Mumbai: The good kind of plastic

Plastic surgeons fattend a three-day workshop on microvascular cancer reconstruction at Tata Memorial Hospital. Pic Courtesy/TMH

Think "plastic surgery" and the first image that may come to mind is of an evil Bollywood villain getting his face changed to look like the hero and wreak some havoc. Thanks to depictions in popular cinema, the life-changing procedure that comes as a godsend to many still remains shrouded in mystery.

"Many still have the perception that these surgeries are meant for the rich, which is far from the truth," asserts Dr Uday Bhatt, head of BYL Nair Hospital's plastic surgery department. Excluding minor procedures, his hospital sees about 1,500 patients every year who visit the facility in need of reconstructive plastic surgery, performed in cases of trauma, burns, cancer, and birth defects. "We also have patients who visit us for aesthetic plastic surgery, but they form a small percentage," he said.

Apart from Nair, several other civic run hospitals in the city offer the surgery, including Cooper, KEM and Sion Hospital. "The procedure can cost anywhere between Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000, and in some cases, there are no surgical costs," Dr Bhatt says.

On the other hand, the cost for reconstructive as well as aesthetic surgery at private hospitals can amount to lakhs of rupees. Across public and private hospitals, most individuals in need of reconstructive procedures are men, primarily due to tobacco consumption and high-risk of physical harm. "Mostly, women opt for the procedure in cases of breast cancer," says Dr Vinay Shankdhar, head of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Tata Memorial Hospital.

The hospital organised a workshop on microvascular cancer reconstruction to mark the occasion of National Plastic Surgery Day, where they trained young surgeons from across the country in free flap procedures - where skin from one area of the body is transferred to another - addressing various complex defects. Tata performs more than 800 free flap procedures and 700 pedicle flap surgeries every year, the latter involving transfer of skin, muscle and fat to reconstruct the shape of a breast after a masectomy.

Meanwhile, Dr Sitaram Prasad, who oversees plastic surgeries at Fortis Hospital (Mulund), shares how one of his patients visited him 13 years after his surgery, which helped him regain control of his life. "He had fallen off a moving train and had lost his legs and left hand. The surgery made it possible for him to use prosthetics, enabling him to walk. He now works as a civil engineer," he says.

1,500
No of patients visiting Nair Hospital for surgeries yearly