Assignment: Body Paragraphs



Cosmetic Surgery: Do or Do Not

In America there are so many trends that have bombarded the way that we live our lives. One of the most known about and dangerous is cosmetic surgery. In recent years, policymakers and medical expert have expressed alarm about the growing problem of teenagers have cosmetic surgery in the United State. The ASPS has no formal position on plastic for teenagers. As with any surgery, parental consent is required for all plastic surgery procedures performed on teens younger than 18. ASPS advises parents to evaluate the teenager's physical and emotional maturity and believes that individual cases merit careful evaluation under the guidance of a plastic surgeon certified by The American Board of plastic surgery. While parental support is essential, the teenager's own desire for plastic surgery must be clearly expressed and repeated over a period of time. With the increase in ways to communicate, including internet, television, advertisements, and more, there are unlimited possibilities on how to promote cosmetic surgeries. Even though many people believe that the benefits of cosmetic surgery outweigh the risks, the possibility of deaths and other complications outweigh the benefits because of the increase of deaths in the last five years.

Teenagers who want to have plastic surgery usually have different motivations and goals than adults. They often have plastic surgery to improve physical characteristics they feel are awkward or flawed that if left uncorrected, may affect them well into adulthood. Teens tend to have plastic surgery to fit in with peers, to look similar. Adults tend to have plastic surgery to standout from others. Common physical characteristics or concerns teenagers wish to correct include nose reshaping, protruding ears, overly large breasts, asymmetrical breasts, and severe acne and scarring. Teens frequently gain self esteem and confidence when their physical problems are corrected. In fact, successful plastic surgery may reverse the social withdrawal that so often accompanies teens who feel different. According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) statistics, more than 331,000 cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed on people age 18 or younger in 2003. Not every teenager seeking plastic surgery is well suited for an operation. Teens must demonstrate emotional maturity and an understanding of the limitations of plastic surgery. In addition, certain milestones in growth and physical maturity must be achieved before undergoing plastic surgery. With the introduction of reality plastic surgery shows like MTV's "I Want a Famous Face," the ASPS cautions teenagers and parents to keep in mind that plastic surgery is real surgery, with great benefits, but also carries some risks. Teens should have realistic expectations about plastic surgery and what it can do for them. Patients should be cautious of any physicians claiming they can make you look like someone else. Everyone has different and unique facial features and bone structure, which greatly influence the outcome of any plastic surgery procedure. Although health insurance does not pay for cosmetic plastic surgery, coverage is often provided when a procedure alleviates physical symptoms or improves a body function. Such is usually the case, for instance, when breast reduction eliminates severe back and neck pain. It should be noted, however, that health insurance coverage varies greatly between health plans.

With any type of surgery, cosmetic or not, there will always be risks and possible complications. Some of these risks can be short-term or even long-term. Although there is a low risk of complications among board certified plastic surgeons, all surgeons are not board certified. Some of the complications that are known with surgery in general are abnormal heart rhythm, airway obstruction, blood clots, brain damage, death, heart attack, malignant, hyperthermia, nerve damage, stroke, temporary paralysis, and more. In addition to these complications there are complications that are specific to cosmetic surgery which are Skin Death or Necrosis, Asymmetry, Slow Healing, Numbness and Tingling, Seroma, and more (Smart Plastic Surgery, 2007). The ultimate risk with cosmetic surgery is death

Although there are risks, for the most part plastic surgery procedures are successful without any complications, and achieve the desired transformation. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) did an article in 1997 with a survey about plastic surgery which expressed that, “The rate of serious complications was less than half of 1 percent. The mortality rate was extremely low – only one in 57,000 cases. The overall risk of serious complications in an accredited office surgical facility is comparable with the risk in a freestanding surgical center or hospital ambulatory surgical facility.” Of course that was 11 years ago before there were shows about plastic surgery that advertised this surgery to the nation. This article by ASAPS also stated that, “You will also be evaluated for other factors that may increase the risk of blood clots. These include: being extremely overweight, having recent traumatic injury, any disorder of the heart, lungs or central nervous system, a history of cancer, [and] recurrent severe infection or genetic problems that affect blood clotting.” (Surgery, 2008) In order to decrease the risks a person should be well informed about cosmetic surgery and anything that may increase their risks.

With these procedures rising and becoming more popular in the past years, the costs have risen as well. Some of the most expensive procedures include liposuction, breast augmentation, Eyelid surgery, and Rhinoplasty (ASAPS, 2005). With more exposure through reality TV shows, and celebrities, these procedures have attracted the eyes of young women, teens, and others who may find a flaw in their self image. These procedures range up to $6,000 if not more. The most expensive procedure seems to be the breast augmentation and deduction. called America a “vain bunch” because of the rise in cosmetic surgery. They continue to submit that, “Americans spent $11.5 billion for 11 million cosmetic procedures in 2006--a 48% increase over the number performed in 2000, according to the National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics.” This increase is overwhelming.

With the demand of cosmetic surgery rising in the last years, there have been more ways to pay for these procedures. Some insurance do cover procedures such as a breast reduction, but most do not. If the money is not immediately available to someone, it can be financed by Healthcare financing, such as CareCredit or Capitolone Healthcare finance. There are so many financing options out there that it has almost become very easy to obtain any type of procedure. People have gone to the extent of auctioning themselves to receive money from strangers that will go towards their procedure. One of these websites is called , where a person posts a picture, a bio, and what procedure one is trying to receive. Then people on the site will donate money for their procedure based on their picture and information. The money can range anywhere from $50 to $3000 or more. There are more websites on the internet just like this one, and others that are auctions for patients to find the perfect surgeon.

With the advertising of cosmetic surgery, trends, and the need for body improvements increasing, the cosmetic surgery rates are bound to increase every year. Cosmetic surgery is very accessible to anyone these days. A 16 or 17 year-old teen can receive plastic surgery with the consent of their parents. Years ago, cosmetic surgery was not as widespread in young teens as it is today. There is almost a surgery for every imperfection that can be found on the human body. According to ASAPS, “There were nearly 11.7 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2007. Surgical procedures accounted for nearly 18% of the total with non-surgical procedures making up 82% of the total.” This is ASAPS’s 10th year reporting on cosmetic surgery. In comparing rates from 1997 to 2007 ASAPS has said that, “Since 1997, there has been a 457 percent increase in the total number of cosmetic procedures. Surgical procedures increased by 114 percent, and non-surgical procedures increased by 754 percent.” (Surgery, 2008) It is very obvious from these statistics that this number will only increase in the next 10 years.

Cosmetic surgery has reached an all time high in the United States. With all the advertising in magazines, internet, and television, there is no wonder that these rates continue to increase each year. Young teens watching their favorite shows get influenced into wanting to change their body to perfect it to what they believe are America’s standards. There have been several deaths reported that are related to the cosmetic surgery procedure. This risk alone is enough to think twice about receiving this surgery. There are also other short-term and long-term risks that should be considered when choosing to obtain cosmetic surgery. Along with the risks are high prices for these surgeries. Since most of these surgeries range from the hundreds to the thousands, people should consider the cost along with the risks in determining what to do. Although there are ways to finance these costs, including healthcare or internet auctions, some of them are extreme and could never result in the procedure being financed. With the increase in the number of people who elect to receive cosmetic surgery each year it can be assumed that so will the number of deaths and serious injuries increase each year. Moreover, even though many people believe that the benefits of cosmetic surgery outweigh the risks, the possibility of deaths and other complications outweigh the benefits because of the increase of deaths in the last five years.

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