Week 5: Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

Story:

On Saturday March 11th, I had the privilege of interviewing my outside mentor, Dr. Dung Nguyen about her career and experience.

*Disclaimer: Not all the following statements are by Dr. Nguyen; the following blog represents what I have researched and interpreted from the interview.*

The media has created a skewed view of plastic surgeons, highlighting the glamour that attracts the public and a small fraction of plastic surgeons who use their practice for self-benefit. Ninety four percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the U.S. make up the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), whose mission is “to advance quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery.” By setting high standards to its members, ASPS preserves plastic surgery patient’s quality of life.

Although standards that preserve the wellbeing of patients are in place, plastic surgeons cannot guarantee their patient’s satisfaction with his or her cosmetic plastic surgery. The Kole Plastic Surgery Center’s list of most unsatisfied cosmetic surgery patients mirrored Dr. Nguyen’s observations:

• younger patients

• patients with unrealistic expectations

• patients with a previous poor result with cosmetic surgery

• patients with a minimal deformity seeking cosmetic surgery

• patients motivated to seek cosmetic surgery based a relationship issue

• people with a history of depression, anxiety, body dysmorphic disorders, or personality disorders

Cosmetic surgery, as Dr. Nguyen explained to me, has the potential to help someone who looks okay into someone who looks better or completely different; however, cosmetic surgery is introducing factors that have risks to the patient’s body. The Mayo Clinic lists the majority of risks with cosmetic surgery:

• Complications related to anesthesia, including pneumonia, blood clots and, rarely, death Infection at the incision site, which may worsen scarring and require additional surgery

• Fluid build up under the skin

• Mild bleeding, which may require another surgical procedure, or bleeding significant enough to require a transfusion

• Obvious scarring or skin breakdown, which occurs when healing skin separates from healthy skin and must be removed surgically

• Numbness and tingling from nerve damage, which may be permanent

Despite plastic surgeons informing patients of the potential risks, the number of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2012 went up 5 percent since 2011. According to the ASPS, 14.6 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States in 2012. In an era where social media seems to dominate the US, it is not a surprise that the cosmetic surgery is on the rise. The ideal body image is only emphasized with our access to social media, driving women and men to seek assistance from the cosmetic plastic surgeons.

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