Cecily O’Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Five years ago, Faye underwent seven hours of delicate surgery – by choice.

Before surgery (ASPS)

She got a facelift, eyelift, partial forehead lift, nose job and breast implant replacement that involved seven hours of surgery.

“It was quite a big deal,” said Faye, who financed the $19,000 operation with money from the sale of her home.

While Faye said she is “happy every day that I did it,” the experience came with risk. Faye elected to have the surgery despite knowing complications could arise from a bleeding disorder she’s had for years. Her recovery was painful at times and she endured a lot of bleeding, but those discomforts didn’t deter her from the results she hoped to realize.

When all was said and done, she said she feels “like I look cleaned up.”

Faye spent a lot of time making sure she was comfortable with her doctor, which is important advice for the growing number of baby boomers electing to have plastic surgery. It’s a decision that should not be entered into lightly. Procedures can be expensive, and the potential for risks, health problems and disastrous results is reason to pause.

There are emotional dangers, too. Cosmetic surgery may seem like an easy cure for an issue that in reality represents a deep psychological need.

$5,000 Tummy Tuck
The desire for plastic surgery shouldn’t get in the way of sound financial planning. About 5 percent of men and woman said they anticipate costs related to cosmetic surgery in retirement, according to a 2005 survey by the Financial Planning Association. Another 29 percent were factoring in alternative medicine expenses

After surgery (ASPS)

Still, some boomers’ place a high premium on instant gratification. Peggy Kragie, a 59-year-old Chicago resident, charged $14,000 on her credit card three years ago to pay for her tummy tuck and eye lift. While Ms. Kragie said she’s happy with the results, she admitted, “I had no business doing that.”

Plastic surgery costs will vary among surgeons, depending on procedure and location. However the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has published national averages to help estimate expenses. Among the top five cosmetic procedures, the average fee charged by plastic surgeons for breast augmentation is $3,600; nose reshaping, $3,841; liposuction, $2,750; eyelid surgery, $2,877; and tummy tuck, $5,063.

Plastic surgeon’s charge an average of $492 to administer Botox, the No. 1 minimally invasive cosmetic procedure. A chemical peel will run $686; laser hair removal, $466; microdermabrasion, $264; and hyaluronic acid like Restalyne, $584.

Nothing is guaranteed
No procedure is risk free. High on the list is risk of disappointment  if the tummy tuck or breast lift doesn’t come out right, or achieve the result the patient was seeking. Many news programs have increased attention recently surrounding botched surgeries, as well as plastic surgery addicts who’ve undergone multiple procedures and have replaced their homegrown features with a pulled, artificial look.

“Anything can happen in surgery, nothing is guaranteed and you always assume risk,” said Dr. Allen Parungao, and Oak Park, Ill. plastic surgeon. “Don’t be in a hurry, and don’t let money be the most important thing.”

Even popular procedures like Botox carry some short-term risks like forehead and eyelid dropping, while a tummy tuck can come with the risk of infection and blood clots. Facial surgeries by surgeons who are not properly certified can lead to sinus collapse and facial deformity.

Breast lift and augmentation procedures, a common option among older women who nursed their children, carry multiple long-term risks related to the implant. This includes various viral and bacterial infections, which can happen immediately after surgery, cautioned Ilena Rosenthal, a woman’s health advocate and director of the Humantics Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness about breast implant risks. Also concerning is that with implants in place, a woman may never get a “good, clear mammogram,” she said.

“Nobody wants to believe that something so desirable can be so potentially harmful, not the women, not their families, not the plastic surgeons ...” Rosenthal said. 

In response to negative implant outcomes, several hundred thousand women have made claims against implant makers with “varying results,” Ms. Rosenthal said.

One group of cases is often cited in reference to implants gone awry. During the '90s, thousands of injury claims were filed against Dow Corning, which manufactured implants through a subsidiary. The company eventually was ordered to pay $3.2 billion to settle those claims in 1998.

In general, malpractice litigation is difficult to pursue, according to James Bostwick, a San Francisco attorney. That's largely because jurors aren't sympathetic to individuals who've undergone a procedure by choice.

"Elective surgery is not the kind of thing that most juries get too excited about if it goes wrong," Bostwick said.

The key message is that plastic surgery intended to help men and woman look younger could end up leaving them scarred and deformed, unless they do some research. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is a good resource for individuals weighing a procedure. It advises several steps:

• Research the procedure, including benefits and risks;
• Have realistic expectations and discuss them with your surgeon. Understand the side effects and recovery time;
• Talk to patients who have had the procedure;
• Ask tough questions and consult with your plastic surgeon about your medical history to determine what is and isn’t appropriate; and
• Choose a ASPS member surgeon.

Read All Four Parts:

Part 1: Why We Do It 

Part 2: Surgical Strikes

Part 3: The Costs & Risks

Part 4: Natural Alternatives