Universal mantra

US surgeons see the procedure’s uptake rising further, but they caution that it is not for everyone. The potential complications are moving, or hardening, bone erosion and infection. And it can be too dramatic for some tastes. Success of the procedure requires the appropriate patient with the right mind-set. ‘The key is balance,’ said an ASPS spokesman in the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper (23 April 2012).

This is another change — and a feature of the industry that was not so prevalent in previous decades: surgeons are now advising potential patients against surgery, if appropriate.

Just as the industry is now more accessible to more people, so have standards and ethics risen. Dr Caswell’s advice, that people should always be sure to check the qualifications of their doctor, be aware of their options, and receive an individualised treatment plan suited to their needs, is now more or less the code by which the industry operates.