Page 4 - FACETHETICS

VANITY FAIR!!!! –
THE COSMETOLOGIST
IN TODAY’S SOCIETY
Dr. Aditya Moorthy
MDS, MFDSRCS (Edin), FFDRCS (Eire)
Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon
KeyuranaVibhushayantiPurusham, Haaranachandrojwala
Na snaanamnavilepanamnakusumam, naalamkritanamudhaja
vanyekasamalamkarotipurusham, yaasamskritadhaaraye
kshiantekhalubhushanaanisatatam, vaagbhushanambhushanam.
So says one of the more well-known of the subhashitani in Sanskrit.The
translation is simple as it is utopian- adornment does not make the man,
neither does bathing in the choicest of perfumes. It is the manner of speech
and culture and his behavior that is the key!!!!
If only the reality was this simple!!!! Being attractive is not a luxury for the illness is. The appropriate, safe procedure must be selected and
species on this planet, it is an instinct driven by the necessity to keep the
lineage going. This is seen in the peacock's dance, the mating rituals of
every known animal and the of course, the human species' never ending
quest for ethereal beauty.
The newer concept of beauty is under the microscope purely due to the
general state of affairs of the human race. But the race is inherently
aesthetic. Even the instruments of death are manufactured in a manner that
pleases the eye!!!
Whatever the arguments are for or against the pursuit of ultimate beauty, its
appeal cannot be ignored. It has spawned a huge industry of cosmetics and
now cosmeceuticals. As the patient becomes more demanding and
seemingly shallower in his or her wants, the treating physician is often
caught in a moral and sometimes ethical bind. Society can be rather cruel in
its judgement. It is vehemently supportive of the person's right to change
their sex while it can be equally critical of someone who wants to change
their colour. It supports the right for potentially morbid gender
T reassignments surgery while deriding skin lightening procedures.
W service provider.
O Cosmetology is a lucrative business. The doctor is seen as much as a
Caught in this moral/ethical conundrum is the service provider - the
doctor. He/she grapples everyday about her role and acts of
commission and omission in the ethical aspects of practice, not to
mention the legal implications of these acts. But the doctor can
hardly take on the mantle of society's judge just because he is the
person the patient approaches.
As a matter of fact, the medical fraternity must impress upon itself
that judging a patient and second guessing his motives is a strict no-
no. The patient must be assessed just like a patient with organic
performed to the best of the clinician's ability. Having said that, the
clinician should not shy away from making appropriate referrals if
clinical syndromes are suspected to be the cause of the patient's
cosmetic requests, eg- body dysmorphic disorder. It is to be stressed
that, unless trained, the doctor should not attempt to treat delicate
psychological conditions with ad hoc counseling. Again the
physician must desist from deviating from his role as a service
provider.
Also, the ethical and moral standards are always in a flux, as is
society itself. The clinician must rise above personal opinions and
treat the patient with respect. This is not to say that the clinician
cannot have an opinion, he/she must learn to keep it to oneself and
more importantly, not allow it to affect patient care.
The above paragraphs fly in the face of the concept of the
quintessential GP, who was the friend, philosopher and guide of the
patient's entire family. But in cosmetic surgery and medicine, it
becomes extremely necessary to maintain objectivity, especially
with demanding patients. This also allows the practitioner to see
himself as nothing more than what he is in the mind of a patient- a
businessman as a physician. Good thoughts don't compensate for
poor results. It is vital that doctors who abhor being seen as
businessmen realize this and rethink taking this up as livelihood. He
is likely to end up frustrated and unsuccessful.
In the end, we all are human, some more so than others. It is not for us
to pass judgement on needs that are thrust upon the person by their
peers, wider society, instinct and unknown psychological variables.
We do need to assess the patient's baggage, and check in our own
outside the clinics.