"Obsessive" cosmetic surgery patients often present as "hyper-focused" on their appearance. We may best be able to understand these patients through examining their thoughts and feelings about their body image. This paper reviews the relationship between physical appearance, body image dissatisfaction, and the pursuit of cosmetic surgery. An extreme form of body image dissatisfaction. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), which may characterize many "obsessive" patients, is also discussed. Recommendations for assessing patients' body image concerns include a comprehensive history as well as specific questions about appearance-related concerns.
This offering for 1.7 contact hours is provided by the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Nurses (ASPRSN), which is accredited as a provider of continuing education in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation (ANCC-COA). Accreditation refers to recognition of continuing nursing education activities only and does not imply Commission on Accreditation approval or endorsement of any commercial product that may be pictured or described within this independent study offering. ASPRSN is an approved provider in California (BRN provider No. 00287). Posttests must be returned within 11/2 years of publication date.
Copyright (C) 1997 by American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses