Cosmetic Surgery Too Much of a Good Thing?
November 26th, 2012
When is cosmetic surgery too much of a good thing? I filmed a segment for the local Fox News Affiliate here in Minneapolis, hosted by Medical Correspondent, Dr. Archelle Georgiou. They filmed part of the segment while I was performing a lower blephaorplasty or lower eyelid surgery. My patient did have some other plastic surgery in the past and while gathering routine background information, Dr. Georgiou inquired whether I felt that the patient was perhaps choosing cosmetic surgery too often. In other words, did I think the patient suffered from a possible cosmetic surgery addiction? As with all my patients, I am careful to evaluate a patient’s motivations for surgery and attempt to uncover any unhealthy desires for seeking cosmetic surgery. In this case, I feel confident that my patient had legitimate concerns regarding the unsightly bags under her eyes and that she was an excellent candidate for eyelid surgery. She expressed realistic expectations from the surgery and in my opinion; she is certainly not a cosmetic surgery addict.
However, while we are on the topic, let me elaborate. There are several characteristics that are common among cosmetic surgery addicts and for the most part, they are not dissimilar to other addictions. Patients that have Body Dysmorphic Disorder are likely to seek cosmetic surgery to correct “perceived†physical flaws. This disorder has significant psychological components and it is unlikely that any amount of cosmetic surgery will correct feelings of having physical deformity that may not exist. This disorder leads some patients to have excessive cosmetic surgery. As a physician, I feel a professional and moral obligation to refer patients that exhibit these difficulties to the proper psychological care when it is appropriate.
Without a doubt there are patients who do suffer from this problem. The pop culture media machine is quick to point out the cosmetic surgery obsessions of Michael Jackson, New York’s “Cat Woman†and Joan Rivers, to name just a few.
Fox News Segment
September 22nd, 2009
KMSP-TV, the Minneapolis Fox affiliate, aired the health and medical segment today by Dr. Archelle Georgiou, that we filmed in my office last week. Dr. Georgiou and my patient, Patty, did a great job. Their frank discussions go a long way to allay possible anxiety that patients may experience surrounding the surgical aspect of elective cosmetic procedures. In fact, I received a call from a patient who is scheduled for surgery in my office this morning, after seeing the segment. Even though she had already discussed surgery with me at my office and was comfortable with her decision to have surgery, she said that the television interview eliminated any lingering worries she had about the day of her surgery. My sincere thanks to Patty and Dr. Georgiou and thank them for all the kind words!
I have found that my patient contributions included on the blog are an excellent educational tool for those considering cosmetic surgery. I naturally explain the surgery from my perspective as a surgeon. Whereas personal patient reflections really give a valuable first-hand look at what a patient might expect from another perspective.
I extend a special “thank you” to all my patients that have contributed their own stories on our blog about having cosmetic surgery.
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