Beauty under the knife

SOME ARE opting to do it locally at one of the many private medical facilities that perform such procedures, others are going to nearby Margarita just off Venezuela — all with the aim of improving their looks.

In increasing numbers, women and men in this country are having their face and bodies surgically enhanced, spending thousands of dollars in their quest for beauty. This was underscored recently when a local radio station — HOTT 93 FM — held a competition with the first prize of breast enhancement surgery.

The lucky winner had the surgery, which costs between $25,000 and $30,000, at the West Shore Medical Centre in Cocorite. It was done by plastic surgeon Dr Paul Mohammed who said there is a high demand for cosmetic surgery, particularly breast implants and breast reductions.

To meet the demand, he said, foreign-based doctors come into the country from time-to-time to perform the surgeries.

In the case of the radio contest winner, who does not want to be identified, reports are that she opted for breast reduction. She said she decided on the surgery after enduring years of discomfort and failing to get relief through other non-invasive methods.

An increased national obsession with physical beauty, particularly during the Carnival season when many people want to flaunt it all in skimpy costumes and casual wear, is the driving force behind this heightened interest in cosmetic surgery.

This trend seems to have trickled down from neighbouring Venezuela which has been experiencing a boom in cosmetic surgeries over the past decade. Beauty is big business in Venezuela which has won more international beauty contests in the past 50 years than any other country in the world — five Miss World and four Miss Universe titles.

As a result, Venezuelans, 70 percent of whom live in poverty, are willing to shell out as much as a fifth of their incomes for thinner noses, slightly fuller lips, larger breasts, firm buttocks and other physical enhancements.

As is the case in TT, the most popular cosmetic procedure is breast enhancement, which can cost between US$1,000 and US$3,500.

Cosmetic surgery falls under the broad heading of plastic surgery — procedures carried out for functional or aesthetic reasons. Plastic surgery is divided into two broad fields. The first is reconstructive surgery which focuses on repairing the destructive effects of trauma, surgery and disease. These procedures usually involve closing defects with flaps — moving tissue from other parts of the body.

Cosmetic surgery is usually performed to change features the patient finds unacceptable, although it is sometimes done for medical reasons, as in the case of breast reduction when orthopaedic problems are present.

The earliest cosmetic surgeries were done in India as far back as the eighth century BC when physicians used skin grafts for reconstructive work. However, it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that such procedures became commonplace.

The first plastic surgeon in the United States was Dr John Peter Mettauer who performed a cleft palate operation in 1827 using instruments he designed himself.

A recent survey conducted by the Mayo Clinic in the US revealed that many people claim that post-operative benefits go well beyond an improved physical appearance.

They claim to have greater self-confidence, improved social lives, sex lives and interpersonal relationships, as well as increased enjoyment of leisure activities.

The best candidates for such procedures are persons who expect improvement rather than perfection, can afford the time and expense of the surgery and understand the health risks involved.

Many people think the greatest risk with cosmetic surgery is dissatisfaction with the results but, according to the Mayo Clinic, there can be significant health risks.

Persons with a history of cardiovascular disease, lung disease or obesity have a high risk of developing such complications as pneumonia, stroke, heart attack and blood clots in the legs or lungs.

Even persons in good health face possible surgical complications including nausea, dizziness and excessive pain; numbness and tingling; an accumulation of clear fluid beneath the wound which may have to be drained with a needle and a collection of blood beneath the closed incision, which may have to be surgically removed.

There is also the risk of skin breakdown caused by poor blood circulation, significant bleeding requiring a transfusion, infection at the site of the incision and uneven or lumpy appearance which may be permanent and require additional surgery to correct.