The truth is that most plastic surgery patients are actually very normal, and well-adjusted people who simply want a return to the more personally appealing shape they enjoyed in their youth or before pregnancy.
I have been noticing a trend in my practice that is interesting to me- with growth in the number of patients interested in pursuing enhancement shortly after (and in some cases during) a divorce, or after being laid off from work.
On the surface, it would seem to be a questionably healthy move (depending of course, on the motivation of the individual patient). The possibility does, after all, exist that the patient believes that the surgical intervention is somehow going to turn their life around and they will immediately forget their former spouse, begin fielding amorous advances from Patrick Dempsey, and land a great, 6 figure job. Sorting through the patient's motivations and understanding their goals while helping them understand reasonable expectations is part of our responsibilities as Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, and an important part of the responsible consultation process. (These are just some of the benefits of seeing a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon- but that's another conversation).
If you spend a bit of time with a lot of these people (as I do during our consultations), however, you figure out that it can actually be a very healthy and important part of their recovery from the trauma they've experienced. Even more amazing is the obvious boost in self-confidence felt by men and women who just a few earlier were feeling as low as they could. Many patients have told me how their renewed self-confidence and self-image had assisted them in the process of pursuing a new job, succeeding in that new role, and/or in their re-entry into the world of dating. In fact, patients who have experienced some of these misfortunes are among my favorites to treat because of the remarkable difference I can make in their lives.
I think that I have a really healthy perspective on my profession and what I do for people. I realize that I'm not curing cancer or saving lives as a plastic surgeon. I do find great fulfillment, however, in the knowledge that what I do helps people live more satisfying and happy lives.
Especially with all of the gloom and doom in the news nowadays, it's nice to be able to help nice people get "back in the game"!
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