Managing the psychological aspects of plastic surgery patients.

[PURPOSE OF REVIEW] The success of any physician-patient interaction is based on good communication. This requires the physician to be a careful listener with clinical acumen that extends beyond the typical borders of medical illness. For the plastic surgeon, the skill set must include an ability to understand the psychological motivations of the patient for the given treatment and must allow the surgeon to put himself into the position of the patient for this acceptance. Additionally, the surgeon must decide whether the patient is a good physiological candidate for surgery.

[RECENT FINDINGS] There are many personality types that suggest problems postoperatively. These include patients who are overly demanding, highly critical, have poor self-image, and those with body dysmorphisms.

[SUMMARY] In order to have a successful result in plastic surgery, the surgeon must select his patients well, perform meticulous operative procedures, and give empathetic postoperative care. It is this combination of care that extends beyond aesthetic or functional disorders that will allow success in plastic surgery.