Skulls discovered beneath the ground of France have revealed a startling secret. These preserved bones show delicate holes in the skull. The procedure, which is called a craniotomy in medical terminology, involves the removal of a piece of bone from the skull, and it has been performed since prehistoric times. The oldest skull, found at a neolithic burial site of Ensisheim in France, is more than 7,000 years old. crainiotomies were practiced by the Ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Indians, Romans, Greeks and the early Mesoamerican civilizations.
The procedure is still performed today, for both medical and non-medical reasons. Fast forward to today; thanks to Hollywood, cosmetic plastic surgery is becoming as commonplace as blond highlights. What the movie stars don’t tell you is that plastic surgery is extremely painful and dangerous. As with all surgery, there are risks of complications caused by extra stress on the body. And the nature of plastic surgery makes the risks even higher. Intense prices and a lack of research can often interfere with a teens legitimate need for surgery. Dr.
Alan Gold, president of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), with a practice in Great Neck, New York, counsels parents and teen patients together, but does the physical exam separately. He looks for emotional maturity, and makes sure his young patients understand the short-term consequences of their decision – the bruising, discomfort, time out of school and away from their social lives. When it comes to cosmetic surgery, Dr. Gold says “too many teens are influenced by TV and expect the surgery to do something it can’t. ” There can be some practical benefits from plastic surgery.
Young women might consider breast reduction surgery if their breasts are uncomfortably large. Many times very large breast size can cause back pain, bad posture and other conditions that weaken the body. For girls with severe acne scars, there is dermabrasion, which is a surgical procedure that scrapes away the top layers of skin in order to remove the scarring. In cases like these, plastic surgery is an accepted and often recommended form of treatment. Regardless, these procedures are very serious and are generally appropriate only in extreme cases. The cost of cosmetic or reconstuctive surgery can bean overwhelming burden for families.
“The Little Baby Face Foundation was born out of the desire to serve and assist children with birth deformities and their families that are without resources by providing them with the life changing restorative treatments and surgeries free of cost” The Little Baby Face Foundation got a huge amount of media attention over the Nadia Ilse story, but doctors at the nonprofit insist they are not running an anti-bullying organization. Dr. Thomas Romo, the director of facial, plastic and reconstructive surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, runs the foundation, which was started in 2002.
Romo has treated children with deformities all around the world and wanted to bring that idea home to the U. S. The organization’s intent hasn’t changed since its inception: correcting low-income children’s facial deformities, such as a cleft lip, or facial palsy, says Romo. If a child seeks the complimentary surgery simply because he’s being teased over his features, he won’t be chosen unless the problem meets the medical definition of a facial deformity.
Turn on your TV and you will see a bunch of shows that glorify plastic surgery as a miracle cure for looking good. Those shows are almost always less than accurate in explaining the dangers of plastic surgery, the major risks involved with any type of surgery, or the possibility of bad cosmetic results.
For young adults and their families who are considering plastic surgery, whether it’s rhinoplasty, otoplasty [the pinning back of ears], or even reduction mammaplasty (breast reduction), it’s essential to find a physician experienced in working with teens, and one who takes the time to put these patients at ease.
Works Cited “Plastic Surgery For Teenagers Briefing Paper. ” Plastic Surgery & Teenagers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 8 May 2014. . “Science Museum. Brought to Life: Exploring the History of Medicine. “. N. p. , n. d. Web. 8 May 2014. . “Little Baby Face Foundation – Transforming the lives of children. ” Little Baby Face Foundation. N. p. , n. d. Web. 8 May 2014. .