Since the tragic passing of Michael Jackson, much has been said about his talent and unparalleled entertainment skills. Unfortunately, his plastic surgery experiences and the well chronicled morphing of his face will always be mentioned as part of his legacy. Few celebrities have been as identified with the adverse potential of plastic surgery as he has.
The exact number of surgeries and tissue manipulations that he had will never be known exactly. Those plastic surgeons and dermatologists associated with him, directly or indirectly, are beginning to surface with their comments and observations. More will undoubtably emerge in the future.
What does the association of Michael Jackson and plastic surgery teach us? Was he a victim of numerous botched and procedures or did he have body dysmorphic disorder and sought manipulations to try and escape both his race and gender? Undoubtably, both contributed to create this poor image for plastic surgery.
As a plastic surgeon, without knowing any of the details, I must criticize our own profession. While Michael Jackson, or any patient for that matter, may like to have a certain change, it is our responsibility to help guide them to the best decision and not serve as a vehicle to merely surgically accommodate them. Just because another plastic surgeon may be willing to do a procedure, or the fear that someone else will (so why not do it), is not a compelling enough motive to perform the surgery.
The possibilities of plastic surgery, as vast as they are, were on poor display in this most visible of all celebrities. While we often never know the true motivations of why some patients desire plastic surgery, we do know when we are bordering on the reasonable and potentially ill-advised operation. Sometimes we must protect patients from themselves even when it hurts to do so.
My experience with patients who push the limits of their own best interests is one that almost never turns out to either’s benefit. Saying no is incredibly difficult, particularly when you know you can do the procedure and your ego and practice development may be positively served. But the plastic surgery legacy of Michael Jackson illustrates that there are downsides to every human manipulation and that well executed but ill-conceived operations do not collectively make for good long-term outcome.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana