Should Americans Pursue Plastic Surgery to Enhance and Perfect Their Body Image?

Should Americans pursue plastic surgery to enhance and perfect their body image?

Plastic Surgery: Under the Knife for a More Perfect Life!

Plastic surgery has become as popular in society today as any other surgery. In 2006, $11.5 billion was spent on cosmetic procedures compared to just $7.4 billion in 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (O’Brien NP). Like other surgeries, however, plastic surgery also has many risks involved. Despite the risks involved with plastic surgery, many people in society believe that the outcome is worth the gamble. As a society that believes in choice, the choice of plastic surgery should be available to consumers. In fact, plastic surgery can benefit many people in society such as those who have birth defects, those who have had trauma in their lives, or those who simply want to improve their appearance.

Not everyone is born perfect! Some people have birth defects that force them to go through their lives looking different. Plastic surgery offers them the option to correct birth defects such as cleft lip. To illustrate such a case, the “Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and Department of Plastic Surgery” reports how plastic surgery has helped correct a cleft lip on a five year old girl, who has seckel syndrome. Her case report revealed that “She had a left-sided complete cleft of the lip and palate, micrognathia, crowded teeth and a high-arched palate” (Rajamani et.al 338,340). Plastic surgery was able to correct the birth defect that this five year old girl was born with.

Another case of cleft lip corrected by plastic surgery was publicized in the “Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery.” The Nepal Cleft Lip and Palate Association (NECLAPA) surgical team conducted a study on six patients. “A simple line closure of the skin defect was carried out, starting from the corner of the mouth” (Schwarz et. al. NP). The surgeons reported that “All [six] patients with simple line closure had excellent...