Ex-Splitsvilla contestant Gaurav Arora to enter India's Next Top Model as Gauri post sex-change surgery. Here's all you need to know about the procedure

Gaurav Arora's transformation post his sex-change surgery is amazing. Photo Courtesy:Instgram/bookmytv

Remember the taut, toned, six-feet tall Gaurav Arora from MTV's Splitsvilla Season eight? And how his 40-30-36 physique, eight-pack abs, and 16-inch biceps made female contestants on the show drool? If you're wondering what sets this guy so apart from the other contestants and makes his name a memorable one, then here's the deal: Gaurav had the guts to admit to being bisexual on national television at that time.

Another thing that makes him unforgettable and even made him the talk of the town not so long ago is that he went against the norm and got a sex-change operation as he "always wanted to be a woman". And now a bold and the beautiful Gauri is all set to participate in another MTV venture, India's Next Top Model which will be judged by Milind Soman, Malaika Arora and Dabboo Ratnani.

 

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Talking about her life after her marvelous transformation and her stint in the show, Gauri told Mumbai Mirror: "I felt extremely beautiful. I was a tad apprehensive about the fact that I had to put on a bikini and walk down the ramp in front of seasoned judges but that only made my resolve stronger. It takes a lot of courage to accept the reality and come out in public. A lot of people out there already know about my struggle. I hope my stint on the show gives courage to a lot of people."

While you continue applauding her efforts, here's what you need to know about the sex-change operation that she underwent to reach this stage and embrace her sexuality:

Before you understand the procedure, understand certain terms

Relax! No one is asking you to mug up a biology book or look up the dictionary. But going by the way people ignorantly use the terms 'gender' and 'sex' it is super-important to clarify the difference in the very beginning so as to help you understand the procedure clearly, says Dr Anubhav Gupta, plastic surgeon at Sir Gangaram Hospital.

If you're a strong-coffee lover, will you ever settle for a latte instead of a long-shot espresso? Because you know what? Despite both being types of coffees, they're supremely different. Well, same is the case with sex and gender.

According to Science ABC, sex is a biological concept based on biological characteristics and gender is related to personal, societal, and cultural perceptions of sexuality.

"If there is no congruence between the two, the person is said to going through a gender-identity disorder.  For instance, a person could be a male as per his gender and could feel like a woman as per his sexuality," explains Gupta.

So, this is how it is done

Gupta further explains that for certain individuals, this incongruence is strong enough to motivate them to go for a sex-change surgery. What next?

Well, through a surgical process the transgender person's physical characteristics are altered to match their sexual characteristics.

"So a man who feels like a woman will be given breast implants, will have to undergo some facial surgeries to look like a woman, along with gender-reconstruction procedures," he adds.

FYI, these gender-reconstruction surgeries aren't as simple as removing the penis. They include, opening up the scrotum, removing the testicles, and removing the head of the penis (with nerve endings) to create a clitoris. Next, the shaft and the scrotum are used to create the labia and vaginal canal for a healthy sex life of the patients.

However, it's not like one day you suddenly resolve to change your life, you run to the clinic and boom! You transform.

It's a slow process that takes place in different steps

"The patient is first sent for a psychiatrist evaluation to two different experts to make sure that he/she knows what they're getting into," says Gupta.

Post the confirmation, the patient is asked to try role play for three months.

"In case of a male to female sex-change surgery, we ask the man to live like a woman in the society for three months and vice-versa. This prepares them mentally for the change and helps them understand how life would be post the actual change," he adds.

Call it their one last chance to reconsider their decision, but first the reversible surgeries are performed once the role-play stage is over.

"These include plastic surgery of the face to make their features more feminine/masculine, breast implants or removal of breasts (mastectomy)," explains Gupta.

Plastic surgery is performed as a part of this process. Photo Courtesy: Pinterest/Honolulu MedSpa

This can be followed by laser hair removal and voice-changing surgeries if required and then the final, irreversible stage of modifying the genitals.It is after this year-long process that the deal is sealed and there's no looking back.

Is it painful?

Obviously, you'll be on an anesthesia while the surgery happens. So you don't have to worry about the pain there. The initial few days after the surgery can be slightly painful though. However, Gupta says it's tolerable and will pass.

Hormonal therapy forms an integral part of the change

A long-term hormonal therapy is required too. Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

You obviously know that estrogen in females and testosterone in males is responsible for their secondary sexual characteristics. So how can a sex-change be complete without altering the hormones? "A life-long hormonal therapy is required along with the surgeries in order to make the change a success. However, we recommend patients to take the therapy for a few months, take a break, and then resume," says Gupta.

Is it a risky business?

Thanks to the medical advancements, the failure rate is quite low according to Gupta. However, he doesn't rule out the possibility and states that it is a challenging transformation. Apart from having to shell almost 3-5 lakhs on the procedure, there are a couple of side-effects one might have to face.

For starters, all those injected hormones can really make you irritable. And sometimes, excess of estrogen can lead to blood thickening, which in turn can lead to a heart stroke.

Not to mention, post the surgery, one cannot procreate naturally. "To counter this, we suggest patients to freeze their eggs/sperms and use alternate methods of reproduction like surrogacy," says Gupta.

Post the surgery, one can procreate using alretnate methods of reproduction like surrogacy. Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Canadian Surrogacy-Fertility Consulting

Obviously, you have to regularly invest in the maintenance and look after yourself really well. But, what can really play with your head is getting social acceptance.

All said and done, it is an expensive, complicated procedure and one must take the plunge only if they're 100% sure. As for getting acceptance, remember this: kuch toh log kahenge hi, logon ka kaam hai kehna.