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Girl’s Death Spotlights Plastic Surgery among Teens
by
findingDulcinea Staff
A Florida teenager died after undergoing breast augmentation. Her case brings new attention to the rising popularity of cosmetic surgery in America.
30-Second Summary
High school cheerleader Stephanie Kuleba died of malignant hyperthermia, a rare reaction to anesthesia, after undergoing cosmetic breast surgery.
Her death has raised concern about the growth in plastic surgery among young women. About 400,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in 2007, and nearly 8,000 of those were done on individuals 18 and under, reported WPTV in Florida. The FDA recommends that no one under 18 undergo breast augmentation surgery.
Kuleba’s death was tragic, but it could happen to anyone, said Dr. Richard D’Amico, the president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, on Wednesday to Matt Lauer of the Today Show.
“This is something that can happen in any surgery, on any part of the body, in any setting,” D’Amico said.
The number of people taking on the risks of surgery to improve their appearance is growing steadily in all age groups, according to a recent report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Twelve million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2007, a 7 percent increase from the year before and a 59 percent increase from 2000.
Cosmetic surgery is even losing its stigma for men in the United States, who underwent 17 percent more procedures in 2007 than the year before, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
As more people go under the knife, there has been a corresponding rise in individuals electing to have “undo-plasties” to reverse botched procedures. Celebrities such as Courtney Love have spoken openly about their bad experiences.
“I just want the mouth God gave me,” Love wrote in her blog. “It was perfectly cute.”
Her death has raised concern about the growth in plastic surgery among young women. About 400,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in 2007, and nearly 8,000 of those were done on individuals 18 and under, reported WPTV in Florida. The FDA recommends that no one under 18 undergo breast augmentation surgery.
Kuleba’s death was tragic, but it could happen to anyone, said Dr. Richard D’Amico, the president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, on Wednesday to Matt Lauer of the Today Show.
“This is something that can happen in any surgery, on any part of the body, in any setting,” D’Amico said.
The number of people taking on the risks of surgery to improve their appearance is growing steadily in all age groups, according to a recent report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Twelve million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2007, a 7 percent increase from the year before and a 59 percent increase from 2000.
Cosmetic surgery is even losing its stigma for men in the United States, who underwent 17 percent more procedures in 2007 than the year before, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
As more people go under the knife, there has been a corresponding rise in individuals electing to have “undo-plasties” to reverse botched procedures. Celebrities such as Courtney Love have spoken openly about their bad experiences.
“I just want the mouth God gave me,” Love wrote in her blog. “It was perfectly cute.”
Headline link: ‘Cheerleader’s Death Highlights Rare Surgical Risk’
Florida high schooler Stephanie Kuleba, who died after undergoing breast augmentation surgery, was an outgoing cheerleader who was headed to college. The 18-year-old died of a rare reaction to anesthesia called malignant hyperthermia, a genetic condition that is hard to detect. MSNBC reports that although the FDA recommends that only women 18 or older get breast implants, the number of younger girls electing to undergo the surgery continues to grow. In 2005, more than 3,500 girls had breast implants.
Source: MSNBC
Background: No longer stigmatized
Plastic surgery, especially among teens, is on the rise in America. Nearly 400,000 breast augmentation procedures were completed in 2007, and nearly 8,000 of those were performed on individuals 18 and under. Dr. Gregory Delange of the Estetica Institute for Plastic Surgery in Palm Beach Gardens, who does not perform breast implants on patients under 18, said he has had a definite increase in younger patients.
Source: WPTV
Middle America is embracing plastic surgery, according to numbers from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In 2007, there were 1.715 million cosmetic procedures in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Breast enhancement was the most common invasive surgery for the region.
Source: Star Tribune
Plastic surgery is losing its stigma among all groups, including men. 2007 saw a 17 percent increase in cosmetic procedures among men, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Men underwent more than 1 million treatments last year, although there are still 10 times as many procedures among women.
Source: Bloomberg
Video: 'Teen: Plastic Surgery Is Graduation Gift'
The number of American teenagers getting plastic surgery tripled to 11,000 from last year.
Source: Kansas City CW affiliate KMBC on YouTube
Related topics: ‘Undo-plasty,’ MRSA, botched procedures and ‘Miss Bimbo’
Courtney Love is among the many celebrities who are now seeking to undergo “undo-plasty” to reverse plastic surgery procedures. Doctors are reporting that regular people also are seeking to undo plastic surgery damage at high rates. But plastic surgeon Alex Karidis says the rise in “undo-plasties” has been misinterpreted as a trend away from enhancement toward a natural look. “Plastic surgery has been on the increase over the past five years, so statistically you’re going to have a higher proportion of people having problems,” he said.
Source: The Independent
A small number of facelift patients became infected with the antibiotic-resistant superbug MRSA, reports a new study. The staphylococcus aureus infection developed in about one half of 1 percent of people who underwent facelifts, according to doctors at a hospital in New York City. “The MRSA issue is societal now and is generally recognized as a risk factor for all surgical procedures,” said Dr. Jeffrey C. Salomon, an assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at Yale University School of Medicine.
Source: The Washington Post
In Ireland, a plastic surgeons’ group is carrying out a survey to determine how many people suffered from botched cosmetic plastic surgery in poorly regulated clinics in Ireland and abroad. A growing number of Irish patients who have cut-price surgery abroad require repair operations when they return to Ireland, said Dr. David O’Donovan, the secretary of the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons.
Source: The Sunday Business Post Online
Dancing With the Stars contestant Priscilla Presley suffered at the hands of an unqualified plastic surgeon, reported US Magazine. Presley’s representative said in a statement that she was one of the documented victims of Dr. Daniel Serrano, who was imprisoned in 2006 for malpractice.
Source: US Magazine
The death of the mother of popular hip-hop star Kanye West after cosmetic surgery caused lawmakers across the country to push for new medical restrictions. Donda West died last year in November after undergoing a series of operations, including breast reduction, liposuction and a tummy tuck, according to news accounts. One proposal by an Illinois lawmaker would make it illegal for assistants or other individuals outside of board-certified plastic surgeons to perform certain procedures.
Source: The Daily Herald
Parents are raising concerns about a new Internet game called Miss Bimbo, which they say is promoting extreme diets and plastic surgery to preteen girls. The game, geared toward girls aged 9 to 16, gives users “bimbo dollars” to buy lingerie and nightclub outfits and has attracted 200,000 members in Britain. The players are also encouraged to buy their virtual characters breast enlargement surgery and to keep them thin with diet pills.
Source: Times Online
Reference: A guide to plastic surgery
Getting plastic surgery is a big decision, but findingDulcinea’s guide can help prospective patients weigh the pros and cons. The Web can also assist in considerations such as finding the right doctor to suit your surgical needs and personality.
Source: findingDulcinea
Twelve million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2007, a 7 percent increase from the year before and a 59 percent increase from 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This group noted that plastic surgery has maintained steady growth in the past year despite the weakening economy. The top five surgical procedures were breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and tummy tuck.
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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