When celebs’ tryst with cosmetic procedures lead to tragic consequences as with Kannada actor Chethana Raj

Mona

In the world where filters and facelifts are considered rather normal, 21-year-old Kannada TV actor Chethana Raj lost her life reportedly during a fat loss surgery. Seen in popular Kannada serials Geetha, Doresaani, Nildana, Olavina and a film, Havayaami ,Chetana, the actress underwent the surgery without her parents’ consent in Bengaluru on Monday.

Liposuction: Spot fat reduction – slightly invasive procedure; can risk pulmonary embolism, specially in patients who have recently recovered from Covid

Bariatric surgery: Stomach size is reduced; needs restrictive diet, can lead to gastrointestinal complications

Laser liposysis/cryogenic lipolysis – Non-invasive fat loss; muscle to go weak.

Hair transplant: No life-threatening risk involved, but skin sensitivity and other factors need to be kept in mind

Eyes: Blepharoplasty – removal of excess fat, skin; fillers botox; procedure gone wrong can lead to loss of vision.

Nose job: Non-surgical fillers/rhinoplasty – only about 25-30 per cent correction, can lead to disfiguration, skin necrosis.

Lip augmentation for fuller lips: can lead to disfiguration.

Breast augmentation: Silicon implant/ breast lift surgery, can lead to sensitivity.

Chethana isn’t the only one when a cosmetic surgery went horribly wrong. Many celebs have suffered health complications after plastic surgery. Liposuction has reportedly resulted in the death of Punjabi actor Vivek Shauq in 2011 and Telugu actor Aarthi Agarwal in 2015. Shauq underwent a surgery in Thane and died of cardiac arrest. Aarthi died of cardiac arrest in a hospital in the US.

Among many issues that the world has faced post-pandemic, Zoom dysmorphia – unhappiness or dissatisfaction about their looks by looking at themselves on camera all day long-is leading many to go under the knife. Many prominent celebs have suffered after going for plastic surgeries – Anushka Sharma’s lip enhancement, Koena Mitra’s nose job and Vaani Kapoor’s lips and cheeks sculpting. We all know how Michael Jackson’s desire for fairer skin and eternal youth ended.

The crushing pressure

Be it celebs or common people, the pressure to look good is tremendous. Actor Nikita Rawal feels lucky to be blessed with natural good looks, but doesn’t deny the constant pressure. “One can never be sure what the end of result of the surgery will be, which is why I haven’t explored it ever.”

Surgeries apart, crash diet, insane exercise regimen are as much a risk, she points out. “We have seen Sidharth Shukla. He was such a health freak, but we lost him untimely. Many actors are on restrictive diets and steroids which is as risky as cosmetic surgeries.”

Actor Shama Sikander wouldn’t confirm whether she has undergone the knife yet again (earlier she has maintained to have cosmetic procedures but not surgery) but she admits the pressure to look a certain way is real. “You got to realise that it starts with you. I too have done crash dieting but now I put my physical-mental health over anything else. Whether to succumb to any pressure depends on you!”

Actor Pravin Dabbas wouldn’t get one but wouldn’t judge anyone either for going under the knife. “Unfortunately people seem to be taking all types of pills, steroids and PEDs to look good. There have been a number of people in the fitness world who have lost their lives recently.”

“Post-pandemic, the demand for facial cosmetic surgery has gone up,” says Dr VD Singh, chief consultant, Tricity Institute of Plastic Surgery at Landmark Hospital. Every surgery has a calculated risk. He points out, “Liposuction is meant for spot fat reduction and not for weight loss; however the two are interchangeable today.”

For his patients, he is thorough with what could be done, and what should be done. “Sometimes, we need to inform the patients the difference between what is desirable by them and what is attainable by surgery. We ensure proper counselling along with consent of an attendant before undertaking any procedures.”

One major risk of excessive liposuction can be pulmonary embolism. “While liposuction should be limited to one or two sites and maximum eight per cent of total body weight (5-7 litres of fat) can be taken out safely. In excessive liposuction fat cells can be dislodged and enter the blood stream and cause pulmonary embolism. This can be life threatening.”

“Post-Covid, due to changed lifestyle, there is weight gain, and the waist-to-hip ratio has gone for a toss. Working online for long hours has lead to under-eye puffiness, bags and such issues. Men as well as women are looking for rapid results and in the hands of inexperienced doctors this could lead to issues,” says Dr Vikas Sharma, dermatologist & dermatolaser surgeon, National Skin Hospital. He lists down common procedures and risks associated in inexperienced and unqualified hands.