The introduction of technological innovations in healthcare in recent years has provided healthcare professionals with a wide range of powerful new tools and procedures that can help people live longer, healthier lives. The importance of these innovations has ranged from life-saving surgical procedures to the merely cosmetic such as with some plastic surgeries. While many plastic surgery procedures have been shown to benefit people physically, emotionally and socially, there have been enough adverse clinical outcomes to be concerned. Indeed, some observers have questioned the legitimacy of some plastic surgery procedures, especially for adolescents, because of the potential risks involved as well as the other ethical considerations involved. This paper provides an overview of plastic surgery and how it can be beneficial for many people, followed by a discussion of the potential hazards associated with the practice. A summary of the research and salient findings are presented in the conclusion.
             Review and Discussion
             Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty that seeks to correct disfigurements, restore impaired functioning, and improve an individual's physical appearance; the field is primarily concerned with the bodily surface and with reconstructive work of the face and exposed parts of the body (Rakel, 2006). The practice of plastic surgery is ancient, but modern plastic surgery techniques were developed during the post-World War I era when physicians worked to repair the wounds and disfigurements of combat veterans (Rakel, 2006). The term "plastic" is a reference to the molding and reshaping of body tissues that takes place during the surgery; however, plastic surgery is not strictly synonymous with aesthetic, or cosmetic, surgery that is performed solely to improve appearance in otherwise healthy persons (Rakel, 2006). There is an aesthetic element involved in the majority of plastic surgery procedures, thoug...