The risks involved in cosmetic surgery
Cosmetic surgery is steadily on the rise in this country. The amount that is spent on plastic surgery is upwards of 11 billion dollars and growing! This is an enormous increase over past years; some research puts the increase at around 48% according to the National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics.
You may think if you watch shows like Extreme Makeover that plastic surgery is a walk in the park; however, the truth is there are many risks associated with any type of cosmetic surgery. Before you decide to make major changes you should understand exactly what the risks involved with plastic surgery are. Some of the most common risks are numbness, necrosis of the skin and seroma.
You need to remember that surgery is surgery after all. The human body makes no distinction between gall bladder removal and rhinoplasty. The main difference between the two is with plastic surgery the patient should be otherwise healthy.
Risks
The most common risk with cosmetic surgery is temporary numbness around the site of the incision. This is most common when it comes to face-lifts and tummy tucks; the good news is the numbness is generally temporary.
You may also experience numbness after breast surgery; in fact, this is the most common instances of numbness. Sensation around the nipple generally occurs in 10-70% of the cases. This of course depends on the type of surgery performed, if you have your breasts reduced and the nipple must be completely removed and reattached you run the highest risk of numbness. Along with this procedure of breast reduction you run the risk of your breasts being less sensitive.
Seroma
Seroma is a pocket of clear fluid that can develop after many types of surgery. With plastic surgery, it commonly occurs during a tummy tuck. When blood vessels rupture some of the plasma can leak into the body. This is different from a hematomas or bruises as they contain red blood cells. Many surgeons will insert a drain tube during surgery to prevent seroma.
Necrosis
It is nearly inevitable that there will be some tissue death after plastic surgery, this is called necrosis. This is doubly true if you are a smoker since smoking restricts blood vessels and thereby blood flow to the tissue. When your surgeon makes an incision when there are blood supply issues, to begin with it makes necrosis even more likely.
Hematoma
Excessive bleeding is possible after any surgery as well. This can cause a hematoma or extensive bruising. This occurs when blood builds up under the skin outside of the blood vessels.
Infection
When you are going under the scalpel and exposing internal areas to the open there is always a chance that an infection could occur. This is rarer in cosmetic surgery than any other however since you are healthy to begin with. If an infection does occur, it is important to deal with it quickly so that it does not spread and cause other complications.
Death
Dying from plastic surgery is the rarest complication of all; however, it is the most feared. Horror stories about people who went in for routine cosmetic surgery never to return give most people pause. Death most often occurs as a complication from anesthesia, although imitation Botox and other fillers have been culprits as well. As a rule, you do not have to fear dying from plastic surgery, but you should know it has happened in the past therefore it is still a risk.
Protecting Yourself
To protect yourself as much as possible the first thing you should do is choose the right physician. This will lower your risk levels dramatically. There are several ways you can protect yourself from a bad plastic surgeon.
Choose your surgeon wisely by picking one that is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is the only certification that is recognized by the American Medical Association. You should ask your physician which certifications they currently have and then double check their answers on the boards web site, leave nothing to chance! Any physician can lay claim to being a surgeon but you want a board certified individual to perform your plastic surgery.
It is also a good idea to make sure your plastic surgeon has hospital privileges. This means that they have passed the hospitals strict credential committee and this is as important as their board certification. Having hospital privileges does not necessarily mean your procedure will be performed there; many types of cosmetic surgery can be done in the office.
You can also ask for testimonials and references from recent and past patients, before and after photographs and inquire about their experience with specific procedures. Just because a plastic surgeon is great with tummy tucks does not mean they are as good with a nose job.