Plastic Surgery Essay

In 1914, the world was at war. Thousands of soldiers were constantly rushed into hospitals. The new weapons such as the machine gun left them heavily wounded and in desperate need of surgery (History of Plastic Surgery 2,3). Even though the treatment provided was not as efficient as it is today, it saved a significant number of lives. Ever since then, the industry of plastic surgery has been on the rise. As this medical procedure improved with the advances made in the sciences and technology, it evolved to serve an additional goal. While performed for reconstructive purposes a hundred years ago, plastic surgery is presently used to enhance one’s physical appearance as well. From fat reduction to breast augmentation, it is now within human capacity

“According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, between 1992 and 1999, the number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the United States and Canada has risen 175%. Several types of surgery have seen an even more dramatic increase: liposuction has increased 389% and breast augmentation has increased 413%.” (Holliday and Elfving-Hwang 2). Blinded with this desire to have a more prominent nose (rhinoplasty) and “double-eyelid” eyes (blepharoplasties), both men and women willingly spend thousands of dollars to have surgeons operate on their otherwise healthy bodies. Even though the majority usually can afford to spend such a great amount of money, plastic surgery can easily become addictive. Most patients have high expectations of the outcome of their operations. Nevertheless, even the best surgeon in the world is unable to replicate Angelina Jolie’s lips. As a result, a lot of them report being disappointed with the end product. This dissatisfaction then “leads them to continue to seek other operations in order to heal their damaged bodies, and frequently their minds. This practice, unfortunately, may be encouraged by other cosmetic surgeons, who promise to ‘fix’ the mistakes the other surgeon caused” (Poupard). This vicious cycle never truly ends. Even people who are satisfied with how their

A remarkable number of people tend to underestimate the uncertainty of these operations. Yes, it is true that deaths caused by such surgeries are rare. This does not mean, however, that people have not died from having their eyebrows lifted or from breast implants. “In 2002, an 18-year-old woman from King of Prussia, Pa., and a 55-year-old woman from Jacksonville, Fla., died of complications from fat clots lodged in their lungs shorty after liposuction in a doctor’s office” (Friedman 322). Nor does this mean that undergoing cosmetic plastic surgeries is completely free of other risks. James Madhok explains, “…any surgery that involves going under the knife such as rhinoplasty or other facial restructuring, or a 'tuck ', is always going to carry an element of risk.” These risks vary depending on the type of surgery carried out. For instance, “…liposuctions can leave a person with uneven results, such as thighs of unequal size, or with bulges. In breast reductions, a nipple can be badly re-attached, or breasts can be asymmetrical.” (Friedman). On the other side of the world, more specifically in China, a new trend is becoming more and more popular, especially among teenagers. People who face complexities with their height are now able to add a few inches to their legs. This process of limb lengthening is both fascinating and alarming, since it carries the threat of