From Peer Pressure to Plastic Surgery: Why More and More Teens May be Opting to Go Under the Knife

By Tamara Nowicki

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of teenagers undergoing surgery has doubled in the last eight years. In 2008, 219,000 cosmetic procedures were reportedly performed in the U.S. on patients aged 13 to 19. While there are not statistics available in Canada, Dr. Mirko Gilardino, a Plastic Surgeon at The Montreal Children’s Hospital and an aesthetic surgeon in private practice says a lot of teenagers are looking to improve their body image by going under the knife.

We sat down with Dr. Gilardino to ask him about why teens are opting for plastic surgery and what risks are involved with these kinds of procedures.

Q: What are some of the reasons that patients come in wanting to have surgery done at a young age? Are they mostly girls or boys?

A: One of the most common types of aesthetic plastic surgery I perform in both teenage boys and girls is breast surgery. Most of the young women I see are very concerned about their breast size, but in some cases they want surgery to correct a deformity. Some girls develop a significant breast asymmetry when one breast is much larger than the other. We also have girls with breast hypertrophy which can cause severe neck and back pain, in addition to other functional issues. Boys also seek breast surgery for gynecomastia, which is an abnormal growth of breast tissue in males during puberty.

I also treat a lot of young people, males and females, who are concerned about their nose. Many come in with attractive faces but they aren’t quite happy with the size or shape of their nose. Sometimes they are seeking surgery to correct a broken nose, or one that causes breathing issues.

Basically, young men and women want to be accepted socially, particularly by their peers and body image plays a big role in their perception of themselves.

Q: When dealing with teenagers who want cosmetic surgery, how do you determine if surgery is right for them and if they are a good candidate?

A: One word: maturity. Maturity plays a large role in the overall procedure. In Quebec, a 14 year old is allowed to sign a consent form to have surgery. Now, in the case of cosmetic surgery and any other surgery for that matter, I believe that there is a large emotional component involved and the teenager should be accompanied by an adult they trust who will help them through the process. The teen may focus on a small thing and may not see the big picture. This is where a parent can step in to help them see things more clearly or make appropriate decisions.

Q: What about after the surgery, are patients usually more confident?

A: From my experience many teenagers come out of their shell after surgery. For example, after a breast reduction, young females often start enjoying sports again, sitting up straight and displaying more confidence.

Q: What kind of complications can arise from cosmetic surgery?

A: There are risks associated with every surgery. When a surgery is being done for purely aesthetic reasons, we select patients who have minimal risk factors for complications. Some common surgical complications include bleeding and infection.

The biggest risk that I am faced with is not meeting the patient’s expectations. Teens and their parents need to have a realistic expectation about what I, as a surgeon, am able to do. We can’t always get things just right. If the patient is unable to understand this, then we are going to have a “complication”. If I have a patient whom I feel has expectations that are unrealistic, then I will typically refuse to perform the procedure and may suggest that they obtain a second opinion with another plastic surgeon.