With
the end of Word War I, America found many of its young soldiers to be harmed
and physically disfigured. Plastic surgery of the head and face became popular
as it allowed soldiers to return to a normal life, without being reminded every
day of their physical deformities.
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| World War 1 veteran, a victim of facial disfigurement |
Plastic
surgery in itself is a form of art. Highly trained professionals allow patients
to depict their desired physical appearance and they bring it to life. There
has been a shift in the world of plastic surgery from a focus on reconstructive
surgery to elective cosmetic surgery. In
2012 the number one cosmetic surgery performed was breast augmentation. According to the American Association of
Plastic Surgeons, 286,274 patients received this procedure. In 2012 the number
one reconstructive surgery performed was for patients suffering from a
disfiguring dog bite. 27,272 patients in 2012 received this surgery. The
difference in the amount of people receiving cosmetic surgery versus
reconstructive surgery is astounding.
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| Reconstructive Surgery: Cleft Lip |
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| Cosmetic Surgery: Face Lift |
Medicine
can also be found in the art of television. Medical dramas such as Grey’s
Anatomy, House, and Scrubs have been some of the most popular shows on
television. These shows depict life-like stories about patients while following
the professional and personal lives of the main characters. These shows
dramatize the world of medicine, oftentimes putting a negative spin on typical stereotypes
(i.e. only female nurses, mostly male physicians, hierarchies). Despite this, these
shows dramatize the art of saving a human life.
The
DaVinci surgical robot is a piece of medical technology that is changing the
lives of many patients today. It allows for minimally invasive surgery, a higher
recovery rate, and less scaring of the body. This machine combines the worlds
of medicine, technology and art by allowing patients to receive better treatment
and surgical outcomes without having to dramatically disfigure or scar any
portion of the beautiful human body.
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| No more surgeries like this! |
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| The DaVinci |
Recources:
1. Plastic
Surgery Statistics: http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news-and-resources/2012-plastic-surgery-statistics.html
2. World
War 1 and plastic surgery: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9396435/Pioneering-plastic-surgery-records-from-First-World-War-published.html
3. Concepts
for the plastic surgeon from art and sculpture: http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/3652606/reload=0;jsessionid=fBXN1QFAoU7mT4wyWJxg.44
4. A
classic reprint: Plastic and cosmetic surgery of the face: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01570378
5. Medical and Nursing Students’ Television Viewing Habits: Potential
Implications for Bioethics :
6. DaVinci Surgery:
http://www.davincisurgery.com/
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