Good Cosmetic Surgeons Focus on their Patients
Stories about cosmetic surgery and liposuction gone wrong and unscrupulous, unqualified doctors preying on their innocent patients certainly make for splashy headlines and draw in curious readers. But what about a day in the life of a typical cosmetic surgeon, who performs procedures that radically change a person’s life, health, and self-esteem? What about the cosmetic surgeon who is concerned with ethics, safety, and patient care? Where is that story?
Nigel Mercer a cosmetic surgeon in the U.K., chronicled a typical day for an article in the Daily Mail. Dr. Mercer’s typical day consists of treating children with deformities, counseling patients on the safest and most appropriate surgeries for their body type and circumstances, and working to combat the negative press surrounding cosmetic surgery.
In one moving passage, Dr. Mercer consults with a patient who wants a facelift:
She doesn’t look old for her age, but her suffering is in her eyes — and no surgery can take that away. So I spend an hour dissuading her from having an operation, suggesting non-surgical procedures such as Botox and fillers.
I also discuss cognitive behavioural therapy — the talking therapy — which could help her improve the way she sees herself.
And in the same passage he talks about transforming the life of a 20 year-old who had breast augmentation surgery -- she was a different, happier person after the surgery. He not only understood why it was a good idea in one case and not the other; he took the time to explain it to his patients and work in their best interests.
Kindness, compassion, and an understanding of what motivates people to get cosmetic surgery: these are skills that are nearly as necessary to cosmetic surgeons as surgical training. Nigel Mercer is an excellent example of the kind of cosmetic surgeon we should be hearing about more often.