Nose Surgery Expectations
April 30th, 2015
Nose Surgery Series
Jessie thinks about her nose surgery expectations and writes: I am hoping that after my surgery, I will have a decrease in the overall size of my nose. I also want my tip to point upwards, not down as it currently does and of course, to have a straight nose in my profile. I believe that having this surgery will make me a more confident person and will motivate me to be a healthier person. What I mean by “healthier†is having a better outlook, being more active and just more beautiful all around. I want to take the extra time for me, spend more time getting ready for the day, walk my dog all over the Twin Cities and be more active at the gym. I know feeling better about my nose will motivate me to make the rest of me better, too. It will allow me to be more confidence out in public. I think being more active socially and physically will improve my life.
I have thought a lot about the recovery and I do not think it will be a problem for me. I do not have any children and I have been able to take time away from work to recover. I am also lucky to have family close by and they have volunteered to take my dog for a few days while I recover. I am expecting that I will be somewhat sore for several days after the surgery and expect the obvious swelling and bruising. I think the minor pain from the surgery will be less than the anguish I feel now from the facial appearance I currently have.
Editors Note: Next time Jessie’s story continues with a video interview the day of surgery, then next week clips of her actual surgery.
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.
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