Cosmetic Surgery for Hope in the Future
The holiday season is upon us, and while it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping frenzies and holiday parties, it is also a time to reflect on the things we are thankful for and hope for in the New Year.
Each year, cosmetic surgeons across the world help people with a variety of issues. While some would argue that these are merely issues of vanity, it is also true that helping a person to boost their self-esteem, and increase their confidence, is hardly a procedure done in the name of vanity. In the spirit of good will associated with the holidays, Pinsky Plastic Surgery would like to share a story about one patient, Hope.
During Hope’s two-year treatment at our first facility in South Florida, for “just” a club foot, our family and friends prayed for Hope’s healing, but it did not come… One day, I overheard the doctor scolding the nurse (who had been with Hope since she was five days old) saying, “Yes, Hope’s foot turned back in again, but she doesn’t need an X-ray! Her foot and leg will never be ‘normal’ and everyone needs to just get used to it!”.
Having the right doctor doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing. Approximately a year and a half ago (as I write this, on February 24, 2011), when Hope was still only two years old, we took her to the hospital for bone lengthening and “super ankle” reconstructive surgery, only to face the agonizing revelation that Hope’s main artery had torn upon closing and she might lose her leg…Thanks to Dr. Paley’s quick thinking, Dr.’s Pinsky and Austin were there within 10 minutes to act as Hope’s Micro-vascular Surgeons.
As the doctors told us each time they felt it was a last straw, Hope would signal that she did want to keep her leg and it gave them energy to keep up the long battle. Dr. Paley, Dr. Pinsky, and Dr. Austin decided to confer with other specialists in the area. Within four hours of coming out of one surgery, Hope and the doctors went back into surgery, yet again.
This year, Hope did successfully undergo her bone lengthening! It has been a grueling process. She has now been under anesthesia 26 times and in a coma once, but she maintained a positive attitude and even at four years old, she has shown amazing discernment in understanding what delayed gratification means… Celebrate the amazing strength of your child! How many of us could or would go into a facility, day in and day out, knowing the pain they will face and yet facing the challenge for the reward at the end!
Many of the cosmetic procedures that are done around the world, throughout the year, are done to help people move through life as their best possible selves. In some cases, like Hope’s, reconstructive cosmetic surgery allows for some normalcy and a feeling of fitting in that can easily be taken for granted. This is the number one goal at Pinsky Plastic Surgery. It is the force that drives us to provide the highest level care to each and every one of our patients.
Pinsky Plastic Surgery would like to wish you all a happy holiday, and we look forward to being a part of helping you achieve your goals this holiday season, into 2013, and beyond!