Cosmetic surgery: a sociological analysis of litigation and a surgical specialty.

One of the medical specialties most vulnerable and suit-prone is cosmetic plastic surgery. Societal factors playing a role in this include the growing emphasis on personal gratification and youth and the tendency to insist on redress if things go wrong. Furthermore, studies of the conflicts between doctors and patients show that many difficulties have their roots in the quality of interaction between doctor and patient and in the attitudes and behavior of the surgeon in the course of the relationship, both pre- and postoperatively. Other factors affecting the vulnerability of plastic surgeons include their ability to conduct an effective patient interview with attention paid to non-verbal cues and the image of plastic surgery projected through advertisements, publications, and the media.