A day with an RSCM plastic surgeon, Gentur Sudjatmiko<\/p>\n
Dr. Gentur Sudjatmiko, 53, is head of the plastic surgery unit
\nat Central Jakarta's Cipto Mangunkusomo General Hospital (RSCM),
\nwhere he spends his days enlarging breasts, sucking fat and
\nerasing wrinkles. The Central Java-born father of three lives in
\nCilandak Barat, South Jakarta and spoke to The Jakarta Post's
\ncontributor William Furney.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): \"It's an early rise for me as I have to say the
\nmorning prayer. Occasionally I'll go back to bed, but once I'm up
\nI'll usually keep going. I always have a lot on and I'll look at
\nwhat's happening for the day. After I drop one of my daughters to
\nschool, I'll go straight to RSCM and examine the day's schedule
\n-- what operations are being done, if particular instruments are
\nready and so on. Because a lot of the procedures are very
\nspecialized, I have to refer to books and prepare myself.<\/p>\n
I do a lot of reconstruction work, especially in the face
\narea. Cleft lips are very common. There's a huge social stigma
\nabout them, and after patients have undergone reconstruction,
\nthey become much more confident. Last week, I had a patient who
\nhad a cancerous tumor below her right eye. After the tumor was
\nremoved, the eye area had to be rebuilt. It was a tricky
\noperation that took three hours.<\/p>\n
Because RSCM is a state hospital, and is, therefore,
\nsubsidized by the government, patients don't always have to pay
\nfor operations and treatment if they can't afford it. We work
\nwith a lot of foundations that help with costs. But that's just
\nfor medical work that is necessary. Cosmetic, or esthetic,
\ntreatment and surgery has to be paid for in full. We're a member
\nof the International Association of Plastic Surgeons and comply
\nwith all the international standards. The cost of cosmetic
\nsurgery here is quite low, though, compared to the West.
\nRhinoplasty, for example, costs Rp 2.5 million. Asian rhinoplasty
\nis different to other parts of the world. People here want a
\nhigher nose, and we implant a piece of silicone. Westerner's want
\nto have their noses reduced in size. It's a simpler procedure
\nwith Asians. The cost of a facelift at RSCM is between Rp 4 and
\nRp 6 million. That's just the surgeon's fee - the theater,
\nanesthetic and all the other things involved are additional.<\/p>\n
Breast implants are very popular. Asian people want to be
\naugmented, and silicone implants are safe these days. All our
\nsilicone is imported from Europe and the U.S. Two pieces cost Rp
\n5 million, so breast implant surgery can reach Rp 10 million. The
\nresult of the operation is dramatic and the women feel very
\nhappy.<\/p>\n
We get some people who want to change their sex. There are
\nonly two hospitals that can perform sex change operations in
\nIndonesia, one is in Surabaya, the other is RSCM. There's a lot
\nof teamwork involved and it's not something that's done quickly
\nor entered into lightly, as there are psychological problems that
\nhave to be sorted out first. We have to find out what's going on
\nin their minds.<\/p>\n
Twice a week, in the afternoon, I have a consultation session
\nwith the resident plastic surgeons. We talk about the patients
\nand upcoming operations. I also read medical journals in the
\nafternoon, so I'm up to date with the latest procedures. Every
\nFriday, I have a grand round, when I see all the patients.<\/p>\n
I love being a plastic surgeon. I can change people's
\nappearance, and that makes me happy. I studied medicine in
\nBandung and when I finished, in 1985, I continued at the
\nUniversity of Indonesia in order to specialize in plastic
\nsurgery. After that, I went to Tokyo and then Melbourne to
\nfurther hone my skills and broaden my horizons. There's a
\ndifference between Asian and Western skin, and in Australia, I
\nwas able to compare the techniques. Scars on Asian skin, for
\nexample, heal differently than Western skin and are more visible.
\nCaucasian skin heals better after surgery; the scars are better
\nquality.<\/p>\n
Plastic surgeons in the West may earn millions of dollars, but
\nI'm happy with millions of rupiah. Other doctors at RSCM think I
\nearn a lot of money, and while I do make a good living, it was
\ndifficult at the beginning as there was a lot of competition.
\nOver the years, the number of patients has increased. But I like
\nto give something back to the community. During the year myself
\nand another doctor go around the country looking for people in
\nvillages that need surgery, which we pay for ourselves. It makes
\nme very happy.<\/p>\n
I work outside RSCM in the afternoons, at various hospitals.
\nSome patients, especially those who have 'new money,' want
\neverything. I have to laugh sometimes. A woman will come in and
\nsay, 'Doctor, please help make me beautiful.' I ask them what
\nthey want to look like and they say, 'Yeah, it's up to you.' I
\nrefuse these cases because they might not be happy with the end
\nresult. People who have no idea of what they want are bad
\ncandidates for plastic surgery. They're not well informed and
\nwant the trendiest procedures. They'll see someone like
\nKrisdayanti on television or in magazines and want to look like
\nher. They have to learn first. Most of them will come back with
\nan idea, though. And I'll only do a little - the nose and eyes,
\nnot the whole face.<\/p>\n
I get a lot of patients who just want to look 10 years
\nyounger, and that's a case of getting rid of crow's feet and
\nwrinkles. After surgery, the face looks bad and terrifying. A
\nwoman has to be helped by her maids and relatives so that she'll
\nfeel confident.<\/p>\n
Plastic surgery is very delicate and sometimes difficult. I
\nhave to work with a gentle touch. You have to ask yourself, 'What
\nis beauty?' Society thinks a beautiful nose is one that is sharp,
\nwell-formed and has small nostrils. Most people think beautiful
\neyes are those that are not slanted, and the eyelids are clear,
\nwith long, curved eyelashes. In Indonesia, and all round Asia,
\npeople think Western people are beautiful. This is partly because
\nof Hollywood movies, and it's a bad thing.<\/p>\n
I love playing golf and I'll go to the course at least once a
\nweek and on the weekend. But it's time consuming, and if I'm gone
\ntoo long my family will get angry. In the evenings, I watch my
\nfavorite channels, the Sports Channel and the Discovery Channel.
\nI often have Padang food, as it's the best.<\/p>\n
Bedtime is about 10 p.m., and I fall asleep thinking about my
\ndaughters' futures I pray for them.\"<\/p>",
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