Abstract
The facial plastic surgeon potentially has a conflict of interest when confronted with the patients requesting surgery, due to the personal gain attainable by agreeing to perform surgery. The aim of this review is to discuss the potential harm the surgeon can inflict by carrying out facial plastic surgery, beyond the standard surgical complications of infection or bleeding. It will discuss the desire for self-improvement and perfection and increase in the prevalence facial plastic surgery. We address the principles of informed consent, beneficence and non-maleficence, as well as justice and equality and how the clinician who undertakes facial plastic surgery is at risk of breaching these principles without due care and diligence.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Edelstein L (1943) The Hippocratic oath, text, translation and interpretation. The Johns Hopkins press, Baltimore, p 64
Sokol DK (2013) “First do no harm” revisited. BMJ 347:f6426
Beauchamp TL, Childress JF (2001) Principles of biomedical ethics, 5th edn. Oxford University Press, New York, p 454
Ricketson G (1962) Basis for cosmetic surgery. South Med J 55:269–273
AAFPRS (2013) AAFPRS Membership Study. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2013
WHO Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19–22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948: World Health Organization, 1948
DfC Affairs (2007) Mental Capacity Act 2005: Code of Practice. Department for Constitutional Affairs, London
Newell R (2000) Psychological difficulties amongst plastic surgery ex-patients following surgery to the face: a survey. Br J Plast Surg 53:386–392
Meningaud JP, Benadiba L, Servant JM, Herve C, Bertrand JC, Pelicier Y (2003) Depression, anxiety and quality of life: outcome 9 months after facial cosmetic surgery. J Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surg Off Publ Eur Assoc Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surg 31:46–50
von Soest T, Kvalem IL, Wichstrom L (2012) Predictors of cosmetic surgery and its effects on psychological factors and mental health: a population-based follow-up study among Norwegian females. Psychol Med 42:617–626
Hollyman JA, Lacey JH, Whitfield PJ, Wilson JS (1986) Surgery for the psyche: a longitudinal study of women undergoing reduction mammoplasty. Br J Plast Surg 39:222–224
Cingi C, Songu M, Bal C (2011) Outcomes research in rhinoplasty: body image and quality of life. Am J Rhinol Allerg 25:263–267
Sarwer DB, Wadden TA, Pertschuk MJ, Whitaker LA (1998) The psychology of cosmetic surgery: a review and reconceptualization. Clin Psychol Rev 18:1–22
Association AP (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. American Psychiatric Association, Washington
Altamura C, Paluello MM, Mundo E, Medda S, Mannu P (2001) Clinical and subclinical body dysmorphic disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 251:105–108
Aouizerate B, Pujol H, Grabot D et al (2003) Body dysmorphic disorder in a sample of cosmetic surgery applicants. Eur Psychiatr J Assoc Eur Psychiatr 18:365–368
Phillips KA, Dufresne RG Jr, Wilkel CS, Vittorio CC (2000) Rate of body dysmorphic disorder in dermatology patients. J Am Acad Dermatol 42:436–441
Picavet VA, Prokopakis EP, Gabriels L, Jorissen M, Hellings PW (2011) High prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder symptoms in patients seeking rhinoplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg 128:509–517
Phillips KA, Grant J, Siniscalchi J, Albertini RS (2001) Surgical and nonpsychiatric medical treatment of patients with body dysmorphic disorder. Psychosomatics 42:504–510
Crerand CE, Phillips KA, Menard W, Fay C (2005) Nonpsychiatric medical treatment of body dysmorphic disorder. Psychosomatics 46:549–555
Phillips KA (2007) Suicidality in Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Prim Psychiatry 14:58–66
Brinton LA, Lubin JH, Burich MC, Colton T, Hoover RN (2001) Mortality among augmentation mammoplasty patients. Epidemiology 12:321–326
Brinton LA, Lubin JH, Murray MC, Colton T, Hoover RN (2006) Mortality rates among augmentation mammoplasty patients: an update. Epidemiology 17:162–169
Jacobsen PH, Holmich LR, McLaughlin JK et al (2004) Mortality and suicide among Danish women with cosmetic breast implants. Arch Intern Med 164:2450–2455
Koot VC, Peeters PH, Granath F, Grobbee DE, Nyren O (2003) Total and cause specific mortality among Swedish women with cosmetic breast implants: prospective study. BMJ 326:527–528
Lipworth L, Nyren O, Ye W, Fryzek JP, Tarone RE, McLaughlin JK (2007) Excess mortality from suicide and other external causes of death among women with cosmetic breast implants. Ann Plast Surg 59:119–123 discussion 24–5
Pukkala E, Kulmala I, Hovi SL et al (2003) Causes of death among Finnish women with cosmetic breast implants, 1971–2001. Ann Plast Surg 51:339–342 discussion 43-4
Villeneuve PJ, Holowaty EJ, Brisson J et al (2006) Mortality among Canadian women with cosmetic breast implants. Am J Epidemiol 164:334–341
Edgerton MT, Jacobson WE, Meyer E (1960) Surgical-psychiatric study of patients seeking plastic (cosmetic) surgery: ninety-eight consecutive patients with minimal deformity. Br J Plast Surg 13:136–145
Wong WW, Camp MC, Camp JS, Gupta SC (2010) The quality of internet advertising in aesthetic surgery: an in-depth analysis. Aesthetic Surg J 30:735–743
Spilson SV, Chung KC, Greenfield MLVH, Walters M (2002) Are plastic surgery advertisements conforming to the ethical codes of the american society of plastic surgeons? Plast Reconstr Surg 109:1181–1186
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Consortia
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
None.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sethi, N., MRCS DOHNS. Ethics and the facial plastic surgeon. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 273, 2323–2327 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-015-3745-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-015-3745-z