Coalition against minor minority cosmetic surgery

Future Coalition is against minor minority cosmetic surgery

02/12/2013

For some time now there has been discussion about the need for beauty surgeries for minors. CDU and SPD want, when it comes to a coalition, to speak against cosmetic surgery in minors without medical reason. Only if there is a medical need, an operation should be performed.

Accordingly, from 2014 a corresponding prohibition within the prevention law should be incorporated. This was agreed by health policy-makers at an informal level in the course of drawing up the prevention law. Because whether breast augmentation or fuller lips, more and more adolescents learn about the possibilities of surgical interventions and are even increasingly supported by their parents in their projects.

Exact numbers of operations performed unknown
While the Federal Center for Health Education only one percent of young people as potential customers for plastic surgery emanates, was in a parliamentary motion to ban such OPs in minors, however, of 20 percent. In fact, every tenth patient in the nationwide about one million cosmetic procedures in the year under 18, according to inquiries from the Union and the BKK.

"Protecting young people from the consequences of a false beauty craze is also part of protecting minors, and unnecessarily exposing a young body to growth to such massive intervention can be physically and mentally devastating." I find breast augmentation a gift for a 15-year-old at Christmas It is not in the coalition agreement, but if the SPD joins in, we can fix it soon, "said the health spokesman for the CDU, Jens Spahn , on request from „Mirror online“ With.

Ears laying on children
The German Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (DGPRÄC) had pointed out in 2012 that the mentioned ten percent of the interventions in minors at that time related to all plastic surgery operations such as malformations of the hand or the treatment of burns. A DGPRÄC survey carried out in 2011 also found only 1.3% of aesthetic interventions performed on minors.

"Most of these aesthetic procedures involve ear-laying in children," said Sven von Saldern, President of the German Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (DGPÄC). "This operation has become socially accepted so much that parents would almost be accused of not having their children operated on." He has not yet received any request or advice on a breast augmentation of a young girl with the consent of her parents.
"A responsible surgeon would reject that," says Saldern confidently. The fact that a young girl has to be reduced in size relatively early, because otherwise she would have orthopedic problems, is certainly a reason for an operation. Even a correction of the nasal septum, so that breathing is not obstructed, is one of the medical necessities and justify an operation

The market for beauty ops is booming
A justified reason for plastic surgery is generally present when, for example, sufferers have massive emotional problems due to their appearance. Further justifications for plastic surgery are corrections of malformations of the hand or in the treatment of consequences of a burn. For both parties, the main thing is to protect patients from unqualified treatments. In order to achieve this, specialist training should be defined more precisely. Currently, every doctor admitted in Germany may perform cosmetic surgery, even without appropriate training. In addition, demand for beauty surgeries continues to boom in Germany. In 2011, about half a million people opted for it, rising. (Fr)

Image: Fotografie Brinckheger