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Cover Story - Make me perfect
THE HUNCH-BACK of Notre Dame could probably be a runway model today. Well, maybe in the petite category. What with sex-change and cosmetic surgery, and physical therapy, it is possible for those who are not pleased with their appearance to do many miraculous things about it. It only costs them an arm and a leg. Cost is no object to locals in pursuit of perfection, it appears. "Jamaicans who travel abroad and see how comparatively cheap our services are, are among this group." So states Dr. Kemel Garaj of the Ripon Surgi-centre where liposuction (fat removal), face lifts, eyebrows, eyelids, breast augmentation, breast reduction and weight management programmes are done. Even students are among the increasing number of people coming in for liposuctions. And, other cosmetic services being increasingly used by Jamaicans include orthodontics (jaws and teeth) dermatology (skin) and plastic surgery. Jamaicans are taking their place in the cosmetic craze sweeping the Americas and the Caribbean. In Brazil, nearly everyone is liposucting, it is said. And, in Venuezuela, home of the beauty queens, the trend is a scorching one. Dr. Jeffrey Meeks, orthodontist, comments that treatments in his field have also become a lot more popular in recent years. "There are double the number of specialists and none of us is really starving. There are a lot more adults having orthodontic treatment," he said. These specialists are trying to do treatments in a much more cosmetic manner, eliminating the horrible metal braces and long treatment periods of the past. Technique In orthodontics, invisalign is one technique which is developing and which now allows treatment with basically unseen procedures. There are also braces made of porcelain, which take on the colour of teeth. Most popular in the orthodontic practice is the straightening of teeth. "More and more adults who did not have the opportunity as kids to straighten their teeth are doing it now," Dr. Meeks observed. When necessary, patients are referred for a bit of surgery for the jaws and face as well, (done by the maxillofacial surgeon) for procedures which get the jaws in a better position, and shorten the time of treatment. In other dental practices, patients are asking for teeth whitening more and more. What does it cost? Local orthodontists say some cases are minor and may cost as little as $10,000 while others are major and go up to $150,000. It depends on the type of problem. Patients often pay on an instalment basis.
"WE ARE extremely busy," reports Dr. Kemel Garaj of the Ripon Surgi-Centre. More women than men utitlise the services which include liposuction, cos-metic surgery and weight management. "Most are working on their tummy, removing fat by liposuction. This is done without cutting the skin in 90 per cent of patients. For that 10 per cent who will have excess skin after the procedure, we will pull down the skin in a minor procedure and remove the excess. We use local anaesthesia and patients are able to go back to work the next day. "Men," the doctor observed, "focus on their breasts, love handles and tummies." Women will do all the procedures that they can afford. Aside from the tummy, other popular areas for liposuction include the outer and inner thighs and the arms. Approximate costs are: $40,000 for arms, and $45,000 each for inner and outer thighs. The procedures have grown in popularity, he said, because Jamaicans are so exposed to trends in the United States and also "the procedure is so safe and simple". It also costs less than in the United States. Liposuction of the abdomen in the States may average US$3,500, while in Jamaica it is done for around $50,000 (US$ 1,111). "Americans do pay a lot of malpractice insurance," Dr. Garaj said, explaining one reason for the wide variation in charges. He claimed that state-of-the-art equipment were nevertheless used in Jamaica, and that the lower cost did not indicate less care. "We do ultrasound-assisted tumescent liposuction which is the best - top of the line. Jamaicans know the value they are getting," he said.
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