Essay of My Wonderful Life, Plastic Surgery

Because my daughter is the doctor of the plastic surgery, there are some medical technical books in the house. While I am quite free, I sometimes read these books. I like to see the photographs and the diagrams of medical treatment. I find that some of these medical technical are so interesting. I am surprised to know how the plastic surgeons could create these techniques. I also find that device or creativity is quite important in this field.

For instance, please imagine a lady, who lost one of her breast, because of the cancer. After a while she wanted to get an operation to rebuild her breast, otherwise she could not keep the balance of her body and she would be ashamed for her only one breast. In such case, it is quite common in the United States to insert silicon in her breast. However my daughter's hospital challenges to use the tissues of their patients themselves.

Then, the technique of such an operation has been developed and some of them are written in such medicine books concerning how to operate. As an amateur I think that the doctor would cut some tissue of the patient's body and patch it on the lost breast. However, it seems to be a thoughtless idea. She said that only the fat organs would not be easily patched on our body, even if it would be a part of our body. Without the blood vessel, the organization that moves from other part of our body would not be alive more than a few minutes.

I asked, "If so, how the doctor would do?”

She replied "Oh! It is simple. We should move other part of our body together with its blood vessel."

I said, "But the fat of the patient's breast has already taken and it's just like as man's chest."

She said, "That's why so far many plastic surgeons have been challenging. Now it is said that either two parts is suitable for the re-building breast. Can you say which parts are they?"

I replied, "Wait. It is such parts that fat with vessels are taken together and near to breast. Is it the tummy?"

She said, "Yes, You are right! And another is from the back just behind the chest, which is under a certain shoulder blade."

I asked, "Is it turned inside out when making it to?"

She replied, "The direction is changed rather than turning it inside out to be precise.”

I could not think of it. "But the tummy’s fat is just like as getting two birds by throwing one stone, because she can get rid of surplus fat of her tummy."

She replied, "Yes! But it is not suitable for the woman who performs caesarean section. In such case, we have to take the fat from her back."

It is the indeed interesting way, isn't it?

In the medical book, I found the photograph of a man, who has a strange head, just like as the Mickey Mouse. He has three big balloons on his head. I didn't know what kind of disease it was! Then I asked my daughter. She said, "Oh! He is now under treatment of his head-top baldness" At first I couldn't catch what she said.

It is assumed that there is a person of the baldness of the type that he becomes bald only on his head-top. If he would like to change it normal, there are two choices. One is planting in his head-top taking out his own hair. To divide his hairs into each piece needs a high skill.

Another is this Mickey Mouse way. In short, it is the way to make the bold part and sew up the part full of hair. It seems to be very easy way. However there is a big problem. That is, our skill is not always easy to expand. Therefore, it is necessary for the doctor to make the patients' skill expand before the sewing operation. At first the doctor injects the physiological saline in the three parts of the patients' head. Less than six months will take until the injected part will expand like balloons. After the enough expanding, the doctor cut the bold part, sews the hairy part and matches them. Very strangely, it is said that the skin seemed to shrink at once if the physiological saline is pulled out. I am wondering whether the patients' forehead might be pulled.

Thus, it is almost impossible for me to imagine such skills of the plastic surgery.

(August 1, 2005)

(Source)　 illustrations(Sozaidas)