Press On: Is the risk worth the reward?
A few weeks ago I was intrigued by the story from Peru about a gang that was reported to be killing people and draining the fat out of the bodies to sell on the world market for use in the cosmetics industry. Medical experts doubted the veracity of the story from the beginning; stating that there really is no worldwide black market for human fat. As it turned out, the story was a hoax and a high-ranking Peruvian police officer lost his job over it. But, in chasing that story, I ran across another, somewhat related, that set me onto a different course.
I read about the death of former Miss Argentina, Solange Magnano. Magnano died in the hospital after being transferred from a plastic surgery clinic where she had undergone a cosmetic procedure. It was later reported that the cause of death was a “pulmonary embolism, a blockage of the blood supply to the lungs.” The 37-year-old model, former beauty queen and mother of 8-year-old twins, had chosen to have a solid implant placed in her buttocks to make her physique more attractive.
It”s interesting that even the recession has not halted the desire that people have to look better and younger. More than 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, a 5-percent increase over the previous year. An interesting note about the increase in plastic surgeries is also the fact that men are opting for cosmetic procedures in record numbers. There was a 16-percent jump in male plastic surgery procedures from 2002 to 2007.
My wife, the surgery nurse, says that there is no such thing as a risk-free surgery procedure. I think many people believe that cosmetic or plastic surgery is somehow different and less-risky than a required surgery, say to repair a knee or replace a hip. Apparently, because the words cosmetic and plastic are involved, it tends to make people believe that it”s going to be a piece of cake, with no possible downside risk factors. Maybe that is why so many parents are even letting their teenager get a nose job or breast augmentation.
With more cosmetic surgical procedures have come a greater number of deaths in recent years, during or after a plastic surgery procedure. It has awakened a larger percentage of the public to the risks involved. Before the recent death of Solange Magnano, hip-hop star Kanye West”s mother, Donda West, died after cosmetic procedures were performed on her.
Florida teen, Stephanie Kuleba, was a senior in high school and the captain of her cheerleading squad. She thought breast enlargement would make her life better. During the breast implant surgery, Stephanie went into malignant hyperthermia, which is a rare life-threatening condition that is triggered by exposure to certain drugs used for anesthesia. Stephanie died.
Some of the risks, in addition to death, that are possible with plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures include infection, nerve damage, numbness and scarring. Of course, there is also the possibility that the end result is not satisfying.
Obviously, with over 12 million cosmetic surgeries being performed per year, many of them go exactly as planned and provide the desired outcome for the patient. I just believe that people, especially young people, need to know going into a surgical procedure that there are inherent risks, up to and including death.
Surgery is somewhat like rolling dice. A winner is not rolled every time. Unfortunately, If you decide to play, you have to be willing to lose, as well as win.
Gary Dickson is the publisher and editor of the Record-Bee. Contact him at gdickson@record-bee.com or 263-5636, ext. 24.
