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By: Michael J. Brown,MD

Lip Surgery: Good Idea?

Have you seen the show “Teen Mom”? I’m asking because one of the former teen moms from the show was inthe news in recent weeks for an entirely different reason: a botched lip implant procedure.

The teen mom, Farrah Abraham, even decided to share photos of the results online. She ended up with whatseems to be an allergic reaction. Her top lip became quite swollen. The swelling was so much that the result wasquite shocking. The photo has made the rounds online.

(It is not clear whether her reaction was to the anesthetic or to the silicone used in the implant. She said that thereaction started after the anesthetic was injected. Thankfully, in her case, the swelling was fixable. She looksmore like herself now!)

This case is just one more that shows the importance ofknowing the risks involved with any procedure. In fact, theAmerican Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has even starteda campaign to raise awareness. They want to ensure thatpeople know how to make good decisions when it comes toplastic surgery. One part of this campaign is for the ASPS togive examples of what happens when surgeries go wrong.People need to be aware because sometimes these types ofproblems can be fixed, but sometimes the botched results arepermanent.

Another aspect of the campaign is helping people make betterdecisions when it comes to plastic surgery. Many great plasticsurgeons find that a lot of their time is spent fixing botchedprocedures performed by others. Much of this could be avoidedif people spent more time researching their surgeon. It wouldalso be good if people went into every procedure with realisticexpectations and with a good understanding of the risksinvolved.

Lip Surgery: Good Idea?

To answer the question we opened with, lip implants can be an option, but, like any other procedure, it pays knowwhat you’re getting into. First, research the plastic surgeon you’ll be working with. Next, be sure you understandthe risks involved.

Researching a plastic surgeon is not something everyone thinks of. After all, if someone is a doctor, instinct tellsus we should be able to trust that person to do their job well. Unfortunately, not all plastic surgeons get certified.Even ones that are certified may offer procedures they do not have much experience with. It’s smart to ask abouta surgeon’s certification. Is he certified with the ASPS? It’s also smart to ask about how many times he’sperformed the procedure you would like. And how many times his patients have experienced complications. Thenfollow up with what complications are common and what the risk level is.

Even Farrah Abraham agrees: sources say that Abraham is viewing this situation as a reason to be more carefulnext time. She’s doing more research now. This advice holds true even for someone like Abraham who has hadmultiple cosmetic procedures in the past. It’s never too late to be more careful.