Model Death Sparks Cosmetic Surgery Safety Debate

By HelloLife

The recent death of 38 year old model Solange Magnano after she had plastic surgery on her buttocks has sparked a discussion about the general safety of cosmetic body alterations.

Magnano was a former Miss Argentina, and had since enjoyed a career as a model and her role as mother to eight year old twin girls.

Last week, Magnano underwent a voluntary procedure to enhance her buttocks. Although it is not certain at this point that her death was a direct result of the procedure, it is suspected. Experts speculate that a liquid silicone injection, which is very unpleasant and banned in many countries, resulted in a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism can occur when a mass blocks the blood supply to the lungs, and circulation stops altogether.

Cosmetic injections, whether using silicone or the person's own fat from another part of the body, can enter the bloodstream and cause these blockages.

The risks associated with various cosmetic procedures are not new, yet the industry is alive and well. This may be because the benefits are glamorized while the risks are downplayed. With a comprehensive assessment of plastic surgery risks, you can be better prepared to make an informed decision whether cosmetic surgery is truly right for you.

Cosmetic Surgery Risks

Infection is a risk whenever the skin is opened. Although serious infections with plastic surgery are rare, they can be dangerous and even damage the cosmetic work. The danger increases when patients are having multiple procedures at once.

Removing large amounts of fat (six liters or more of liposuction) may require a blood transfusion, which comes with numerous risks of its own.

Silicone injections, whether to the breasts or buttocks, have the potential to harden. This becomes awkward and painful for moving, sitting and laying down, and looks strange even under clothing. Infection is more likely to occur in these types of surgeries.

Nerve damage can occur with facelifts, as well as with cosmetic work on other parts of the body. This is a side effect that many patients are not warned about.

People who smoke increase their chance for complications, as smoking constricts the blood vessels. The lack of proper blood flow to areas newly reconstructed can severely damage the cosmetic work.

A small percentage of people who have had plastic surgery have scars that are raised, red and lumpy, not thin and white.

In addition to the risks of cosmetic surgery itself, cosmetic enhancement culture perpetuates the idea that natural bodies are not good enough or are otherwise imperfect. Instead of a culture that respects and embraces our individual physical bodies, we are expected to conform to a glamorized, computerized ideal of perfection that rarely exists in the natural world. Many people fall victim to the quick fix of plastic surgery, rather than choosing a healthy lifestyle that automatically creates a healthy body and outlook.

Most people can significantly improve their bodies with proper diet and exercise. Specific areas like the buttocks, arms, thighs, and even breasts, respond to targeted exercise attention. A healthy body is an attractive body, and negates any reason to assume the dangerous risks of cosmetic surgery.

Magnano's family is not pressing charges, as they feel that her death is not the fault of the clinic, but a result of a risky procedure. Young girls and women should learn from this tragedy that no matter how safe something might seem, there are always dangers when exposing the body to such extreme and unnatural practices.

Source:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/02/model.death.surgery.risk/index.html