Plastic Surgery

In today's society the picture of beauty is a rail thin super model with the body of a goddess posted on billboards all around the world. Children are brought up playing with Barbie dolls with the body measurements of what would be 39, 18, 38. These pictures projected all over convince people to believe that to be beautiful and happy; you must look like these images. For most, the easiest way to achieve this is my having cosmetic surgery performed. The passage of time, has brought the advancement of medical proceduresÐ'... yet how safe can a person be who is having cosmetic surgery performed on their body? Despite the technological advancements, there is always the risk of not only the surgery resulting in unwanted outcomes, but also death.

Society has brain washed not only women, but also the men to believe that in order for a person to look beautiful they must look like the images seen on television, in movies and on the cover of magazines. These images portray grotesquely thin women and muscular men with the infamous six-pack abs. The Hollywood figures that are so famous for their looks and bodies also encourage the belief that thin is beautiful. These images are plastered all over billboards, television show and commercials and magazine advertisements. With all these visions of beauty seen everywhere in a person's every day life, a person feels compelled to look just like those images.

Our busy lifestyles keep most of us from exercising daily, therefore we are not able to achieve that fit and trim body to look beautiful. This leads many to resort to cosmetic surgery; this however, can be a dangerous choice. Many fatalities have been reported as a result of surgical procedures. One report stated that over an 18-month period, 69 fatal outcomes of surgery were reported (Dean). Many who are looking into having a surgical procedure performed do not take this risk into account.

Although the technological advancements of today may seem to have improved the results of cosmetic surgery, more complications can also arise from improper training of the surgeon (Hilton, plasticsurgery.org) Many "discount" price plastic surgeons that claim to offer professional service for a low price have begun to show up all over the country. "Most of these doctors have not been properly trained to perform such drastic cosmetic surgeries. A doctor can attend a seminar at a hotel and in a few hours learn how to perform liposuction" (Davis, cosmeticdoctorsusa.com).

With the increase of untrained surgeons performing these procedures the risk of death and improper results also increases greatly. "Low-income people that are attracted to the visions of beauty on the magazines are caught in the lure of these "fake" surgeons. These doctors promise perfect results at half the price of experienced surgeons. Some of these doctors may even produce fake credentials, such as fake PhDs, for customers to view. Customers see these and without doing any research on the doctor, pay the money for the surgery to be performed. Any doctor can perform procedures such as liposuction; even dentists have been doing it" (Davis, coseticdoctorsusa.com). Many fatalities of cosmetic surgeries in recent years have been as a result of unlicensed doctors performing highly technical surgeries.

A current issue in Miami, Florida involves a plastic surgery "doctor" named Reinaldo Silvestre who is believed to have fled the country as a result of the charges of aggravated battery and practicing medicine without a license. Silvestre, practicing out of a small office, is accused of using a kitchen-type spatula to force female breast implants in to a male bodybuilder's chest. In two other surgeries, Silvestre performed breast augmentation on two females that resulted in the deformation of both women's chests (Qureshi, 1-3).

Most of these doctors perform their surgeries in unsanitary conditions, such as office-based procedures. As a result, infections can occur after the surgery has been performed. Mycobacterium can cause skin or wound infection to the patient after the surgery. "Since many doctors performing cosmetic surgery are not all licensed by the American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and mandatory testing is not performed on their surgical tools and area, many infections can occur as a result. Dirty tools can cause bacteria to be present in the body after the surgery, resulting in infection and sometimes death. Too many doctors, the patient is not a person; they are merely money in the doctors' pocket" (Hilton, plastic surgery.org).

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons acknowledged in a 2005 press release that there have been five reported deaths of