Should I believe what I see on TV about plastic surgery?

Every day television programs air on local television channels as well as on cable stations detailing plastic surgical procedures. The positive programs are the documentary specials such as those seen on the Discovery Health Channel. These specials give a tremendous educational advantage to the patient hoping to undergo a cosmetic surgery procedure. Presented in documentary format, the episodes show patients as they appear before their surgery explaining the specific desires they wish to satisfy through cosmetic surgery. Patients are then followed into the operating room, while the viewer hears descriptive narratives by well-qualified surgeons describing the procedures and showing the final postoperative results. New techniques can also be described on these educational shows; all this may help aid the patient in finding qualified plastic surgeons.

Some television programs, that are not educational or documentary, portray cosmetic procedures to be as quick and simple as getting your hair or nails done. Cosmetic surgery is a major surgical procedure that has risks and the potential for complications. Many of these surgeries are complex and require extended recovery time, but one does not often see this on television shows. The potential for harm is glossed over, an enormous disservice to the public and to the potential patient.