When Plastic Surgery is Truly Necessary

Plastic surgery is overwhelmingly done electively for cosmetic reasons. But sometimes the physical and psychological effects of natural or trauma-induced features make the surgery medically necessary. Before you judge people who get plastic surgery as vain or shallow, consider a few of the things that lead them to go under the knife. Breast reduction Women shell out megabucks every year seeking bigger and bigger breasts through plastic surgery. But for those who are naturally over-endowed, the opposite effect is desired. Extremely large breasts place a great amount of weight on the top half of the body at the expense of the woman's back. Extreme back pain is the number one complaint of very large-chested women. Excessively large breasts also cause skin rash from moisture that gets stuck beneath or in between the breasts in the folds of skin. Drying the area and applying over-the-counter ointments can sometimes treat this type of rash. However, the recurring irritation could add to a woman's desire to achieve a more manageable size. While breast reduction surgery is not medically necessary in the same sense as, say, a triple bypass, it is sometimes the last resort of women who suffer from a variety of physical ailments due to their excessive breast matter. Breast cancer Women who have had the misfortune of being diagnosed with breast cancer, going through treatment and fighting for their lives have been through enough. But for women who have had to undergo a lumpectomy or a partial or full mastectomy, the suffering does not stop when the cancer goes into remission. Women are often left with uneven breasts, only one breast or no breasts at all. The psychological effects of this can take a serious toll on a woman who has already been through enough of a traumatic experience. Reconstructive breast augmentation can even out or replace the loss in breasts with implants or even fat transfer. Physical trauma Car accidents, work-related falls, extreme sports injuries and many more activities can often result in horrific deformities. While the first concern is that the person makes it out of the emergency room alive, the physical impact of the incident can be life-altering. Sometimes severe reconstructive plastic surgery is necessary in these situations just so that the person can go to work, run errands and live everyday life without attracting negative attention. Extremely skilled plastic surgeons and multiple surgeries are usually necessary just to return the person to a normal look. Skin and bone from other parts of the body as well as synthetic implants can be used to reconstruct body and facial parts that have been destroyed. Birth defects Plastic surgery is sometimes performed on children of a very young age to correct defects and deformities they were born with. Common problems include webbed fingers and toes, ear deformities and cleft palettes, which can cause speech impediments. Doctors suggest early intervention to eliminate the problem before the child enters school and continues to develop.