Dr. Adams
10-14-2006, 09:28 AM
Roughly a third of patients who take antidepressants and undergo cosmetic plastic surgery discontinue these medications after the operation. While the cosmetic procedures were associated with marked improvements in self-esteem, this did not explain why many antidepressant users were able to stop taking the drugs after surgery. The percentage of patients reporting an improvement in self-esteem was similar among patients who were and were not able to stop their antidepressants. So, it appears that it wasn't a self-esteem effect. Instead, it may relate to a separate effect on quality of life. In the study, xixty-one patients (17%) were antidepressant users before surgery. By 6 months after surgery, the number of antidepressant users had dropped 31% to 42 patients. Ninety-eight percent of patients reported a marked improvement in self-esteem following surgery. But not all research has linked cosmetic surgery with beneficial effects on mental health. A number of studies have come out in recent years showing an increased risk of suicide in women who undergo breast augmentation. This may be because the operation selects patients who are at heightened risk for suicide, rather than the procedure having any adverse effects that cause them to commit suicide.