In this book, Jamieson shares with us her road to self-awareness
and how she broke the cycle of poor self-esteem, poor decisions, and
poor outcomes. Because she attributed her unworthiness to her facial
appearance, I, as did other plastic surgeons, became part of her story.
Poorly studied decisions to have cosmetic surgery led to less than
desired outcomes.
I have treated numerous patients who have found themselves in
Jamieson’s situation. They undergo numerous cosmetic procedures, only
to look progressively worse. They come to me to break the cycle. I have
learned that just as in the rest of life, it is better to avoid a poor
outcome than to repair one. I hope that the following information, much
of which Jamieson learned the hard way, can help prospective cosmetic
surgery patients in their decision making process.
Cosmetic surgery will make you more attractive only if the
aesthetic concern can be defined, if there is an operation that can
effectively address it, and if there is a surgeon who has the
knowledge, experience, and technical expertise to execute the
operation.
The first step is to find a plastic surgeon. As Jamieson discovered
"any medical doctor can call himself a cosmetic surgeon" and any
‘cosmetic surgeon’ can call himself “board-certified". There are some
doctors who call themselves cosmetic surgeons who have no formal
training in any form of surgery! Some surgeons create their own boards
to claim board certification! For these reasons, the importance of
finding a properly trained and certified plastic surgeon is paramount.
Plastic surgeons who are members of the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons have all been certified by the American Board of Plastic
Surgery, which is the only board recognized by the American Board of
Medical Specialties which is solely devoted to plastic surgery of the
entire face and body. Certification by this board requires at least 5
years of training in surgery with a minimum of 2 years devoted to
plastic surgery training. Prior to attaining the honor of membership,
the surgeon is reviewed by his peers for ethical and safety standards.
Once you have chosen a plastic surgeon it is important to
communicate your goals and be comfortable that the surgeon can meet
your goals. As Jamieson found out, just having cosmetic surgery to have
cosmetic surgery will not automatically improve your appearance. You
and your surgeon must have a defined goal. That goal should be
obtainable with the proposed procedure. You should be apprised of any
negative aspects of the surgery.
The Internet may be helpful in decision making. It can provide
useful information for the patient to understand their problem, its
treatment, or, perhaps, who best to treat it. Unfortunately, it may
also provide a forum for unscrupulous practitioners to mislead and
deceive. Chat rooms can provide a forum for self-proclaimed experts to
disburse inaccurate information. Information obtained from the Internet
must be scrutinized for its accuracy since it is neither edited nor
reviewed.
The marketing strategies of big business now add to the patient’s
dilemma in decision making. Big business with its bottom line mentality
continues to increase its involvement in the cosmetic surgery market.
Certain medical device manufacturers now market their products or
devices directly to the public through the lay press and media.
Extravagant claims go unsubstantiated and unchallenged. Consumer demand
is created resulting in some practitioners to provide services with
equipment of little, if any, proven efficacy.
Another recent trend in cosmetic surgery confounding the decision
making process is the establishment of franchises to provide certain
procedures. The inducement is usually that of providing lower cost
procedures with less downtime. The reality is that the patient is
receiving a lesser, usually ineffective procedure by a nameless surgeon
with variable credentials. These procedures are not dissimilar to the
knock-off handbags sold by street vendors in many large cities. You get
what you pay for.
As Jamieson learned, the selection of a plastic surgeon is an
important one that requires serious thought and consideration. She is
right when she says at the end of her story that one should do their
best to "choose a surgery and its surgeon with the head…… knowing what
to be afraid of and what to trust".
