Cosmetic surgery

Definition

Cosmetic surgery, also known as plastic surgery, is a kind of surgery meant to correct morphological anomalies of the body or the external aspect of the body badly accepted by its owner. At present, the surgical techniques allow to practically re-shape nearly all parts of the body.

Cosmetic surgery must be distinguished from reconstructive surgery whose aim is to re-construct what nature, an illness, or traumatism has destroyed or deformed (for example repairing a breast after its ablation following cancer).

Cosmetic surgery has therefore an aim which is to transform the infamous into the harmonious, the beautiful.

It is about a medical act in its own right, practiced under the same conditions of safety and according to the same rules and leagal constraints of exercise in the same title as other surgical acts. It constitutes an exposure to the same advantages and to the same constraints, hazards and complications as any other surgical act.

The operations of cosmetic surgery are not covered by health insurance companies. This lack of reimbursement concerns not only the surgical act, but also the expenses related to the stay, anesthesia, fees for the operating theatre, transportation, and per diem …

For whom?

For those who seem to be concerned about their image or wishing to correct a corporal disgrace. It is a phenomenon of society nowadays, even though that cosmetic considerations have in all ages been an important center of interest for both men and women. At present, the external image and youth are part and parcel of essential assets that we value immensely. Plastic surgery targets this aim. Its fundamental principle is not to bring about a change to look like the other but to correct a disgrace in order to nurture a feeling of internal well being. The ultimate goal is to harmonize the corporal envelope and the psyche.
At all stages of life, at all ages, we may be concerned about a will to improve our corporal aesthetics.

When?

Cosmetic surgery can be envisaged when a physical disgrace becomes sufficiently preoccupying so that one thinks that its treatment will lead to a better internal feeling and a social fulfillment.
This desire for improvement must come from the inner self, and will only concern in the first place the self. One can see there a fundamental rule. We do not undergo an operation just to please the other; this is an accessory. We do not do it either to regain a partner because in such a case surgical failure will be certain.
Cosmetic surgery requires a certain psychological maturity. But we must know that this maturity may be acquired by very young persons.
First of all, one must know that plastic surgery requires a parental authorization among minors. This means in clear terms that if are under age, it is useless to hide a project of cosmetic surgery from the attention of your parents but it is rather necessary to try to talk to them about it and then come here for a first opinion at a purely informative level.
Then, one must know that the different operations (breast increase/enlargement, liposuction, rhinoplasty, breast surgery, etc.) must only be performed when all the different organs concerned have reached full maturity. That is to say that they will no longer take a different shape. This maturity is reached after puberty in general and around the age of 16 or 17.
In practical terms, it is extremely rare to operate a cosmetic surgery patient before the age of 18 because that would require an important psychological stress on the part of the patient, and then certainly a psychological maturity to confront the desired cosmetic surgical operation. Similarly, one must know that it is possible in as much as this may at times lead to the resolution of very difficult psychological situations.

There is still a special case:

Unglued ears: these can be operated as early as 7 years of age if the children ask for it and that this causes a real problem of integration in school.