BENGALURU: Don't plastic surgeons just do nose jobs and breast jobs? Isn't plastic surgery only for the rich? Do you use plastic in surgery? Aren't you a glorified dermatologist? These are some questions inquisitive passersby and morning walkers asked scores of plastic surgeons who had gathered in Cubbon Park on Sunday morning to dispel myths surrounding plastic surgery.
Driving home the point that their medical speciality is not just limited to cosmetic surgery and that they are involved in trauma reconstruction, cancer reconstruction, treating nerve injuries, correcting congenital anomalies and treating burns victims, doctors gathered from all over the state urged joggers in the park to visit a qualified plastic surgeon if they have any of the above conditions and save time, money, reduce their pain and agony.
Organised by the Karnataka Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (KAPRAS), which has around 150 plastic surgeons from across the state as its members, working in various government and private hospitals, KAPRAS President Dr BG Tilak, HOD of Plastic Surgery in Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences said, "Everybody thinks plastic surgery is about tummy tucks and cosmetic surgery. We also treat cleft lip, post trauma defects, post bone contractures and twisted necks. Unfortunately, even general surgeons don't know what plastic surgery entails."
Public enquired if plastic surgery was meant for the urban elite alone but doctors explained that many plastic surgeons do procedures like ear reconstruction for accident victims pro bono.
Dr Smitha Segu, KAPRAS Secretary and a plastic surgeon at Victoria Hospital, said, "Many people asked if plastic surgery is just for upper class. We explained to them that when they have traumatic surgeries instead of wasting time getting it repeatedly dressed they should visit a plastic surgeon as soon as possible. Take for example, scalp reconstruction. They are at risk of getting infected if not treated properly and in time."
Surgeons rued that save for skin grafting taught in MBBS plastic surgery is not elaborated upon for medical students.
Dr Gunasekar Vuppalapati, a plastic surgeon at GVG Invivo Hospital, said, "No single chapter in MBBS is on plastic surgery. We are battling an identity crisis because with other specialities, the names are suggestive of the work that the surgeons do, for example, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic or general surgery. Even the Oxford English dictionary hasn't got the definition right. Plastic surgeons restore form and function. They don't just make patients look pretty but restore confidence and body image."
Two years into operations, the only skin bank in the state at Victoria Hospital has had 75 donors; the bank gives skin to hospitals on request free of charge
What gave rise to the term 'plastic surgery'? Derived from the Greek word 'Plastikos' which means 'To mould' gave rise to the term plastic surgery
Dr Harold Gillies, considered the Father of Modern Plastic Surgery, developed some of the world’s first successful skin grafts during World War II. Dr Gillies developed early plastic surgery techniques to treat seriously wounded and disfigured soldiers, allowing them to go on to live a full life as civilians