[Aesthetic plastic surgery from a medical association's point of view]

Influenced by rapidly changing ideals of beauty, more and more people are turning to aesthetic surgery to meet current standards of beauty. In this situation physicians have to balance the patient's wishes by correctly interpreting his psychological condition and gaining his informed consent. In some situations, an operation can and must be denied. To improve transparency and quality the Medical Association North-Rhine (Arztekammer Nordrhein) established a public register of "aesthetic surgery" ("Plastisch-Operative Medizin"). Patients searching qualified aesthetic surgery can choose from a list of suitable specialists. Initial experience seems to confirm acceptance of this concept.