answering her queries about all her family members’ defects and their remedies, that I asked her to pay for my consultation fee. The famous dialogue from a hindi blockbuster, Three Idiots, “Examiner ne humein aise dekha, jaise ki humne uski dono kidneys maang lee hain” played like a backdrop music in my mind. Unfortunately unlike Aamir Khan, I could not leave my desk and run. So, I sat and calmly listened to the heated arguments that were put forth me for asking such an uncivilized demand.

 

            “I am not the patient, I just asked because I was sitting in your chamber” is the common sentiment. My fellow colleagues blame the MOBILE for the advent of this behaviour. People have become so accustomed to asking their problems on phone and carrying on, that when it comes to personal interaction, the new found ethics prevail.

 

            How does a doctor earn his living? By giving his advise and is charging you for his responsibility to get you in shape and to have the conviction to make you fit. Have you seen any kirayana store fellow giving free ration, any cloth merchant giving free clothes, any building contractor making a house for free? They all charge. Then why is the doctor obliged to give up his right to ask for his consultation fee? And if he does, he is made out to be the guilty party. Only a few will realize that he is in the position to answer your queries because he has given 15 years of his life to the study of medicine and innumerable hours of clinical practice to sit before you.

 

            In a city like Hisar, a doctors’ fee is Rs 50 to 100, Ludhiana 200 to 500, Chandigarh 500 to 700 and Metros above 1000 rupees. And if I may venture and ask how much does it cost when you go to a multiplex and watch a movie with a family of four with snacks, not less than 1500 rupees.......

 

                        Recently an uptown nursing home in Chandigarh, started issuing prepaid cards with passwords for access to the doctor so that the patient can reach his doctor in case of an emergency. Solving two problems with one shot; obviating the urge of the patients to call the doctor for unnecessary things and, making every minute of your call as a paid consult.

 

            The famous Punjabi comedian, Mr. Jaspal Bhatti, wrote, acted and directed in his debut film “Shahji Di Advice” where he wittingly proved that free advice holds no meaning to the person who gets it as it is more than often not followed. Similar is the irony with the profession of doctors, people follow the words of only those whom they have paid and will very candidly tell you that they consulted a local RMP and didn’t follow what you told as a super specialist on the phone!!! 

Written By:

Dr. Ashish Gupta

Consultant Plastic Surgeon,

S.P.S. Apollo Hospitals, Ludhiana

PEDIATRIC PLASTIC SURGERY

PEDIATRIC PLASTIC SURGERY: 

IS IT A FIRST IN OUR COUNTRY?

Children are a distinct group of patients who deserve special skills in their treating surgeon to remedy their imperfections. The advance in paediatric anaesthesia has made long strides in making surgery safe in even a newborn. Avoidance of surgery leaves tell tale signs and leaves scars on the psychology of the child which cannot be corrected by surgery performed at a later date.

The discussion on robotics in surgery, reimplantation of limbs and body parts by micro vascular surgery, age-defying surgical manoeuvres like body contouring; sound irrelevant when the common man instead of approaching a trained physician consults the local pharmacist or the famous baba who has the bakshish to cure all ills. The worst affected are the tiny tots who haven’t even learnt their first words and are suffering from ailments that the untrained hand will only aggravate rather than providing succour.

It was Dr. C. Balakrishnan, the founder father of Plastic Surgery in our country in the late 1960’s who laid down the firm foundations of Paediatric Plastic Surgery by imbibing all his students that the work of a plastic surgeon is to undo the deformities of birth and allay the ordeal of the populace of children who are without a voice and to correct the fundamental deformities before they leave indelible marks on their minds.

The gamut of diseases that come under the preview of a pediatric plastic surgeon are afflictions of any and all body parts from the head to the toes. A visibly distressing Giant hairy nevus on the face of a child, a cleft (split by birth) of the lip and palate or a red bulbous spongy growth of tumor like hemangioma, Congenital deformities of the hand like syndactyly (jointed fingers), polydactyly (more than 10 fingers), macrodactyly (abnormally large fingers), thumb deformities carry a lifelong burden of disability and ridicule if not corrected at the appropriate age of 1 year. Children below the age group of 5 years are the most common victims of sustaining injuries at home predominantly crush injury hand and scald burns. Emergent surgery, deft handling of tissues, appropriate choice of suture material and appropriate dressings with splintage are the factors that prevent the child from irrevocable scarring.

Deformities like Hyospadias (abnormal opening of urethra on the penis), skin tags (especially infront of the ears), giant nevi (big black birthmarks), bat ears (prominent ears), slurred speech due to tongue tie (short frenulum on the under surface of the tongue), gynaecomastia (enlarged male breasts), torticollis (head tilted to one side); prevent the child from socializing from the fear of being mocked at. A changed behaviour after school is an indicator that the long neglected deformity by the parents may be the perpetrator. 

Unlike the general perception of the general public Plastic Surgery Services are not unaffordable to the masses. If Petrol changed from Rs 8/litre to Rs 73/ litre in the last 20 years; a plastic surgeons fee has only decreased from Rs 50 per consult to Rs 300 per week including innumerable free consults on the mobile (Effectively Rs 42 per visit). It happens only in India..........

DR. ASHOK K. GUPTA                                            DR. ASHISH GUPTA

FOUNDER & FORMER HEAD                                ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

DEPT OF PLASTIC SURGERY & BURNS             DEPT OF PLASTIC & MICROVASCULAR

D.M.C.Hospital,                                                         S.P.S. APOLLO HOSPITALS,

LUDHIANA                                                               LUDHIANA

TEL: +91-98155-00847                                                TEL: +91-977977-1111

HOLI AND THE SKIN SPECIALIST

Holi and the Skin Specialist

Holi, also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit, celebrated by people throwing scented powder and perfume at each other. Originally, it was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. In addition to celebrating the coming of spring, Holi has even greater purposes. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to winter. Furthermore, Holi celebrates many religious myths and legends.

As the spring-blossoming trees that once supplied the colors used to celebrate Holi have become more rare, chemically produced industrial dyes have been used to take their place in almost all of urban India.

Not to deter the enthusiasts from using these, below is the list of chemicals that are used in off the shelf local colours available:

·         Gulals (red): Contains asbestos/ silica (can cause asthma, skin diseases and temporary blindness).

·         Black powders: Contain lead oxide (which can result in renal failure with chronic exposure).

·         Silver: Contains aluminium bromide (carcinogenic)

·         Red: Contains mercury sulphide (carcinogenic).

·         Blue: Contains prussian blue (contact dermatitis, skin allergies)

·         Green: Contains copper sulphate (eye allergies, puffiness of the eyes, or temporary blindness).

·         The wet colors might lead to skin discolouration and dermatitis due to their use of color concentrate gentian violet

 A natural Holi with:

HERBAL COLOURS,

FLOWER PETALS,

HALDI,

MULTANI MITTI

is the healthy alternative to synthetic colors giving the same feel and thrill as that of any coloured powder.

The biggest deterant to people not playing this wonderful festival is that they don’t have control over what the person infront of them is using and hence the Diaspora……

Here are a few home remedies that our grannies used to tell us and we failed to imbibe and suffered the consequences. These hold good to the scientific reasoning as well.

1.    Apply oil or moisturiser all over your skin and allow it to be absorbed by the body for 15 minutes. Next smear waterproof sunscreen on your skin.

2.    Soak your hair liberally with hair oil so that all colours slide away when you sit down to remove them after the day is over.

3.    Wear clothes that can cover maximum part of the body. A swimsuit or waterproof tights under your clothes would protect your body from the harmful effects of chemicals in colours.

4.   You can also apply foundation just before playing Holi. This will protect your skin from dry colours

5.   Use Vaseline for your nails. Apply it beneath the nails and also over it. This prevents permanent staining of your nails and adjacent area.

6.   Other than oil, you can also apply lip balm for extra protection of your lips.

7.   Use Vaseline for your nails. Apply it beneath the nails and also over it. This prevents permanent staining of your nails and adjacent area.

8.   Staining of nails can be prevented by using nail paint before playing with colours. Nail paint can be easily removed with the nail varnish.

9.   Prefer red or pink colours because they can be easily removed as compared to colours like yellow, green, orange or dark purple as they have comparatively more harmful chemicals in them.

10.                While playing with colours, ensure that your eyes are protected all the times. If any colour happens to get into your eyes, do not take it lightly and keep washing with tap water till the irritation subsides. Seek medical advice from a doctor.

11.              Avoid running over wet surfaces, can lead to falls and subsequent injury.

12.                Kids are vunerable to injury as they are largely unattended for majority of the time.

What the doctor suggests as

“Tips for skin care when removing colour”:

1.   Wash the colours off from your skin with luke warm water and lemon wedges.

2.   Avoid hot water as it fixed the colour to the skin. Add a few lemon drops to the bathing water and use mild soap. Rub the skin gently to wash off the colours.

3.   For getting rid of traces of colour left, use the paste of gram flour (besan) with milk on the skin

4.   Avoid removers such as strong soaps, petrol and kerosene for removing colour because they can cause skin irritation

5.   Apply moisturizer on the entire body immediately after the bath as the skin gets dehydrated and dull after washing off the colour.

6.   Do not rub the skin vigorously. It does more damage to the skin.

7.   Keep your skin well hydrated by drinking fluids.

8.   Avoid rubbing your skin with a hard and rough brush as it can cause exfoliation and erythema.

9.   If you are planning a bleach or facial then wait for atleast a week.

The advice that you need to follow most is, "There will always be proponents and opponents to the celebrations of this festival; Do not let data dampen your spirits, have a Happy Holi!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

DR ASHISH GUPTA
COSMETIC SURGEON
PEDIATRIC PLASTIC SURGEON
TEL: 977977-1111

SCARS NEED A SUPERSPECIALIST’S TOUCH

SCARS NEED A 

SUPERSPECIALIST’S TOUCH

WHAT IS A SCAR?

A scar is the fibrous tissue (thick, firm, red) laid down by the body as a natural process of biological healing at any site that sustains injury.

IS SCAR FORMATION PREVENTABLE?

The following factors determine scar formation: Size and depth of the wound; Location of the injury on the body; Blood supply to the area; Age of the person; Thickness, type and colour of the person's skin; Direction of the scar & Duration of the wound. Some of these factors can be modified to reduce scar formation.

CAN SCARS BE COMPLETELY REMOVED?

“Once A Scar, Always A Scar. We Can Improve The Quality Of The Scar.” A skilled PLASTIC SURGEON can definitely improve the appearance of the scar by disguising it, relocating it, or minimizing its prominence, by surgical and non-surgical means.

ARE THERE ANY TYPES OF SCARS?

Scars can be good scars or bad scars but scientifically they are classified into various type: Keloids, Hypertrophic scar, Hypo or Hyper-pigmented scar, Pitted/ depressed acne scars, Stretch marks (striae).

HOW DO I ENSURE THAT I GET A GOOD SCAR?

Follow the instructions given by your PLASTIC SURGEON properly and for the entire duration as directed. Regular follow up visits are necessary to assess the response of the body towards the treatment and if any change is required can be instituted at the earliest.

WHAT ARE THE NON- SURGICAL OPTIONS FOR IMPROVING MY SCAR?

Pressure garments and silicone gel/sheet (medical grade as advised by the PLASTIC SURGEON) has been the mainstay in the treatment of scars. Other options are: Chemical peels (by the Skin Specialist); Fractional Lasers or Nd:YAG laser therapy  (by the Plastic Surgeon); Intra-lesional injection of Steroids (by the Plastic Surgeon); Fillers

WHAT ARE THE SURGICAL OPTIONS?

The type of surgery may range from a simple dermabrasion (surgical peeling of outer layer of skin); micro-dermabrasion (does not require anaesthesia); Z- Plasty; scar excision; serial excision; scar revision; skin grafting or tissue expansion (in large scars).

IS SCAR SURGERY A MAJOR SURGERY?

Usually Scar revision surgeries for small scars can be done under local anaesthesia which do not require admission. Some larger scars or scars in sensitive areas like near the eyes, nose etc may require general anaesthesia and a day care admission in which the patient is sent home in the evening. Complex scars may constitute a major surgery and require admission for more than a day.

WILL INSURANCE COVER MY EXPENCES FOR SCAR SURGERY?

If the scars are causing functional problems like contractures, limiting ones daily activity, or hindering ones social interactions; such scar revisions are likely to be covered under the Insurance act. But a prior approval from the company is helpful. Cosmetic surgery is not covered under the gamut of health insurance.

HOW LONG AFTER THE SURGERY WILL MY SCAR LOOK BETTER?

The biological process of healing in a scar usually subsides by 6-9 months. It is by that time the final results can be commented upon.

DO HOME REMEDIES HELP?

People have tried lemon juice, shea butter, cocoa butter, honey, sun exposure for scar reduction but with inconsistent results. But application of Vit E, Aloe Vera creams, massage and avoiding sun exposure do facilitate better scarring.

DR. ASHISH GUPTA

ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

S.P.S. APOLLO HOSPITALS, LUDHIANA

SAFETY WITH KITES & STRINGS (DOR)

SAFETY WITH KITES & STRINGS (DOR)

The festivals of Lohri and Vasant Panchami are synonymous with kite flying in the northern states of India. Lohri is celebrated for numerous reasons one among them is that it falls on the eve of winter solstice, that is the longest night of the winters and as the beginning of a financial new year for the Punjabi farmer. Over time, people have associated Lohri to the tale of Dulla Bhatti. The central character of most Lohri songs, who lived in Punjab during the reign of Emperor Akbar. He was regarded as a hero in Punjab for he rescued Hindu girls being forcibly sold in the slave market of the Middle East. He arranged their marriages to Hindu boys with rituals and provided them with dowries. So every other Lohri song has words to express gratitude to Dulla Bhatti. For Punjabis, this is more than just a festival, it is also an example of a way of life. Lohri celebrates fertility and the spark of life.

           

Vasant Panchami too is a famous festival that marks the end of the winter season and ushers in the springtime. Goddess Saraswati is the one who gives the essence (sara) of our own self (swa). She is considered the personification of knowledge. Vasant Panchami has a specific meaning, Vasant means Spring, whereas Panchami means the fifth day of the spring. It falls on Panchami - on the Waxing Moon. The color yellow celebrates the brilliance and the vibrancy of life.

           

The vibrance of these two festivals is witnessed in the sky filled with innumerable shapes and colors of KITES.  The history of kite flying is equally engrossing as is the recreation itself. Kites were used approximately 2,800 years ago in China, where materials ideal for kite building were readily available: silk fabric for sail material; fine, high-tensile-strength silk for flying line; and resilient bamboo for a strong, lightweight framework. The kite was said to be the invention of the famous 5th century BC Chinese philosophers Mozi and Lu Ban. Ancient and medieval Chinese sources list other uses of kites for measuring distances, testing the wind, lifting men, signaling, and communication for military operations. The earliest known Chinese kites were flat (not bowed) and often rectangular.

After its introduction into India, the kite further evolved into the Fighter kite known as the PATANG in India. In India annual kite running competitions are held every year in the month of January. Lohri & Vasant Panchami are the times when the skies are filled with hues of different colors and forms of kites.

The science behind these graceful flybys presented us with a volte face (the darker side) in the form of the glass laced, polyethylene fiber blended with the metal zinc thread; in common verbatim labeled as “The Chinese Dor”. The accurate constituents of the string are still not known. It was January of 2012 that the Indian people had a taste of its true potential; a kite string that would cut all Indian threads that were hand woven called “Manjha” but also have property to stretch without breaking leading to extensive cuts on people caught in its tangles; leading to partial amputations and injuries to the face and neck as populace of Amritsar found out the hard way; Electrocution, an unheard entity, but the metal content would transmit current in the vicinity of high voltage wires or when wet leading to fatalities in the states of Punjab and Jammu in the year 2011.

The newsprints were full of incidences of fatalities resulting from the string that had created ripples in the kite flying ways. The infamous Chinese Dor was then banned in Punjab, Gujrat & Maharashtra; but it still finds favor with the ill-informed and the un-repenting. Even with its fatal outcomes, traders are stock piling it as the demand fuels its sales.

Human nature is to strive for material things that are forbidden and the tragedy is that we find what we are looking for and are left to fend ourselves while facing the consequences of our selfish actions.

The Chinese Dor is not to be blamed in its entirety as it was intended to be used to fly large kites for Kite flying Competitions not the usual “duels” that we witness in our skies during Lohri and Vasant Panchami. The polyethylene fiber used in making the string has a large breaking load and stretches before breaking giving it a unique nature to resist all attempts of the Indian made Dor to break it. The lacing of glass adds the teeth to the Dor.

Year after year we read in the newspapers about accidents occurring on roads due to children running after kites, kids falling off the roof during kite flying, injuries to fingers leading to minor cuts which would actually quantify the zeal of kite flying. But the rules of endearment changed with the arrival of the Chinese Dor. Kite lovers faced the risk of amputation of fingers’ while flying heavy kites with laced Chinese dor; a sure recipe for loosing ones fingers. The commuter on two wheelers face a double dilemma of an unruly traffic and the risk of sustaining injuries from the string on their neck and arms as few of the residents of Amritsar experienced, especially travelling on the bridges/ flyovers. Rampuraphool, a small town in District Bhatinda shot to lime light when a boy got electrocuted while flying his kite over high voltage electric wires.

Accidents happen when we are not careful. A learned decision as to which string (dor) you will buy might make a difference of life and death for you, your family member and/ or for an unknown passerby who was just admiring the view. As a doctor, I would say, “If you have a bleeding wound, give pressure over the part from where it is bleeding and rush to the nearest hospital.” But as a concerned citizen, I would say, “Prevention is better than cure. Make a wise decision and keep the playing field even.”

Have a Happy Lohri and a joyous Vasant Panchami.                 

DR. ASHISH GUPTA

ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

DEPT. OF PLASTIC & MICROVASCULAR SURGERY

SPS APOLLO HOSPITALS , LUDHIANA