About Plastic Surgery

Beauty is a multifaceted entity, which can have different meanings in different cultures. Beauty can be restricted to the appearance of the face but also include different parts of the body and their shape and size. Generally speaking it would probably not be wrong to append the harmonic relation and balance of different parts of the body to the meaning of the word. The ideals of beauty between men and women differ too and the meaning of the word becomes even more complex if the symbolic value of size and shape is taken into account.

Beauty cannot be quantified in values or numbers. It is only the aspect of the eyes and the perception of the observer who can decide whether it is beautiful or not beautiful.

With the rapid progress of the information technology and its manifold applications in our daily life the media continuously influences us. We are influenced by famous personalities having changed their appearance by plastic surgeons. Not only rejuvenating procedures but also change of anatomic structures. With the development of finer techniques all this can be done but one should understand that illustrated pictures in magazines and pre- and post-pictures of cosmetic surgeries not always correspond with reality.

One should also understand that plastic surgery involves incisions. These are placed at inconspicuous sites and so hidden, but all surgery causes wounds in the tissues below the skin. The healing process cannot be influenced materially and the following biologic healing process can cause unwanted reactions. In other words, all kinds of cosmetic surgery involve some risks of transient and permanent depravations, which cannot be influenced neither of the experience nor of the skill of the surgeon. One should also understand that the longevity of rejuvenating procedures is time restricted and if one wants to invest money in eternal youth one has to be prepared for a continuous investment. More permanent results are to be expected when the anatomic fundament is changed, like implants or when bony or cartilaginous structures are changed.

One should also know that cosmetic surgeons in general are specialists within their speciality and they are certainly collecting the knowledge from the same sources. Most techniques are known and probably also used in the same manner all over the world and the results are probably equal independent of the individual surgeon. The most important consideration a potential candidate for cosmetic surgery has to think about is that one should trust the surgeon you choose and bear in mind, that cosmetic surgery is a kind of handy craft that can have both positive and negative impacts on the body. Cosmetic surgery has its place in society today and most patients have experienced great pleasure and happiness but also some disappointments and complications. If you are disappointed with your mirror look, it might influence your mood correspondingly. I think it is justified to moderate the broad coloured exposure cosmetic surgery has in the media and occasionally in the marketing for cosmetic surgery.

This text is edited and controlled by Dr. Per Gunnar Opitz, Opitz plastikkirurgiska klinik i Malmö Sweden