Cosmetically confident with help from a surgeon
Plastic surgery generally can be divided up into two categories: cosmetic and reconstructive. Surgery has become a popular way to change a person’s appearance, but it does come at a cost.
Dr. Blaine Anderson, a plastic surgeon for Cache County, said people can think of the two categories in another way – either insurance will cover it or it’s all out of their pocket.
Things inherited but that need fixing in order to properly function, like a cleft lip, are covered by insurance, as well as accidents, Anderson said. He said if someone wants a procedure like a tummy tuck, face-lift or liposuction, those all come out of the pocket of the patient.
Anderson, a USU graduate, spends most of his time doing cosmetic surgeries with the occasional reconstruction after an accident.
“I get a call to the emergency room between one to two times a week. In the summer time, it’s almost every day,” Anderson said.
Anderson said his patients are mostly women, and the most common surgery he performs is breast augmentation, with tummy tucks coming in a close second place.
“Cosmetic surgery can boost a patient’s self-esteem, but it doesn’t cure relationship problems or communication problems,” Anderson said. Reconstruction and plastic surgery can achieve improvements with the given condition only.
“There is no such thing as perfect,” he said.
Ryan Black, a master’s student in molecular biology, said he feels cosmetic surgeries can improve someone’s self-esteem only if they have some self confidence before surgery.
“If you have low self-esteem, it’s not going to affect you that much,” he said. He also said people who want surgery should do it for themselves and not for someone else.
Anderson said surgeries don’t really change someone’s personality. Rather, they just improve the way they feel about themselves. One patient of his who did show quite a bit of change was a woman who had breast reduction surgery. He said she felt more confident about herself because men would pay attention to all of her, not just part of her.
Having cosmetic surgery can be expensive and time-consuming. Anderson said a breast augmentation is the least expensive at $3,500, and the least time under the knife averages about an hour. From there, Anderson said the time and money just goes up.
“I saw a special on TV about a woman that had over 120 surgeries that cost her about two million dollars,” said Nicole Smith, a freshman majoring in interior design. “For some people, the expense is worth it.”
Anderson said he likes to make sure his patients understand what pre- and post-operation entails. During his consultations, he talks to the patients to find out what bothers them about their bodies. Then he gives them options of procedures he can do and explains what the result will be. Finally, he explains other, non-surgical ideas.
“Each patient is different, and it’s a challenge to make sure what they want is right for them,” he said.
To become a plastic surgeon takes a long time. Anderson said since graduating from high school, he had another 16 years of schooling and training, including his time at USU. Since then, he has been in Logan for the last 17 years in his practice.
-dwkoecher@cc.usu.edu