Cosmetic surgery is risky and should be performed only on
healthy people, warned U.S. medical experts.
The operations carry the same significant risks as any other
kind of surgeries and should require thorough preoperative
screening, Dr. Rod Rohrich, chairman of plastic surgery at the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, was quoted as
saying by the website of The Los Angeles Times Saturday.
As the number of cosmetic surgeries increases rapidly, experts
are struggling to educate people. "I think American consumers have
been treating plastic surgery like a commodity," said Rohrich.
"It's not like going to find a pair of shoes. You can take the
shoes back. You can't bring your life back," Rohrich said.
"Bottom line, cosmetic surgery is only for patients that are
healthy," said the expert. "If they're not healthy, it's really not
usually a good thing to do."
Nearly 11 million cosmetic procedures were performed in 2006, up
48 percent from the figure of 2000, according to the American
Society of Plastic Surgeons.
A study published in the latest issue of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery found that serious complications occurred in
one out of 298 cases, and deaths occurred in one out of 51,459
cases.
Rohrich said the intense media focus on celebrities' operations
and the development of reality TV shows have been the main reason
for the soaring cosmetic surgery popularity.
A study published in the July issue of the journal Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery said reality TV shows have directly
influenced first-time patients who decide to have cosmetic
surgery.
(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2008)