RARE SALAMI trial revisited.

Abstract

it has been relegated to the private sector in Australia, and private hospital appointments that might include cosmetic surgery have been vigorously protected by specialinterest craft groups in Australia. Misconceptions by the general medical community are rife, due to both the lack of exposure to cosmetic surgical procedures and the lack of information on the subject. The assistance of the general practitioner, together with a thorough patient history, is very valuable in determining whether cosmetic surgery is likely to have a positive psychosocial outcome. Unfortunately, the generally poor attitude of the Australian medical community towards cosmetic surgery has led to patients being afraid of a negative response when asking their GPs about cosmetic surgery. Often referrals are either not made or are made by an anonymous practitioner, which is not an ideal situation. Liaison with surgeons who have previously treated a patient is ideal, but cooperation in this area is not always forthcoming, as some surgeons fear litigation from former patients. With most cosmetic surgeons being shut out of the medical mainstream, access to potential patients comes through normal commercial means, such as advertising in the Yellow Pages and in magazines. It is to be hoped that in future there will be more contact between cosmetic surgeons and other medical practitioners so that the true benefits and risks of the procedures can be understood by the general medical community, who, in turn, can counsel their patients in a sympathetic manner as to whether cosmetic surgery is advisable.