We live in an era of plastic surgery where much of the new procedures and offerings are based on technology. Whether it be new devices, implants, or drugs, plastic surgery (like everything else) is technology-driven. But with each new technology, comes the same old questions of when to use it, is it better than what we do now, and what is its eventual role for the problems that we are treating?
The answer to these questions, however, is not technology-driven….it is people driven. People use technology to solve problems….technology just makes it possible to solve some problems faster and easier….or to solve some problems that could not be previously solved. The best scalpel, laser, or suture in the universe can not replace the skill and experience of the one welding it. Technology can make plastic surgery outcomes more consistent and even make some outcomes possible that were not possible before…..but technology will never make the plastic surgeon who has chosen the wrong operation…or done it poorly….have great results.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana