Reconstructive Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery may have a bad reputation from media and the television series “Botched,” which focuses on cosmetic procedures gone wrong. The media portrays plastic surgery as a way for the wealthy to become more beautiful, thinner, or younger looking. One may consider this the dark side of the industry because, it allows people to cover up their insecurities instead of accepting them. However, there is another side to plastic surgery that could be considered the “good” side. Many individuals rely on plastic surgeons to look normal again after a bad wreck, losing a breast after cancer, or to fix problem areas that cause pain to other parts of the body.

All insurance companies should provide coverage for clients who are in need of reconstructive plastic surgery, because these procedures are just as important as knee replacements or cataract

Procedures are either cosmetic or reconstructive. Reconstructive plastic surgery is beneficial to people who have suffered from trauma such as severe burns, automobile incidents, chronic pain, or cancer. This trauma can be reversed by repairing damaged tissues or curing pain. Breast reduction surgery is an example that could be argued as either a cosmetic surgery or reconstructive. In the scenario in which a woman has suffered chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain, breast reduction surgery would be considered a reconstructive surgery because it would reduce or even completely rid the pain the patient was experiencing beforehand.

On the other hand, cosmetic procedures only have appearance-based changes. Liposuction, Botox, and rhinoplasty are all considered cosmetic surgery because, they are altering the appearance of the patient without providing medical benefits. I am not arguing that insurance companies should pay for cosmetic procedures. Because cosmetic surgeries provide no medical benefit, I believe the individual who wants surgery should come up with the funding on his or her