Self-perception and self-esteem of patients seeking cosmetic surgery.

Cosmetic surgery represents a particular application of plastic surgery, in which the operative competence of the discipline is focused not on the correction of pathological disorders, but on the correction of some morphologic traits not accepted by the patients, or not adherent with the aesthetic canons of the time, although they are absolutely compatible with the norm. As a consequence, cosmetic surgery recognizes subjective indications. According to a particular literature on the subject, patients seeking these interventions would live a dualism between (their own) body image and inner self-image. Very psychotic case histories would come out of this. A base psychological approach adopted by the surgeon, competent both in the surgical and the psychological level, is absolutely needed. In this study, the psychological features of patients seeking cosmetic surgery were explored in an attempt to define common profiles or prevalent characteristics, and to isolate major psychiatric disorders. Patient self-esteem and physical self-perception also were investigated.