Cosmetic Surgery: Unrealistic Expectations
December 14th, 2011
Who should have cosmetic surgery? So far, I have mentioned that physical health is a necessity before elective cosmetic surgery should be considered and that I require a current history and physical by an independent primary care physician before any patient is added to my schedule for surgery.
Let’s talk about patient expectations or why somebody is seeking cosmetic surgery to make a physical change. I evaluate patients on several levels. Patients with a good mental attitude, including healthy motivation are generally appropriate candidates for cosmetic surgery.
Unrealistic expectations or patients suffering from untreated body dysmorphic conditions do not make good surgical candidates and we can look to Michael Jackson to see why. They are frequently dissatisfied with the results, regardless of how they turn out and rarely see themselves in a realistic or accurate fashion.
A patient having surgery thinking it will save a personal relationship is never a good idea. Cosmetic surgery should not be done for someone else. The ideal motivation is driven by an internal sensitivity about a real physical feature, such as a hump on a nose or facial aging. Body changes or disfigurement may also be the result of illness, trauma, sun damage, pregnancy, genetics or birth deformity.
So healthy motivation and realistic expectations are the key factors in evaluating patients considering aesthetic surgery. Years of experience help me sort this out with prospective patients.
I find that healthy patients with appropriate motivation and realistic expectations make the happiest and most satisfied patients in my practice.
Rise in Nipntucks for the 65+ Set
November 1st, 2011
According to Robert Johnson of The Wall Street Journal for Fox News, the 65 and over crowd is signing up for cosmetic surgery in record numbers. Perhaps the pop culture saying that 60 is the new 50 is fueling this new uptick. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that elective cosmetic procedures among patients age 65 and older, for both surgical and nonsurgical nipntucks, has risen 29 percent in the past five years, to almost 700,000.
While seniors are living healthier and more active lives, cosmetic surgery is usually safe. However, the risk of general anesthesia is slightly higher for older patients. I require that my patients have a thorough physical from their personal physician, approving them for surgery. It is also my practice to limit the scope of surgery to one procedure at a time. I find that my older patients have fewer complications, heal faster and are up and around more quickly without combining multiple surgeries. As a general rule, this is my recommendation for most of my patients. Reality shows have popularized “extreme makeovers†making dramatic television to grab ratings, but multiple surgeries represent a greater risk for complications.
Follow Us!
