MONDAY MYTH #3: Cosmetic Surgery is easy to do
July 26th, 2010
Is it true that cosmetic surgery is easy to do?
I believe this is a mistaken belief that stems from two aspects of cosmetic surgery. The plastic surgery community has largely looked down upon limiting a practice to elective cosmetic surgery, since its inception over 125 years ago. Plastic surgeons doing cosmetic surgery exclusively used to be referred to as “nose crackers†or “hair dressers†by their reconstructive surgery colleagues. It was considered a less noble specialty. In fact, one of my earliest mentors as a medical student said, “Always do some reconstructive surgery, so your peers won’t call you a nose cracker!â€
Secondly, the technical aspects of cosmetic surgery procedures are actually simple by design. Incisions are small, there are few steps and the physiologic stresses to the patient are minor. This all true. But the difficult part of cosmetic surgery is the sculpture and all cosmetic surgery is sculpture. Tissues are removed, implants are added or underlying structures are rearranged. Poorly done, this sculpture will result in a very unnatural and aesthetically displeasing result. Done well, the result will be natural and balanced, enhancing the patient’s own beauty and self-esteem. A good result is often one that no one notices.
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