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Posted on April 25, 2013 in Food for Thought
It is not uncommon for people to say to me, in dinner conversation, at a party, or even sometimes when visiting family, “I can’t believe people actually choose to have surgery.” Obviously, the speaker in these instances has a preconceived bias. They may feel that attempts to use medicine or surgery to improve a person’s appearance are ill-conceived or shallow in some way.
However, new research shows quite the opposite. A recent article in the academic journal Clinical Psychological Science reports the findings from the largest ever cohort of aesthetic surgery patients assessed for changes in attitude, outlook, and overall emotional state.
The research team in Switzerland compared over 500 first-time surgery patients with two other groups: about 250 people who had previously wanted plastic surgery but decided against it, and a control group of about 1000 people who had never been interested in aesthetic procedures. The groups were matched in terms of gender, income, and baseline psychological assessments. Patients were tested before surgery, as well throughout the first year after surgery. On average, the surgical patients achieved their desired goal, and were satisfied with the results in the long-term. Most importantly, compared to the group who had chosen NOT to have plastic surgery, the surgical patients felt healthier, less anxious, and had greater self-esteem. They found the area that was operated to be more attractive, but also felt that their entire body was more attractive. Finally, the research team determined that a high level of success exists for cosmetic surgery, in terms of psychological outcome.
Choosing an aesthetic treatment or surgery can be difficult, and there are a lot of important decisions that have to be made. These include finding the right doctor for you, financial factors, career and family issues, and psychological health. But when these things are in place, research shows, happiness truly can be a cold knife.
For more information about surgical andnon-surgical rejuvenation, including minimally-invasive options, please visit SanFranciscoFacialPlasticSurgery.com or call 415-550-1077 today for a comprehensive consultation!Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Evan R. Ransom M.D.
Board Certified Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Dr. Evan Ransom is an Ivy League-educated and Ivy League trained Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. He is a Double Board Certified Head and Neck Surgeon and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and fellowship-trained in facial plastic, reconstructive, and laser surgery. His practice is in the San Francisco Bay Area, serving patients from San Francisco, Oakland, Marin County, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, Walnut Creek, the East Bay, and all over Northern California.
