AsiaNews Magazine Jan10-16,2014 ( Jan 1-7,2014) | Page 68

COVER STORY

January 10-16, 2014

“Double-jaw surgery is difficult,
and carries higher risks. It is recommended for people who have
many functional problems of the
face,” said a former cosmetic clinic
consultant who now runs an anti-plastic surgery community.
Plastic surgery, when poorly performed, can place a crushing financial burden on patients who are
already struggling with side effects.
Worse, they often find themselves
fighting against surgeons in complex medical disputes.
“The court tries to examine
whether the surgeons did their best
in explaining the potential adverse
effects of the surgeries,” said Choi
Chung-hee, a lawyer at Seseung,
a law firm specialised in medical
disputes. In a positive development
for sufferers of serious side effects,
courts nowadays tend to give more
weight to the mental pain of patients.
But even if a patient wins his
case against a doctor, compensation

tends to be very small, according to
case reports from the Korea Consumer Agency and court rulings.
In a dispute settlement case
reported by the KCA in July, a
hospital that did not completely
remove the artificial prosthesis from a patient’s nose as requested was found only 50 per
cent responsible.
As more surgeries are performed
and complex techniques are used,
medical disputes are on the rise.
Some doctors said the distorted
image of beauty in Korea, often
promoted through camera-perfect
celebrities, is increasing the risks of
plastic surgery.
“I have done breast enlargement
surgeries, but I still do not understand women’s desire to have both a
skinny body and large breasts,” said
a plastic surgeon who used to work
at a large cosmetic clinic chain in
Gangnam.
“Some patients say they want
to have noses that look exactly

the same as certain TV celebrities, but it is almost impossible to
make a perfect replica. Frankly, I
think a surgery is successful when
the final result has roughly 70 per
cent or higher synchronicity with
the desired goal,” he said.
Psychiatrists said some individuals want to have surgery believing that their looks are the
cause of their depression.
“Many people unknowingly
seek cosmetic surgery out of an
adjustment disorder, rather than
depression caused by unsatisfactory looks,” said Yang Jae-jin, a
psychiatrist and director of Jin
Hospital. Yang was one of the
panel members of Let Me In 3, a
popular makeover TV show.
According to Yang, it is foolish to
have plastic surgery as an ultimate
solution for unhappiness.
“Patients must look into all possible outcomes, both positive and
negative, before making a decision,”
he said.