10 novembre, 2006 10:32
ABC 7 Medical: Teen Plastic Surgery
Posted: November 09, 2006 5:30 PM EST
THE MOST POPULAR GRADUATION GIFT IS NOW BREAST IMPLANTS.
THE MOST POPULAR GRADUATION GIFT IS NOW BREAST IMPLANTS. THE PLASTIC SURGERY CRAZE IS HITTING THE YOUNGER GENERATION. LAST YEAR 335,000 TEENAGERS IN THIS COUNTRY HAD SURGERY TO ENHANCE THEIR LOOKS. SOME DOCTORS SAY IT'S A DANGEROUS TREND.
MEDICAL REPORTER KATHY FOWLER JOINS US WITH THIS STORY.
Kathy Fowler on set:
SOME DOCTORS WORRY TEENS SEE BREAST IMPLANTS AS A MUST HAVE ACCESSORY, NOT A RISKY OPERATION.
IT'S NOT JUST HAPPENING IN THE U.S. AUSTRALIAN LAWMAKERS ARE SO WORRIED ABOUT THE RISE IN TEENS SEEKING PLASTIC SURGERY, THEY'RE CONSIDERING NEW LAWS TO LIMIT IT.
COSMETIC SURGERY FOR TEENS IS NOT ILLEGAL HERE, BUT MANY PROCEDURES ARE "NOT" RECOMMENDED.
Story:
RITA DEMETRIOU ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING A MODEL SO SHE HAD SURGERY TO GET BIGGER BREASTS, A SMALLER BUTT AND STOMACH AND A NEW NOSE. Rita Demetriou, Plastic Surgery Patient: "I would look at the magazines, especially like the Playboy models, and I would see how pretty they are and everything, and I want to be like that."
PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S NOVEMBER ISSUE FEATURES A GIRL, WHO STRUGGLED WITH WEIGHT ISSUES FOR YEARS. THEN AT THE AGE OF 12 HAD LIPOSUCTION AS A WAY TO BOOST HER SELF-ESTEEM.
KYLA BRODERICK'S BELIEVES HER NOSE JOB AND BREAST IMPLANTS HAVE GIVEN HER MORE CONFIDENCE.
Kyla Broderick: "I want to be in like the fashion industry and music industry and looks matter a lot."
Dr. Michael Olding: "I've never done a breast augmentation for cosmetic reasons, in a woman under 18 years of age."
DR. MICHAEL OLDING ADVISES AGAINST TEENS GETTING SURGERY PURELY FOR COSMETIC REASONS. HE DOESN'T THINK THEY'RE MATURE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THE RISKS OF THE SURGERY ITSELF AND POTENTIAL LIFE-TIME IMPLICATIONS.
Dr. Michael Olding: "Mammograms are more difficult when you have breast implants, they can get hard, you could get an infection, you could get asymmetry."
OF COURSE THERE ARE OTHER PROBLEMS.
Patricia Clark, Clinical Psychologist: "They can start to experience a body dysmorphic disorder where they start focusing on other slight idiosyncrasies, wanting more surgery."
RITA SAYS IT WAS WORTH IT.
Rita Demetriou: "I love myself. I think, you know, I have my self esteem boost."
BUT SOMETHING NOT SO PRETTY. THE BILLS, KYLA SPENT OVER 5,000 DOLLARS AND RITA 11,000.
Kathy Fowler on set:
A PARENTS' CONSENT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL PLASTIC SURGERY PERFORMED ON TEENS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
CERTAIN MILESTONES IN GROWTH AND PHYSICAL MATURITY BEFORE SURGERY CAN BE PERFORMED. BREAST IMPLANTS AND LIPOSUCTION ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
