Are there dangers involved in facial cosmetic surgery? The risks of facial cosmetic surgery can be lessened when the client is comfortable with the practitioner performing the surgery. Facial cosmetic surgery...
Facial cosmetic surgery has come a long way since its inception. Many of the procedures are established and surgeons are familiar with them. However, like any other surgery there are inherent risks involved in facial cosmetic surgery. Before one is to choose if to undergo a facial cosmetic surgery they should research the procedure as well as the dangers involved.
"I think the one of the most important thing is to know your practitioner, know the surgeon. So, first and foremost, you want to check the experience and qualifications of your surgeon," said Charles M. Boyd M.D., M.B.A., and F.A.C.S. He has been a plastic surgeon for more than 13 years.
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) in a recent survey found that approximately 45 percent of dermatologic surgeons said they were having more and more patients coming in needing remedial treatment for burns, splotching, irrevocable pigmentation and scarring resulting from various medical procedures performed by estheticians, cosmetic technicians and employees of physicians without appropriate physician supervision.
With your face on the line you do not want to make room for more risk than is already present. Meet with the surgeon several times prior to the procedure and make certain you are comfortable. It is also a good practice to verify the surgeon's credentials and make sure they are very familiar with the specific surgery.
"I think any surgical procedure has certain risks that are involved and the risks really depend on the type of surgery. The risk of the blepharoplasty is different than a rhinoplasty is different from a full facelift. Those risks are also different from say a laser surgery or chemical peel. I think the main thing, in terms of how you medicate or lessen those risks, is to make sure your surgeon is well trained and has experience doing the procedure that you are talking about," Boyd said.
Smoking is a big issue when considering facial cosmetic surgery. Many surgeons will opt not to work with a patient that is a smoker. When conducting facial cosmetic surgery the skin is often cut away from the face and the blood supply is decreased for sometime. A non-smoker's skin will usually react well to this and the skin will stay alive and will heal quickly. A smoker, on the other hand, will not necessarily do as well in surgery. Cigarettes starve the skin of oxygen so during surgery when the skin has less blood the skin is more likely to die due to lack of oxygen. The skin is also going to take longer to heal from a procedure since it is not as oxygen-rich.
Scars are also intrinsic with facial cosmetic surgery. Since scarring is inevitable in most cases there a couple question to ask. How big will the scars be and where will they be located? Most surgeries try to hide the scars so that they are not readily visible. Places like along the hairline are used to conceal the scars.
"The other thing to be especially concerned about is whether or not the procedure involves anesthesia or sedation. You want to make sure that the person is doing that procedure is also well qualified," Boyd said. Technology is advancing and the need for anesthesia in facial cosmetic surgery is decreasing. However it is important to find out of it is involved in your surgery. Some patients can have serious reactions to anesthesia. Risk can include abnormal heart rhythm, airway obstruction, brain damage, blood clots, heart attack, stroke, nerve damage and even death.
Before you decide to have facial cosmetic surgery make sure that you assess and understand the dangers involved in your procedure.
