Psychological risks associated with appearance-altering procedures: issues "facing" cosmetic surgery.

There is a dynamic and fluid relationship between cosmetic surgery and psychology that requires careful and constant attention from the surgeon. Surgeons all desire a "short and sweet" checklist evaluation that tells them if it is safe for the patient to undergo an elective surgical procedure. Obviously, this is wishful thinking. It is asking too much for surgeons to be able to quantify the overall psychological risk. Rather, they should objectively screen, review, and evaluate as many of the variables as possible. These include but are not limited to the surgical issue, the personality of the patient, the patient's family and/or relationships, and the overall context of the situation. Surgeons should also reflect on both their technical expertise and limitations and the patient's personal resiliency.