When we put together the survey to research GP views on cosmetic surgery, the question about patients dissatisfied with their outcomes was something of an afterthought.
The survey had been a response to the rapidly growing numbers of procedures taking place in the UK, and concerns from cosmetic surgeons that potential patients were not consulting their GP before seeking surgery.

But of course the aspect picked up by the national media was the fact that 61 per cent of GPs had seen dissatisfied patients. The calls to our office from TV and radio researchers were requests for ‘horror stories’ – the sort of thing where people went in for an eye lift and came out with three legs.
In a way this was good, because any coverage of cosmetic surgery as a medical procedure that carries risk is, in my book, a bonus.

The big problem with this branch of medicine at the moment is that those most likely to seek surgical enhancement are not seeing it as a medical procedure. To them it’s just another beauty treatment. And it’s now commonplace for procedures such as breast augmentation to be given as a special present, such as for a 21st birthday.
And although in our survey GPs reported increasing numbers of consultations prior to surgery, they are probably only a small percentage compared to the numbers who did not seek their advice.

Indeed, a survey by Which? showed that few people considering cosmetic surgery would think to consult their GP beforehand. Instead they would turn to magazines, the internet, or friends and family. Maybe this is because they are embarrassed, or maybe they don’t think their GP will know anything about cosmetic surgery, or maybe they simply do not see it as a medical issue. So they go for surgery with high expectations, are dissatisfied with the results, and then go to see their GP…