TV Plastic Surgery: Can You Trust It?

Over the years, TV and entertainment media have created debate for their portrayal of plastic surgery results. Viewers often grapple with questions about their on-screen authenticity, ethical implications and overall impact on the patients. These shows play a crucial role in forming patient expectations and revealing glimpses of the plastic surgery process.

This blog will discuss what factors go into one’s plastic surgery experience and help evaluate what role entertainment media depictions of plastic surgery play in forming an educated opinion on the practice.

The Positive Role of TV Surgery

Plastic surgery-based entertainment other media channels serve a number of positive functions:

• They portray an open line of communication between patient and surgeon that would otherwise be tense and laced with friction. This discussion will typically be less emotionally charged than a discussion about the actual surgical issue at hand
• They allow real-life prospective patients and medical professionals to bond over shared entertainment experiences, thereby breaking down barriers and making the procedure smoother
• They provide expectations of what the patient’s experience with the procedure may look like
• They introduce viewers to the physical appearance of hospitals, clinics, and operating rooms
• They discuss the concerns and outcomes of the plastic surgery procedures

The Difficulty of Plastic Surgery

Undergoing plastic surgery is no easy feat for the patient or the plastic surgeon. Surgeons cannot take procedures lightly, as both aesthetic outcomes and patient health require devoted attention and precision at all times.

To ensure a smooth ride, patients and their physicians must hold difficult conversations, and focus on physical and emotional experiences. Doing this helps to ensure that there is little or no room for frivolity in a plastic surgical procedure.

Plastic surgery media may show these conversations, but they do not always go into full detail. Prospective patients should be ready to have hard conversations and understand that the process will not always be an easy experience.

Setting Expectations

Aside from discussing issues and having difficult conversations, patients must also trust their physicians. Patients should take the time to find a surgeon they can trust and create an open line of communication to ensure that no questions are left unasked.

You want to understand your surgeon’s background and experience. Your background and experiences based in plastic surgery media depictions may contrast with the professional experiences of your surgeon. Use these differences to set realistic expectations and preserve a healthy patient-surgeon relationship.

The Entertainment Purpose of TV Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery shows can also be a source of education for patients, although it is not the primary one, as they are meant to be entertainment, first and foremost. Thus, to ensure it is a viable education method, patients and surgeons may want to discuss the programs and how they may or may not be accurate to their specific clinical situations.

“As great as plastic surgery TV shows may be, at the end of the day, they are TV shows, after all,” says Dr. Sacha Obaid. “Speaking with a plastic surgeon you trust is the best way to learn accurate information about the procedures that may be right for you.” 

While entertainment programming may give you a glimpse into the world of plastic surgery, you must do your research before scheduling a procedure. Ensure you speak with a board-certified plastic surgeon and do your homework rather than relying on entertainment programming.