Does Plastic Surgery give anybody else the willies?

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adennis

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If you watch any of the shows on TLC or Discovery Health or whatever.. or go to the OR and watch surgery... and you see plastic surgeons, they're yanking and pulling and grinding and chiseling and just trashing people's bodies.. and I've seen a LOT of stuff.. but man oh man, this freaks me out...

Hey, people.. there's SOMEONE attached to that flesh you're trashing...
blech..

wondering if I'm alone in this..

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adennis said:
If you watch any of the shows on TLC or Discovery Health or whatever.. or go to the OR and watch surgery... and you see plastic surgeons, they're yanking and pulling and grinding and chiseling and just trashing people's bodies.. and I've seen a LOT of stuff.. but man oh man, this freaks me out...

Hey, people.. there's SOMEONE attached to that flesh you're trashing...
blech..

wondering if I'm alone in this..

I think that the same can be said of orthopedic or cardiothoracic surgery.

I spent a summer in the OR. Man, when those surgeons went into people's bodies with bone saws, I cringed. To make it worse, some of the residents did their work to the tunes of Metallica and other hard rock.

:scared:
 
yeah, the one procedure i have a major problem with is the rhinoplasty
ew, u cant just chisel off a bone man, thats just f-ing wrong
 
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Yeah, orthopedic surgery is by far the most graphic to watch, with all those steel rods and the sawing, twisting and hammering. Yikes. It looks like medieval torture.
 
it definitely does seem wrong. so i'm supposed to be writing this final paper for my biomedical ethics class, and since we are (kinda) on this topic, i would really appreciate any thoughts.

what is the doctor's role as a moral agent? i mean, is it ethical for a doctor to provide services that will certainly bring no medical benefit to the patient and be compensated for it? this applies to plastic surgery (for cosmetic purposes, so no burn victims, etc), and i'm also writing on the people who are willing to sell a kidney. is it right for a doctor to do an invasive procedure on a person that will bring no benefit to that person ever? (and in the case of kidney sales, doctors may actually HARM a vendor to help another patient).

thanks!
 
Plastic surgery grosses me out, but not for the reasons you describe (grotesqueness of the surgery itself). I mean, have you seen shows like "The Swan" or "Extreme Makeover?" I think there is something seriously wrong with people who would put themselves through so much unnecessary surgery just to fit some passing ideal of physical attractiveness, and with a society that embraces this as positive entertainment. It's so sad because the participants--particularly the females--often seem so obviously depressed and upset about other issues in their lives (social/romantic/financial failure, low self-esteem) that they are trying to fix through changing their appearance, and the show's employees, including doctors, encourage them in this self destructive path. Plastic surgery obviously has positive uses, such as reconstruction for those born with deformities or who acquire them through accident or illness, and of course it is the perogative of individuals to do what they want with their bodies, but I think making a living off of carving up otherwise healthy people for such a shallow purpose is pretty disgusting. Just my opinion.
 
adennis said:
If you watch any of the shows on TLC or Discovery Health or whatever.. or go to the OR and watch surgery... and you see plastic surgeons, they're yanking and pulling and grinding and chiseling and just trashing people's bodies.. and I've seen a LOT of stuff.. but man oh man, this freaks me out...

Hey, people.. there's SOMEONE attached to that flesh you're trashing...
blech..

wondering if I'm alone in this..

That stuff grosses me out too. It encourages me to eat healthy and excercise.
 
adennis said:
If you watch any of the shows on TLC or Discovery Health or whatever.. or go to the OR and watch surgery... and you see plastic surgeons, they're yanking and pulling and grinding and chiseling and just trashing people's bodies.. and I've seen a LOT of stuff.. but man oh man, this freaks me out...

Hey, people.. there's SOMEONE attached to that flesh you're trashing...
blech..

wondering if I'm alone in this..

I really enjoy watching these shows, but I think they do potential cosmetic surgery consumers a huge disservice by underemphasizing the recovery time and only showing examples of the most successful cases. Let's see a "Swan" that didn't come out quite right.
 
I can handle plastic surgery when I feel that it's being done for the right reasons. Breast reductions to treat back pain. Breast enhancement for people with deformed/undeveloped breasts. Most any facial reconstruction. Skin removal due to severe weight loss. Where I have problems is where someone who already looks normal wants plastic surgery because they aren't satisfied with their normalicy and want to look different or even better. Nose jobs where they aren't waranted, face lifts, that disgusting lip surgery. Liposuction, butt implants, porno worthy breast enhancements. That stuff makes me cringe and I can barely handle watching it.
 
I shadowed a plastic surgeon, and thought it was awesome. Saw some really cool procedures, and I handled it fine. It was really interesting, wouldn't mind going into that field if I can get into it... :confused:
 
It doesn't bother me in the slightest. If a woman wants to enhance her physical appearance, so be it. We are all conscience of how we look. Even those who try to pretend they aren't go out of their way to appear to not care. It's just a fact that we humans are a visual bunch, and we judge ourselves accordingly.

Certain things are pathetic, I'll agree. Liposuction should never have to be done on 99% of the patients out there. And men who are getting implants underneath their muscles these days to look jacked... :rolleyes: Ever heard of the value of hardwork and proper nutrition?

I've always joked with friends at work about setting up an assembly line on the beach in SoCal. Just slam in some implants, move'em on down, set them up with a bikini, a wax job, and some suntan lotion, and send them on their way. :D
 
JuicyDay said:
it definitely does seem wrong. so i'm supposed to be writing this final paper for my biomedical ethics class, and since we are (kinda) on this topic, i would really appreciate any thoughts.

what is the doctor's role as a moral agent? i mean, is it ethical for a doctor to provide services that will certainly bring no medical benefit to the patient and be compensated for it? this applies to plastic surgery (for cosmetic purposes, so no burn victims, etc), and i'm also writing on the people who are willing to sell a kidney. is it right for a doctor to do an invasive procedure on a person that will bring no benefit to that person ever? (and in the case of kidney sales, doctors may actually HARM a vendor to help another patient).

thanks!

the question of cosmetic surgery is an interesting one. but it DOES bring benefit to the patient, in the form of improved self-esteem given their improved appearance.

a legitimate topic for your paper would be living organ donors. those who sell their kidneys do benefit -- they get cash. but those who don't -- there is in fact an ongoing debate about performing unnecessary, risky, potentially deadly surgery on someone who doesn't need the surgery, and who will derive no benefit, just for the sake of someone ELSE. I'm sure there are various articles available on medline.
 
doc05 said:
the question of cosmetic surgery is an interesting one. but it DOES bring benefit to the patient, in the form of improved self-esteem given their improved appearance.

a legitimate topic for your paper would be living organ donors. those who sell their kidneys do benefit -- they get cash. but those who don't -- there is in fact an ongoing debate about performing unnecessary, risky, potentially deadly surgery on someone who doesn't need the surgery, and who will derive no benefit, just for the sake of someone ELSE. I'm sure there are various articles available on medline.

thanks!
i'm commenting on one by radcliffe-richards et al., who think it's ok in most circumstances for docs to participate in kidney vending. the hard part is trying to come up with a philosophical argument, not one based on personal feelings of disgust. but there is stuff on medline on it; i'm just majorly procrastinating. thanks tho!
 
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You know what really makes me sick? Dolphinoplastys. Just sick. Caucasianoplastys are right up there too. Negroplastys are cool though.
 
Medikit said:
I can handle plastic surgery when I feel that it's being done for the right reasons. Breast reductions to treat back pain. Breast enhancement for people with deformed/undeveloped breasts. Most any facial reconstruction. Skin removal due to severe weight loss. Where I have problems is where someone who already looks normal wants plastic surgery because they aren't satisfied with their normalicy and want to look different or even better. Nose jobs where they aren't waranted, face lifts, that disgusting lip surgery. Liposuction, butt implants, porno worthy breast enhancements. That stuff makes me cringe and I can barely handle watching it.

The procedures you have deemed justifiable are often financed, indirectly, by the ones that you have problems with.
 
Personally any sort of eye surgery grosses me out, for some reason. Other stuff I think is cool. And while I'd never have plastic surgery myself, I figure to each his/her own. I don't think I would feel fulfilled using my medical degree to perform cosmetic surgery, but as some people said, it can benefit people in terms of self esteem. Now reconstructive surgery is really awesome. Wouldn't it be great to be able to fix cleft lips/palettes, and all sorts of craniofacial abnormalities? Actually, craniofacial surgery is cool, because it's sort of like art and surgery together. The people who are good at it really have an eye for angles and things that amazes me!
 
doc05 said:
the question of cosmetic surgery is an interesting one. but it DOES bring benefit to the patient, in the form of improved self-esteem given their improved appearance.

i understand this point but at the same time i think that this boost in self-esteem is really only a short term fix. i know this isn't true for everyone, but when i see ppl going for plastic surgery this is what makes me very nervous. i think that for many ppl it becomes easier to undergo plastic surgery after they have some experience with it and that once the happiness of the surgery fades they turn to fix something else. ultimately, i fear that many of these patients should be consulting with psychiatrists to work out some of their more deeply rooted anxiety and uneasiness rather than trying to fix a lot of their superficial problems.
 
Mistress S said:
I mean, have you seen shows like "The Swan" or "Extreme Makeover?"

I won't question anyone's desire to get cosmetic surgery, but I would definitely have to say those people, particularly in "The Swan," have some serious issues. They need to seek mental help if they're willing to go through all of that surgery; of course they're going to look better, but just as well, they're not going to look like themselves anymore either.
 
bigbassinbob said:
You know what really makes me sick? Dolphinoplastys. Just sick. Caucasianoplastys are right up there too. Negroplastys are cool though.

Haha that was a great episode, I was laughing so hard...

"So let me get this straight. That woman was trying to get her balls, which were in the knees of that black kid whose father is a dolphin. Sounds like an open-shut case."
 
I don’t see anything wrong with some “plastic” surgery per say. I’m not sure if i would ever get all that stitching and stuff done…but i don’t see anything wrong with getting your face zapped with lasers to remove wrinkles, etc. I am definitely up for that when the time comes.
 
mdsadler said:
i understand this point but at the same time i think that this boost in self-esteem is really only a short term fix.
or maybe someone middle-aged is really secure in themselves, but just don't like having saggy jowls? it's not all "deep inner issues," it can just be floppy wrinkly skin.
 
Mistress S said:
Plastic surgery grosses me out, but not for the reasons you describe (grotesqueness of the surgery itself). I mean, have you seen shows like "The Swan" or "Extreme Makeover?" I think there is something seriously wrong with people who would put themselves through so much unnecessary surgery just to fit some passing ideal of physical attractiveness, and with a society that embraces this as positive entertainment. It's so sad because the participants--particularly the females--often seem so obviously depressed and upset about other issues in their lives (social/romantic/financial failure, low self-esteem) that they are trying to fix through changing their appearance, and the show's employees, including doctors, encourage them in this self destructive path. Plastic surgery obviously has positive uses, such as reconstruction for those born with deformities or who acquire them through accident or illness, and of course it is the perogative of individuals to do what they want with their bodies, but I think making a living off of carving up otherwise healthy people for such a shallow purpose is pretty disgusting. Just my opinion.

I agree. Never watched shows like The Swan, but the whole concept appalls me. I think normal-looking people who're desperate for plastic surgery have a disorder as bad--no, WORSE--than those w/ anorexia, etc. Why don't we recognize this?
 
TheProwler said:
or maybe someone middle-aged is really secure in themselves, but just don't like having saggy jowls? it's not all "deep inner issues," it can just be floppy wrinkly skin.

MAYBE my opinion will change when I get floppy wrinkly skin myself, but come on, who the hell cares about some extra skin?! I sure hope that by the time I'm 60 years old, I don't need to get an operation for the sake of improving my appearance just slightly.
 
Fixing genetic abnormalities is one thing, but cosmetic surgery for more superficial reasons? Plastic surgery is obviously necessary, and I wouldn't mind helping those with real problems. As for the rest - yeah, hit the gym - I just wouldn't make it my practice.
 
TheProwler said:
or maybe someone middle-aged is really secure in themselves, but just don't like having saggy jowls? it's not all "deep inner issues," it can just be floppy wrinkly skin.

i don't really understand how someone can be "secure" with themselves but at the same time be so uncomfortable about a part of their body. something doesn't add up there. i understand the hatred for getting old and starting to droop and sag. i really do. i fear balding, i fear saggy skin and a decrease in muscle tone. i don't look forward to any of it. but at the same time why all of a sudden do we absolutely need to fix all of these so called problems that are associated with aging? at one point in time the aging process was accepted, maybe hated just as much as now, but we still accepted that that is the way things work. i still think that if we feel uncomfortable with ourselves while aging there is something else going on.
 
JuicyDay said:
is it ethical for a doctor to provide services that will certainly bring no medical benefit to the patient and be compensated for it?

is it right for a doctor to do an invasive procedure on a person that will bring no benefit to that person ever? (and in the case of kidney sales, doctors may actually HARM a vendor to help another patient).
thanks!

The doctor is just doing the patient's bidding! If someone wants bigger/smaller breasts, a different nose, fewer wrinkles, etc, they accept the consequences when they decide to have the procedure. It is not as though the doctor is making decisions about letting someone live or die.

In regard to the latter question, it all comes down to the patient's decision. If one wants to sell one's kidney and needs some help getting it out, the responsibility of the doctor is to make sure the person knows the risks. The rest is up to the person.

And on to the original question --i LOVE watching plastic surgery. It is fascinating! I do have a problem with rhinoplasty, though... or really anything on the face. It seems like that is where a person is centered and to mess with it ... ! yikes. :)
 
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