More youth go under knife

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http://www.kaleo.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/10/24/3db7873635f43

More youth go under knife By Lesley-Anne Arkansas Traveler (U. Arkansas)October 24, 2002

(U-WIRE) FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Last year, 8.5 million Americans chose to alter their physical appearance under a plastic surgeon's knife. Almost one quarter of that number were patients under the age of 30, and the most common of the procedures were nose jobs and breast enlargements. A new trend, part of the same quick-fix mindset that made Mc's and Wal-Mart cultural fixtures, is developing in the young adult sector. Many people wonder if the average 20-year-old, someone newly matured both physically and emotionally, is truly prepared to make such a permanent decision and live with its repercussions for the rest of his or her life. Is plastic surgery really as safe and practical as popular opinion would lead one to believe? Such are the dilemmas at hand when people consider altering their body. Cosmetic procedures have become a fruitful industry, and as medical financing becomes easier and general accessibility increases, a once-definitive line is fading into oblivion. Danger associated with plastic surgery no longer lies with a societal stigma; a national study by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery this year found that 61 percent of women and a matching 63 percent of men actually condoned cosmetic enhancement. Predictably, the highest approval rating overall was among 18- to 24-year-olds, a majority being college students. Although many people choose to go under the knife for medical reasons, many more decide to alter their bodies for aesthetic purposes. But several University of Arkansas students said they wouldn't consider plastic surgery. "I feel that people should be happy with themselves the way they are," said Tamara Fuller, a UA junior whose personal experience with cosmetic surgery involves a friend who has undergone breast reduction. Fuller also said if a person is not completely content with how they look, they should at first try a "less drastic stance." Freshman agreed with Fuller, stating emphatically that she would never submit herself to plastic surgery but did know of others her age already considering it. While cost has become less of an issue for some people and the pain experienced after a procedure doesn't phase others, urban legends and stories of botched surgeries may serve as the only deterrents to people curious about plastic surgery. "Surgery is safe," said Yuen, a doctor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. "However, even in the best of hands, certain complications, such as infection, are unavoidable." The thousands of women, including some as young as 18, who claim to have suffered from autoimmune disease caused by silicone gel-filled breast implants in the 1980s and '90s, serve as an example. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration since issued a ban on silicone-based implants. Recent technological advances have made risks for any procedure lower today than they were 10 years ago, said , a surgeon practicing in Little Rock. "Anesthesia drugs are now shorter-acting and less toxic," said. "Monitors used to record a patient's vital signs are better, easier to use and less expensive,so more doctors have them." A larger percentage of doctors and clinics may employ new methods, but there are still scams waiting for people who do not research their surgeon. Prices for different surgeries are reducing radically because of competition, Yuen said, which could be more enticing to a cost-conscious college student. However, money saved may seem inconsequential after an ill-qualified physician has scarred a student's face. Some people practice without the necessary qualifications. Several men were arrested in New York City last July after they posed as surgeons and caused severe disfigurement to unknowing customers. Most Web sites discussing plastic surgery urge readers to visit several doctors before making a decision and consider the doctor's experience before choosing a physician. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery recommends checking any potential surgeon's credentials carefully. Board-certified physicians are deemed safer, yet many state laws permit any licensed doctor to offer plastic surgery in their practice. "There is a real need for patients to take responsibility," said Leo Cafferty, chairman of ASAPS's Public Education Committee. A common misconception is that a younger patient is more apt to successfully cope with a cosmetic alteration, but doctors nationwide agree that choosing an operation and a physician requires a certain amount of wisdom. Most procedures may technically be performed early in life, but a person's physical readiness is insignificant in comparison to surgery's deeper implications. Rhinoplasty or nose reconstruction can be administered to teenagers as young as 13; only a 90 percent growth is required. Breast augmentation is usually viable from age 16 on, but what happens when a woman turns 30 and regrets the rashness of her adolescence? "My practice tends to follow the national information," said. "The most common operations for young people are breast augmentation, liposuction, breast reduction and rhinoplasty." Yuen also admitted that cosmetic surgery has become such a fad collectively that "ear, nose and throat surgeons are doing tummy tucks while dermatologists are performing breast augmentations." Sophomore Wardlow supported an individual's freedom to change his or her own body. "It doesn't make them a better or worse person," he decided. The good news is that a young man or woman, at whatever age, can now choose cosmetic surgery with a confidence that they will not be ridiculed nor judged. The disheartening realization is that they may have elected to remove those extra pounds or redesign that oddly shaped nose simply because it was the path of least resistance. Physician Rod Rohrich, a contributor for Outpatient Survey Magazine, predicted that in 10 years cosmetic surgery would be "a part of almost everyone's overall wellness routine."