Do psychological problems of a patient sometimes complicate aesthetic surgery?
The patient’s psyche is an important factor in all surgery. The nature of aesthetic surgery is such that the patient’s psychological problems are apt to be magnified to some degree. Patients may look to surgery to solve their social, sexual and business difficulties and are quite disappointed to find their problems still exist. Other patients with psychological problems will tend to be hypercritical and will worry over what they consider to be defects following surgery, not visible to anyone else. Others will consult the plastic surgeon and will request surgery that is completely unrealistic, in view of the tissues and features at hand. They are often angry and upset when the surgeon refuses to operate. Psychiatric help or consultation is frequently advisable, but these patients are often unwilling to seek such advice. A stable emotional base should exist before one undergoes aesthetic surgery.
