Ten Plastic Surgery Risks You Need To Know
By Miriam Marcus
We are one vain bunch.
Need proof? Demand for cosmetic plastic surgery continues to increase. 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.
While TV shows like ABC's Extreme Makeover and NBC's Bionic Woman paint a rosy picture, plastic and cosmetic surgeries are not without risks.
After all, surgery is surgery.
"The human body makes no distinction when the scalpel hits," warns Dr. Richard D'Amico, president-elect of the American Society for Plastic Surgery (ASPS). "The difference with elective cosmetic surgeries is that patients generally start out being healthy."
Among the more common dangers: numbness, seroma and necrosis.
Proceed With Caution
Temporary numbness or loss of feeling at the site of the incision is fairly common in face-lifts and tummy tucks, though it's rarely permanent.
Numbness after breast surgeries of any type is the most common. Loss of sensation in the nipple in particular occurs anywhere from 10% to 70% of the time, says Dr. Nahai, president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) depending on the type of procedure. What's worst? Breast reductions, where the nipple and areola are totally removed and reattached as skin grafts.
Seroma is a collection of watery body fluids that occurs most often in tummy tucks. It's common enough that many surgeons take preventative measures by inserting a drain during surgery, notes Dr. D'Amico.
Some tissue death from surgical manipulation, called necrosis, is inevitable after any procedure, though your risks increase dramatically if you're a smoker. That's because smoking affects blood supply to the tissues. By definition, the surgeon is cutting into those tissues, and if the blood supply is already compromised, necrosis is more likely to occur.
After any surgery, there is the possibility of excessive bleeding. Hematoma, a collection of blood, occurs more in men than in women because beard follicles in the face mean there are more capillaries--and therefore an increased blood supply in that area.
Infections are rare in plastic surgery patients, since most are healthy to begin with. When they happen, however, they can spread quickly and must be stopped immediately.
The rarest and most feared of side effects is, of course, death. Toxic levels of anesthetics have been known to cause respiratory failure in some patients. In some rare instances, high levels of topical lidocaine have led to death. In others, imitation Botox, or other imitation fillers not approved by the FDA, have left patients in comas for up to several years, and eventually dead.
Scared? There are several steps you can take to minimize the potential dangers of plastic surgery.
Reduce Your Risk
Choosing the right surgeon is important. Identical twins may undergo the same procedure by two different doctors and have two different results, explains Dr. Darrick E. Antell, a New York-based plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic and aesthetic surgery.
Be sure to pick a surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only plastic surgery board recognized by the American Medical Association. Ask your doctor which types of medicine they hold certifications in, and check for yourself at the American Board of Medical Specialties Web site.
Any MD can claim to be a surgeon, but you should choose only a board certified plastic surgeon for your procedure.
Also, verify that your doctor of choice has privileges to perform surgery in a hospital. A doctor may choose to perform certain procedures in a private office, but he or she should have credentials from a hospital's "credential committee." Having such credentials, says Dr. Antell, is as important as a doctor's board certification.
If your doctor chooses to perform surgery in a private space, make sure the facility is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) or the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). Accreditation is "the gold standard," according to Dr. Antell--and many of these facilities are better than what you'll find in hospitals. Make sure there are registered nurses and an anesthesiologist on hand in case anything goes wrong.
To Operate Or Not To Operate?
Some elective surgeries are a safer bet than others. Many surgeons, like Dr. D'Amico, would recommend any proven procedure as long as there is an acceptable ratio between risk and benefit. Others, like Dr. Nahai, disapprove of certain procedures per se. He's not in favor of thread lifts, for example (like a face-lift, but less invasive).
"It's not a good operation," he says. In relation to the risk, "the results don't last long enough."
The doctor must be certain the surgery is appropriate for that specific patient, and that the risk to benefit ratio is balanced.
"People need to practice some restraint," insists Dr. Antell. You want to pick the smallest procedure to get the results you want with the least risk. Remember that these are elective surgeries.
"Everyone thinks 'complications won't happen to me,'" he says, "but they can and do happen."
Credit from http://www.forbes.com
