Plastic surgery and psychomorphology: a new tool for improving communication between physician and dysmorphopathic patient and for perfecting appropriate patient selection.

Abstract

The relationship between physician and patient is becoming more and more delicate and requires an appropriate amount of attention and balance; this holds true in all medical disciplines, particularly in the field of plastic surgery. In this research project, the author proposes the use of a psychomorphology evaluation, as well as, a psychomorpholinguistic approach, in the global evaluation of plastic surgery candidates. The aim of this project was to present a pilot study that evaluated plastic surgery patient/physician relationship satisfaction outcome using psychomorphology and psychomorpholinguistic evaluation methods. The research was performed by comparing, a sample group in which the psychomorphology evaluation method was used and a control group that was traditionally evaluated. All the patients in this study have been diagnosed and graded with the dysmorphopathy classification system. The evaluation of patient satisfaction was obtained using Huskisson's visual analogue scale and the SAT-P Satisfaction Profile. In the author's opinion this method has aided him in gathering more precise information and having a deeper comprehension of the patient's most profound psychological needs. This reduced the patient's inappropriate illusions and delusions, which lead to severe psychological problems in accepting themselves. In addition, this method also can help prevent patient dissatisfaction with surgical outcome, thus reducing medical-legal encounters. This is not a methodology for judging or categorizing a patient. It should not be confused with the traditional physiognomic analysis. It is a dynamic analysis that also integrates one's conflictual psychomorphological traits and by recognizing these, continually looks to arrive at a better comprehension for establishing a harmonious relationship between two people, in our situation, surgeon and patient.