TV makeovers more extreme than real

Physicians discuss the ethics of reality television at a CEJA Open Forum.

By Tanya Albert, AMNews staff. Dec. 27, 2004.

Atlanta -- If you're a physician concerned that patients watching makeover reality television shows will unrealistically expect the world from their own plastic surgery, you're not alone.

Doctors gathered at the American Medical Association Interim Meeting in December voted to make it AMA policy to oppose television programs that minimize the seriousness and risks of surgery and distort patient expectations.

Some physicians who have tuned in to shows on which patients have multiple procedures at one time are worried that the programs aren't doing enough to explain surgical risks. They're also concerned that the dramatic end results could leave viewers with unrealistic expectations.

"I'm concerned about audiences watching on TV who tend not to understand risks that are being brushed over quickly in these programs," said Florida family physician E. Coy Irvin Jr., MD. "We need to protect patients from misinformation."

At least one physician said she's seen some positive effects on patient education because patients see the bruising and swelling.

"I've had patients come in and say, 'I didn't realize how I would look after the surgery,' " said Georgia dermatologist Billie L. Jackson, MD.