A day with an RSCM plastic surgeon, Gentur Sudjatmiko

A day with an RSCM plastic surgeon, Gentur Sudjatmiko

Dr. Gentur Sudjatmiko, 53, is head of the plastic surgery unit
at Central Jakarta's Cipto Mangunkusomo General Hospital (RSCM),
where he spends his days enlarging breasts, sucking fat and
erasing wrinkles. The Central Java-born father of three lives in
Cilandak Barat, South Jakarta and spoke to The Jakarta Post's
contributor William Furney.

JAKARTA (JP): "It's an early rise for me as I have to say the
morning prayer. Occasionally I'll go back to bed, but once I'm up
I'll usually keep going. I always have a lot on and I'll look at
what's happening for the day. After I drop one of my daughters to
school, I'll go straight to RSCM and examine the day's schedule
-- what operations are being done, if particular instruments are
ready and so on. Because a lot of the procedures are very
specialized, I have to refer to books and prepare myself.

I do a lot of reconstruction work, especially in the face
area. Cleft lips are very common. There's a huge social stigma
about them, and after patients have undergone reconstruction,
they become much more confident. Last week, I had a patient who
had a cancerous tumor below her right eye. After the tumor was
removed, the eye area had to be rebuilt. It was a tricky
operation that took three hours.

Because RSCM is a state hospital, and is, therefore,
subsidized by the government, patients don't always have to pay
for operations and treatment if they can't afford it. We work
with a lot of foundations that help with costs. But that's just
for medical work that is necessary. Cosmetic, or esthetic,
treatment and surgery has to be paid for in full. We're a member
of the International Association of Plastic Surgeons and comply
with all the international standards. The cost of cosmetic
surgery here is quite low, though, compared to the West.
Rhinoplasty, for example, costs Rp 2.5 million. Asian rhinoplasty
is different to other parts of the world. People here want a
higher nose, and we implant a piece of silicone. Westerner's want
to have their noses reduced in size. It's a simpler procedure
with Asians. The cost of a facelift at RSCM is between Rp 4 and
Rp 6 million. That's just the surgeon's fee - the theater,
anesthetic and all the other things involved are additional.

Breast implants are very popular. Asian people want to be
augmented, and silicone implants are safe these days. All our
silicone is imported from Europe and the U.S. Two pieces cost Rp
5 million, so breast implant surgery can reach Rp 10 million. The
result of the operation is dramatic and the women feel very
happy.

We get some people who want to change their sex. There are
only two hospitals that can perform sex change operations in
Indonesia, one is in Surabaya, the other is RSCM. There's a lot
of teamwork involved and it's not something that's done quickly
or entered into lightly, as there are psychological problems that
have to be sorted out first. We have to find out what's going on
in their minds.

Twice a week, in the afternoon, I have a consultation session
with the resident plastic surgeons. We talk about the patients
and upcoming operations. I also read medical journals in the
afternoon, so I'm up to date with the latest procedures. Every
Friday, I have a grand round, when I see all the patients.

I love being a plastic surgeon. I can change people's
appearance, and that makes me happy. I studied medicine in
Bandung and when I finished, in 1985, I continued at the
University of Indonesia in order to specialize in plastic
surgery. After that, I went to Tokyo and then Melbourne to
further hone my skills and broaden my horizons. There's a
difference between Asian and Western skin, and in Australia, I
was able to compare the techniques. Scars on Asian skin, for
example, heal differently than Western skin and are more visible.
Caucasian skin heals better after surgery; the scars are better
quality.

Plastic surgeons in the West may earn millions of dollars, but
I'm happy with millions of rupiah. Other doctors at RSCM think I
earn a lot of money, and while I do make a good living, it was
difficult at the beginning as there was a lot of competition.
Over the years, the number of patients has increased. But I like
to give something back to the community. During the year myself
and another doctor go around the country looking for people in
villages that need surgery, which we pay for ourselves. It makes
me very happy.

I work outside RSCM in the afternoons, at various hospitals.
Some patients, especially those who have 'new money,' want
everything. I have to laugh sometimes. A woman will come in and
say, 'Doctor, please help make me beautiful.' I ask them what
they want to look like and they say, 'Yeah, it's up to you.' I
refuse these cases because they might not be happy with the end
result. People who have no idea of what they want are bad
candidates for plastic surgery. They're not well informed and
want the trendiest procedures. They'll see someone like
Krisdayanti on television or in magazines and want to look like
her. They have to learn first. Most of them will come back with
an idea, though. And I'll only do a little - the nose and eyes,
not the whole face.

I get a lot of patients who just want to look 10 years
younger, and that's a case of getting rid of crow's feet and
wrinkles. After surgery, the face looks bad and terrifying. A
woman has to be helped by her maids and relatives so that she'll
feel confident.

Plastic surgery is very delicate and sometimes difficult. I
have to work with a gentle touch. You have to ask yourself, 'What
is beauty?' Society thinks a beautiful nose is one that is sharp,
well-formed and has small nostrils. Most people think beautiful
eyes are those that are not slanted, and the eyelids are clear,
with long, curved eyelashes. In Indonesia, and all round Asia,
people think Western people are beautiful. This is partly because
of Hollywood movies, and it's a bad thing.

I love playing golf and I'll go to the course at least once a
week and on the weekend. But it's time consuming, and if I'm gone
too long my family will get angry. In the evenings, I watch my
favorite channels, the Sports Channel and the Discovery Channel.
I often have Padang food, as it's the best.

Bedtime is about 10 p.m., and I fall asleep thinking about my
daughters' futures I pray for them."