Cosmetic Surgery Apps No Replacement for Surgeon’s Expertise
Smartphone apps are fun and informative. Android and iPhone apps put a wealth of useful information at our fingertips and provide us with instant answers to our questions. Today, there seems to be an app for everything, including cosmetic surgery. When used appropriately, plastic surgery apps can be a useful tool for Cleveland cosmetic surgeons. Applying apps that morph facial features and body parts to the photo of a patient, plastic surgeons can help patients visualize how specific cosmetic surgery procedures will change the appearance of their face or body.
When used with the guidance of a knowledgeable board-certified plastic surgeon, cosmetic surgery apps can be a valuable part of the diagnostic process. But that’s not how most people use them. With the recent proliferation of cosmetic surgery apps, their use has taken on the aura of a video game. There’s a new app out – one of several available -- that invites users to create the perfect body. By clicking on a list of cosmetic surgery procedures, users can nip here and tuck there, modifying individual body parts to create a personal vision of the perfect body.
Many of the cosmetic surgery apps were developed by plastic surgeons to enhance discussions with their patients. There is concern that the unguided, casual use of these apps may be resulting in unrealistic patient expectations while trivializing the importance of the surgeon’s role in determining which cosmetic surgery procedures will best achieve a patient’s appearance goals. Smartphone apps are not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a board-certified Cleveland cosmetic surgeon. Apps can only provide generalized information. Cleveland cosmetic surgeons consider many factors, including the patient’s goals, medical history, physical and mental health, musculature and skin condition, when developing personalized treatment plans tailored to meet each patient’s specific needs– and there’s no app for that!