Ethics in Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery

The status of plastic and reconstructive surgery is debated in the legislative and health policy domains, where the view of plastic surgery as a consumer good vies with the special status of medical procedures; in the social and cultural arenas, where distributive justice is questioned and standards of beauty examined; and in the realm of technology, where new tools and approaches continue to revitalize this ancient practice. This month’s contributors take on each of these debates and more.

Volume 12, Number 5: 357-433 Full Issue PDF
  • Case and Commentary
    May 2010

    The “Mommy Makeover” Package

    Eric T. Carniol and Paul J. Carniol, MD
    Is it ethical to create and advertise, either publicly or during office visits, package deals that offer patients an incentive to have procedures they are not already seeking and might not have considered?
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):363-366. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.ccas1-1005.
  • Case and Commentary
    May 2010

    Outer Ear Construction: Is Advocacy Part of Treatment?

    June K. Wu, MD
    The author explains why ear reconstruction is not enhancement surgery, and argues that the American system of health care reimbursement sometimes makes advocating for reimbursement part of treatment.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):367-372. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.ccas2-1005.
  • Case and Commentary
    May 2010

    An Argument for Patient Autonomy in Elective Surgery

    Michael Van Vliet, MD and Joseph Rosen, MD
    A discussion of the ethics of performing anti-aging interventions for older patients.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):373-375. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.ccas3-1005.
  • In the Literature
    May 2010

    Ethical Issues in Face Transplantation

    Christian J. Vercler, MD
    Proper patient selection is the key to navigating the ethical challenges of facial tissue transplantation successfully.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):378-382. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.jdsc1-1005.
  • Health Law
    May 2010

    Silicone Breast Implant Litigation

    Kristin E. Schleiter, JD, LLM
    Public opinion, profit-seeking professionals, and medical evidence all played critical roles in the rise and fall of silicone breast implant lawsuits.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):389-394. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.hlaw1-1005.
  • State of the Art and Science
    May 2010

    Diagnosing and Treating Microtia

    Mitchell A. Stotland, MD, MS
    Instructions for examining and diagnosing patients with microtia and an overview of reconstructive options.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):383-388. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.cprl1-1005.
  • Policy Forum
    May 2010

    An Argument Against the Feasibility of Taxing Cosmetic Surgery

    Lauren Sydney Flicker, JD, MBE and Rachel Zuraw, JD, MBE
    Taxing cosmetic procedures does not accord with the standard taxing principles of horizontal and vertical equity. Such a tax would be difficult to enforce and could be discriminatory.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):395-400. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.pfor1-1005.
  • Medicine and Society
    May 2010

    Are Cosmetic Surgeons Complicit in Promoting Suspect Norms of Beauty?

    Jordan Amadio
    Some question whether plastic surgeons bear responsibility for promoting suspect norms of beauty, given that certain types of cosmetic enhancements reinforce common conceptions of normality that are harmful to society.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):401-405. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.msoc1-1005.
  • History of Medicine
    May 2010

    Advertising Cosmetic Surgery

    Deborah A. Sullivan, PhD
    The use of advertisements for cosmetic surgery has fluctuated throughout the twentieth century.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):407-411. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.mhst1-1005.
  • Art of Medicine
    May 2010

    Comic Strip: Mirror, Mirror

    Khris Oak, MD
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):406-. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.msoc2-1005.
  • Viewpoint
    May 2010

    Character and the Plastic Surgeon

    Robert T. Grant, MD, MSc and Michael Sosin
    Role-modeling can shape and reinforce the personal qualities of exemplary plastic surgeons in trainees.
    Virtual Mentor. 2010; 12(5):418-421. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.5.oped1-1005.