Here's All You Need To Know About Plastic Surgeries

Plastic surgeries are a popular fad in both Hollywood and Bollywood. Using cosmetic surgeries in order to bring a change in appearance is something that is increasingly becoming common, especially in the glamorous world of showbiz. From Shilpa Shetty to Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra and even Rakhi Sawant, many actresses have sworn by these cosmetic surgeries in order to change or enhance their appearance. However, these cosmetic surgeries have been doing rounds for the wrong reasons too. While in most cases, re-touching of the lips, cheeks or nose can be because of reasons totally genuine and necessary, there are cases of fans deliberately getting surgeries done to look like a popular celebrity.

19-year-old Sahar Tabar, from Iran, is the latest entry in the bandwagon on cosmetic surgeries. Claiming to be one of the biggest fans of Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie, the teenager got 50 surgeries done on her face and ended up looking like a horrendous zombie.

Dr Aditya Aggarwal, director, department of plastic, aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, Medanta, says that patients need to get a psychological and mental consultation done before getting a cosmetic surgery. "The number of patients who want surgeries to look like a celebrity is very few. Whenever we have patients like these, we definitely ask them to consult a psychologist because we need to see their mental status with practicality. There are cases where patients keep on undergoing surgeries to become a replica of their favourite celebrity," he says.

However, it is never possible for a person to look an exact replica of their favourite celebrity. "The plastic surgeon plays an important role when undergoing a cosmetic surgery like this. He has to scrutinize if such surgeries are actually beneficial for a patient or not," says Dr Aditya.

According to him, the surgeons play a huge responsibility when it comes to undertaking a surgery on a person. "There are a lot of ethical issues surrounding plastic surgeries. There are surgeons who undertake these surgeries only for the sake of money. Surgeons have to make sure that there is an informed consent from the patient, and that the patient completely understands the implications of the kind of surgeries they want to undergo. And surgeons should know the reason why a patient has decided to undergo that surgery. Because once the changes are done, it is very difficult to go back to the original look," he says.

On being asked how these surgeries happen, he mentions about the availability of a lot of computerised stimulation. "Surgeons can actually plan out what kind of surgery is required and how much needs to be added or removed to make the desired change. If the basic features of the patient are similar to the desired look, changes can be made conveniently. But it all comes down to the fact that every person is different and every individual reacts differently to cosmetic surgeries."

And what are the possible effects of a plastic surgery on the patient? "Most importantly, the patient might not be able to relate to the change. They may feel that they were better off earlier. That's why it is important to make an informed decision," asserts Dr Aditya.

Addressing people who have undergone plastic or cosmetic surgeries or are planning to get one, he says, "Patients should take care about the qualifications of the doctor and his experience and expertise in undertaking such surgeries. These surgeons usually have 'before/after' pictures of their patients' and one must take a look at them to see what they are headed towards. Also, patients must do their homework of researching all about plastic surgeries, along with taking a second opinion from another plastic surgeon. It will clarify the doubts in the patients' mind and will also help them in making a good decision," concludes Dr Aditya. 

(Dr Aditya Aggarwal  is Director, Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medanta)

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