Aesthetic And Cosmetic Surgery

2694 Words6 Pages

Aesthetic, cosmetic, or commonly referred to by the layman as plastic surgery refers to a range of operations performed in order to repair or restore body parts to look normal or to enhance a particular structure or anatomy that is already regular as a fully functioning body part. The demand for this form of surgery has undergone an increasing trend in recent years, as various societies’ cultures have become more concerned with external human image and appearance. These growths in demand for aesthetic plastic surgery and the advocacy of practice in the media have invited concerns about the ethical aptness and permissibility of this medical procedure (Sterodimas, Radwanski, & Pitanguy, 2011). Advanced research, and novel technologies derived from such research, almost always raises ethical and moral considerations. It is essential to create an educated and well-informed public about the ethical issues in this field of medical study. This paper seeks to investigate and illustrate the ethical considerations that are in relation with the implementation and adaptation of cosmetic surgery, ranging from those that are related to injuries sustained from traumatic accidents to those that are purely initiated for enhancement purposes by individuals for various reasons. Also, various perspectives toward the issue of cosmetic surgery will be illustrated and discussed with respect to the basic normative theories in order to allow the evaluation of its moral correctness from various viewpoints.
First and foremost, addressing the use of cosmetic or, in this sense more aptly, aesthetic surgery for restoration and reparation of human anatomy damaged by unfortunate incidents, it is common to come to a consensus where people are agreeable to the sur...

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...tic surgery. Also, this paper attempted to inject some perspective from the viewpoint of three normative theories namely Kantianism, Utilitarianism and Virtue Ethics. They give a simple description of how the issue on such surgeries is tackled by each of the mentioned theories. I believe the strongest argument against plastic surgery as of now is probably the fact that there exist risks from the surgery and anesthesia in the procedure. However, if these risks are further lowered and side effects reduced, which will be due to advancing medical advancements, the case against such forms of surgery will only get weaker and weaker. The issue on self-esteem can be subjective to each individual. If that is the case, we probably should not attempt to stop another person from going under a surgery which he believes will increase his self confidence and make his life better.

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