There are many positive benefits that come from aesthetic plastic surgery, the most important of which is the desired physical changes of the face or body and the subsequent improvement in one’s self-esteem. The allure of these potential benefits are magnified by advertisements and marketing that all imply how easy this metamorphosis is going to be. Surgery, however, is not like applying a skin cream or hair color and this transition carries with it risks and complications that are unique to each procedure. While patients may be advised and even understand that such risks exist, most never really understand what the most important risk of any cosmetic procedure is…the potential need for revisional surgery. Few cosmetic changes come with a perfect outcome and almost all results are flawed in some way. Whether they are significant and desire an additional procedure for further improvement is a matter of individual preference. But patients are understandably so caught in the euphoria of an upcoming physical improvement that they fail to realize that plastic surgery is not Photoshop and is still as much an art form as it is an exact science. The human body responds to tissue manipulation and the implantation of biomaterials differently and not always precisely predictable. Therefore, every patient should understand that as perfection is rarely achieved and the desire for further improvement through a ‘touch-up’ or minor adjustment is far from a rare occurrence.
‘The Greatest Risk Of Almost Any Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedure Is Not Something That Goes Terribly Wrong But That Everything Does Not Go Perfectly Right’
Dr. Barry Eppley