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Plastic Surgery

opinion Essay
632 words
632 words
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“Becoming the new feminine ideal requires just the right combination of insecurity, exercise, bulimia and surgery” (G. B. Trudeau). This quote could not be more unfortunate but more accurate about today’s society. Women, and even men, today, feel the need and desire to undergo extremely delicate and dangerous procedures, just to “fit in” to this society. It is disgusting that we have established what a perfect woman should be, and women everywhere are undergoing major surgery to achieve this look.

The surgery procedure I will be focusing on is a facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy. A facelift is when a patient decides to have the excess skin on their face pulled back and/or removed to create the appearance of a younger face. The face is usually the first area of the body to portray signs of aging (1). Gravity contributes to the falling of the skin, as well as diminished volume in the skin. Most of the patients who go in for a consultation for a facelift claim that their outer appearance does not reflect their youthful spirit. So, through various techniques doctors are now able to turn back time, to give patients a more rejuvenated look to match their spirit. (1)

Techniques associated with this procedure have evolved greatly over the past 15 years, and major complications have become more infrequent. It is one of the most common procedures performed today, with over 120,000 being done in 2008 (2). The most common way to perform a facelift is when the surgeon makes incisions running from the lower scalp to the temples, behind the earlobes, all the way above the hairline. This is done in order to hide the scars. Once the cut is made the surgeon separates the skin from the underlying tissue in order to manipulate the muscle an...

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...held liable because they should have mastery in the relevant anatomy, including the nerve spots to avoid, and they should pay attention to their surgical technique and work meticulously. (4)

Some postoperative complications may be treated by simply resting and avoiding stress (i.e. swelling and bruising) and by following doctor’s orders, and if these complications are present, then the doctor should not be held accountable for their patient’s negligence. However, if the doctor commits the negligence and unfortunately damages a nerve, which causes permanent paralysis, then the doctor should be held accountable.

Works Cited

(1) http://www.surgery.org/consumers/procedures/head/facelift

(2) http://www.faceliftresources.com/surgery.htm

(3) http://www.facialplasticsurgery.net/facelift-risks.htm

(4) http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/843613-overview#showall

In this essay, the author

  • Opines that becoming the new feminine ideal requires just the right combination of insecurity, exercise, bulimia and surgery. it is disgusting that women everywhere are undergoing major surgery to achieve this look.
  • Explains that a facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is when patients decide to have the excess skin on their face pulled back and/or removed to create the appearance of younger faces.
  • Explains that facelifts are one of the most common procedures performed today, with over 120,000 being done in 2008 (2).
  • Opines that excessive scarring or bleeding does not warrant a malpractice suit against the surgeon — it is not the doctor's fault, since they did what they were supposed to do but the patient refused to follow instructions.
  • Explains that facial paralysis caused by facial nerve damage could warrant a malpractice suit. nerve injury may occur from unintentional clamping, tying, or electrocauterization of the nerve.
  • Opines that a doctor should be held liable for paralysis because they should have mastery in the relevant anatomy, including the nerve spots to avoid, and pay attention to their surgical technique.
  • Opines that postoperative complications may be treated by simply resting and avoiding stress and following doctor’s orders. however, if the doctor damages a nerve, which causes permanent paralysis, then they should be held accountable.
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