Cristal Marquez
Cambridge International University, Caracas-Venezuela
Title: Body dysmorphic disorders enhanced by social media. What is our role as surgeons?
Biography
Biography: Cristal Marquez
Abstract
BDD is a very common disorder, with hardly any gender differences and described worldwide, with prevalence ranging between 1.7-2.5% in general population samples; up to 15% in psychiatric admission units; from10 to 40% in psychiatry consultations; and from 8 to 53% in dermatology, plastic surgery, or surgery maxillofacial.
As surgeons our training, it is essential to memorize the human anatomy, its functioning, and pathologies, emphasizing pre-operative preparation, surgery and post-operative follow up is equally important to obtain the best result, however, dysmorphophobia is subtly treated in the specialty, sometimes underestimating how serious it is to fall into the pathological circle of these patients, far from improving their appearance, we are many times enhancing their frustrations, everything under social media pessure.
But what is the best for the patients and for us?
As surgeons we must figure out:
If the requesting is possible and safe?If they’re doing it for the right reasons.How many procedures have the patientlooking for a specific result? In how long?Have the patient sings of dysmorphophobia? Is that enhanced by social media? Our goal is to stimulate the patients to be the best version of their selves, appreciating all kinds of beauty. If we find the way to match our surgical knowledge with social empathics abilities, we will find the perfect formula to have patients more happy with their results, and surgeon less stressful for the unrealistic expectations that in some cases are the key for unnecessary problems.