Cosmetic Surgery: Beauty or the Beast?

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Cartwright 1 Ashleigh Cartwright Ed Mashburn English 101 3 December 2008 Cosmetic Surgery: Beauty or the Beast? When it comes to the ups and downs of cosmetic surgery, a person should look closely at the procedure he or she is planning on having done. Even though each procedure has its own list of pros and cons, they can all be generalized for simplicity. Some of the most common disadvantages of cosmetic surgery are the risks and complications involved, the high price tag, and the fact that the end results can not be promised. When compared to the advantages though, they usually outweigh the disadvantages. Cosmetic surgery can improve or even reconstruct parts of the body. It can help a person to become more confident, it can give a person a more youthful appearance, and it can also reduce health risks and problems. Generally cosmetic procedures have a low rate of complications if the surgery is preformed by a board certified plastic surgeon. However, the patient should remember that every surgery has risks. “In the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, the risks of cosmetic surgery are described as: wound infection, internal bleeding, pneumonia, reactions to anesthesia, formation of Cartwright 2 undesirable scar tissue, persistent pain, redness or swelling in the area of surgery, anemia (lowering of the red blood cell count, which makes a person very weak.), fat embolisms (when fat cells travel through the body and lodge somewhere) from liposuction, rejection of skin graphs or tissue transplants, loss of normal feeling or function in the area of operation, complications resulting from unforeseen technological problems.” (Alagna31-32). For a person to avoid these risks, he or she should make sure that the surgeon he or she chooses is board certified. Another way is for the patient to listen and follow the doctor’s orders before and after surgery. Another
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