Differences between Plastic Surgery & Cosmetic Surgery - Essay Example

Plastic surgery has been here for ages, and it is still gaining popularity especially in the popular media- a large number of superstars are resorting to plastic surgery every day. Initially, plastic surgery was purely for medical reasons, and medical practitioners in reconstructive procedures used it. These kinds of procedures aim to correct and reinstate the form and function of body organs that have been lost due to distortions. This is a truly crucial type of surgery, especially for victims of fatal accidents that result to total organ distortion and deformation. Perhaps one that is predominantly practiced all over the world is cosmetic surgery; this type of plastic surgery mainly aims to alter the physical appearance of a person. Many people have always been concerned with their looks and appearance more than their internal qualities and this is motivation enough for them to desire enhancement of their looks. This is what has led to the pervasiveness of the plastic surgery trend worldwide thus instigating serious concerns over the justification of plastic surgery; in other words, is it or is it not right to carry out plastic surgery (De Sousa 171)? This question has been debatable in the world probably more than anything else concerning moral issues has, and many people have had their own varied contributions to this debate. Thus, I do agree with the school of thought that supports plastic surgery, at least to make something wrong go right for once; there are exceedingly many reasons why people carry out plastic surgery and I believe they are all justifiable. This paper aims to disambiguate the social dilemma that is plastic surgery, and it will attempt to justify the reasons why plastic surgery is carried out, and gunner support for this controversial trend. To begin with, even though the name plastic surgery suggests a close tie with synthetic material, plastic surgery has nothing to do with ‘plastic looks’ as is often concluded by moralists (“Plastic Surgery”). In fact, the name originates from a Greek word ‘plastikos’, which means ‘to form’ or ‘to mold’. In this regard, plastic surgery remains a crucial type of surgery that serves many justifiable reasons, both medical and aesthetical. Doctors perform reconstructive procedures to reinstate distortions both on the face and on the body of patients that might have been because of either natural or physical causes. For instance, natural deformities are manifest on individuals from birth, and they include physical distortions of organs as in cleft lips and palates while other deformities might arise from physical injuries such as burns, animal bites and accidents. Some diseases such as cancer might also necessitate plastic surgery in the end after the loss of the affected body organ; this is especially common with breast cancer where most patients opt to undergo reconstructive surgeries to rebuild the lost breasts. On the other hand, cosmetic surgery is concerned with the enhancement of physical appearances (“Plastic Surgery”, and there are so many justifiable reasons why people would want to alter their physical looks. Therefore, due to its cosmetic purposes, this type of plastic surgery is often also referred to as aesthetic surgery; however, cosmetic procedures do not necessarily call for surgery in the medical fashion. Quite notably, most cosmetic surgeries involve enlargement and reduction of body organs such as breasts; the reshaping of body organs such as the nose; or removing of fatty tissues from body parts that are overly bulky with fats. In view of these two broad reasons for plastic surgery presented above, it is vital to regard plastic surgery in a different light, and move away from the negative traditional perceptions that society has held against plastic surgery. Moreover, many people today are undergoing plastic surgery more than ever before, and this has been motivated by many reasons that one could get, but in actual sense, these reasons whether trivial or capital should not be a factor. Given that, this procedure is life changing and irreversible at that, plastic surgery patients are always unquestionably confident in what they would want to achieve before undergoing it. Plastic surgery is extremely beneficial to patients’ health, and it has a direct impact on levels of patients’ satisfaction especially concerning psychological, psychosocial and socio-economic needs (Reich 184). The world is constantly changing, and the many developments have instigated fresh demand on people for conformity in the global system; the emergence of fashion film and entertainment fields in particular has had a greater impact on the lifestyles of individuals all over the world and this has been with far reaching implications. The new developments have led to alterations in the global perceptions and concepts, and this has led to the perverseness of the plastic surgery trend in the global system. Plastic surgery has been justified by three main reasons, and these are as follows: firstly, the global industry and commerce insists on a direct correlation between youthfulness and high performance (Reich 184). Secondly, the phenomenal popularity of outside events such as sports, athletics and so on demands physical fitness and looks that are next to perfect if not perfect. Finally, plastic surgery can help alleviate the danger of psychological problems especially with patients who are highly conscious of their looks. In addition, plastic surgery increases ones prospective career opportunities in the labor market and people with good looks are more likely to get more money than the rest. This might look like mere discrimination but in reality, looks enhance charisma for individuals in positions, and this automatically boosts their competitiveness at the workplace. Particular industries such as media, film, modeling and fashion depend on the public appeal of its employees more than even their skills. In other words, employees’ looks enable the industries to make their sales. It is this requirement that makes plastic surgery an inevitable tool to enhancing careers for the prospective job seekers in industries that thrive on physical attractiveness. This explains why plastic surgery is particularly common in the western nations’ Hollywood world that demands perfect looks; this gives the participants high personal appeal that endears them to the world, and as a result, they become famous all over the entertainment industry. Perhaps the most famous legendary icons of all time to have undergone surgery is the fallen American Pop star Michael Jackson, and regardless of what everyone thinks, MJ must have gotten the results that motivated his action. Plastic surgery has the positive result of promoting one’s self esteem and general positive regard of oneself (“What justifies Plastic Surgery?”), as looks are an integral prerequisite to the development of positive thoughts about oneself. People who feel dissatisfied with certain parts of their body may end up feeling low about their looks; this might trigger other psychological problems later. High self-esteem is a truly crucial element in the lives of individuals as it leads to better performance of individuals and their general well-being. The need for better looks for enhanced self-esteem is a justifiable reason for plastic surgery, and it should be acknowledged that the result of such a procedure in such a case is highly rewarding. For instance, people who have undergone plastic surgery on this ground have been reported to have registered positive changes in their life patterns. Successful reconstructive surgeries have enabled individuals to be more positive and result oriented both in their personal lives and professional wise. Individuals with a low self-esteem are more likely to suffer from other psychological problems such as depression, and this could be fatal in extreme cases as it could trigger suicidal feelings. Concerning its relationship with health concerns, plastic surgery is undoubtedly justifiable especially considering that its health benefits are immeasurable. Reconstructive procedures have enabled many patients to regain their normal lives, and this more than enough motivation to undergo plastic surgery. Think of patients whose body organs have lost their ability to carry out their normal functions, especially concerning critical organs such as those that have to do with breathing. Such people are at a risk of losing their lives if corrective and reconstructive measures are not taken in time; through rhinoplasty, such individuals are able to regain normal breathing and are freed from frequent migraines (“What justifies Plastic Surgery?”). Apart from rhinoplasty, gastric bypass surgery is another crucial procedure that has been remarkably effective in saving the lives of many patients with obesity. When it comes to restoring the form of body parts, the significance of plastic surgery is quite notable, as seen in cases of cleft lips and cleft palates kids with such deformities have been unable to function normally. Such deformities in kids have long lasting implications on the development of kids, and their relation to the world in their later lives; the kids grow up in isolation due to the embarrassment of being laughed at with other normal kids. The need to restore the features of a kid and to give them a chance to lead a normal life like other kids in the world is an exceptionally justifiable reason for plastic surgery. Reconstructive procedures have enabled doctors to correct such deformities with satisfying results; such kids have been able to close their mouths and even smile, and this has resulted to other positive benefits such as improved self-esteem and happiness in their lives. Plastic surgery has also been a tool for the restoration of physical features of people who have suffered fatal accidents; such people have been able to regain their previous looks by undergoing reconstructive surgery. Distorted looks can be a highly distressing concern for many people especially after a life changing traumatic events. Many people are never comfortable to lead normal lives after their looks have been altered in accidents, and this is a reason enough for one to resort to plastic surgery. Loss of one’s physical features can be a potentially traumatic event, and it has the capacity to alter the life of an individual, and relation with the world. For instance, distorted looks results to a low self-esteem as one naturally feels in adequate due to their horrible looks, and this might affect their relation with other people. Given all the factors that result to the need of plastic surgery, it is only clear that individuals seeking plastic surgery have their own motivations for doing it; in this respect, to regard plastic surgery harshly on ethical terms and principals is a biased misrepresentation of the practice. Plastic surgery has been proven to be quite beneficial and to judge it on the basis of morality is unfair- this way, one overlooks so many other factors that instigated it in the first instance. In other words, the question of whether plastic surgery is right or wrong goes beyond the moral scale, and people should focus on the most valuable part of the issue- why plastic surgery is inevitably beneficial. Patients have a right to make their own decisions regarding this matter, and doctors are required to see to it that the needs of their patients are not violated. However, patients must make informed decisions concerning why the surgery is vital to them, and doctors should assess the value of the ultimate benefits against the risk factor (De Sousa 172). With the knowledge and information that plastic surgery is a life changing procedure, patients must be allowed the autonomous power of deciding whether they would undertake the surgery. No form of coercion should be used to persuade a patient into plastic surgery as it can lead to high levels of dissatisfaction in the patient, and this will hinder them from realizing full benefits from the surgery. Ultimately, it is clear that the ethical concerns regarding plastic surgery have been informed by the rising popularity especially in the western world, and with the greater risk of abuse by patients. The ethical concerns can be potentially reduced by ensuring that the surgery is safe and is offered on grounds that the surgery has been motivated by reasons that have been positively evaluated and proven to be highly beneficial to the patient (De Sousa 173). Works Cited Reich, Julien. "The evolution of thought concerning the justification of aesthetic plastic surgery." Springer.com. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2.1. 1978: 183-204. “What justifies Plastic Surgery?”. Allaboutplasticsurgeries.com. (n.d). Web. 14th Dec 2012. De Sousa, Avinash. “Concerns about cosmetic surgery”. Issuesinmedicalethics.org. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics: Vol IV, No 4. October- December 2007. Web. 14th Dec 2012. “Plastic Surgery”. Kidshealth.org. (n.d). Web. 14th Dec 2012. Read More