¿ Plastic surgeon or psychologist?

This is common in the first interview of my patients, who are wondering if they have a real problem or if on the contrary they are those who are affected by an imaginary problem. Recently published a post on this blog about “BDD” Body Dysmorphic Disorder, where we explained that the way in which we see ourselves is certainly not the same to as they see to us, indeed no one sees the world in the same way, everyone has their “filters” and preferences, it is not impossible to be ‘objective’, all perceive things from our subjectivity. But we try to be as objective as possible. In the BDD occurs an obsession and a negative and exaggerated deformation of the perception of the self. But we can more or less come to a lowest common denominator in assessing both the aesthetic and the ethical aspect. Thus, when I see a clear case of BDD I try to advise the patient that he/she interviews with a psychologist.

Plastic surgeon or Psychologist with a scalpel

On the 26th of January 2015 was published in www.efesalud.com an interview to the current president of SECPRE (Plastic Surgery, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Spanish Society), Cristino Suárez, which makes this consideration: “plastic surgeon is a psychologist with a scalpel” with which I fully identify.
The need to empathize with the patient, put on her/his skin and look at problems from their point of view is fundamental in our profession. At the same time be as objective as possible and raise the reality from the other side. With this we manage to tackle the problem and provide a solution.

Plastic surgeon, Psychologist and Artist

Now we have given with the appropriate terms and we can start working comfortably: the good plastic and aesthetic surgeon must have training and proper techniques for the cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures. The good plastic and aesthetic surgeon must have a large component of psychologist to know that it is what the patient wants and that is what would be advisable from an honest point of view. And lastly and this is perhaps my favorite, the good plastic and aesthetic surgeon must have a training and an artistic sensibility to convert each intervention in a work of art.