Borderline personality disorder and aesthetic plastic surgery

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a common axis II disorder associated with a high risk of impulsivity and self-injury. Several authors have suggested that individuals with BPD are poor candidates for plastic surgery. Recent changes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for BPD may be confusing to surgeons. This article reviews the literature on BPD and discusses how important it is to recognize this condition and how difficult it is to treat patients, highlighting features and signs of this condition in plastic surgery settings. Illustrative case examples from our experience are also described. Our careful search of the literature revealed that individuals with BPD may seek treatment from plastic surgeons in two different patterns: as treatment for self-injury or as insatiable requests for aesthetic procedures. Individuals with BPD tend to request corrections of multiple body parts to avoid abandonment by the surgeon or due to their impulsivity, but such preoccupation with appearance is less profound and shifts from one body part to another over time. While flexible and individualized psychological approaches are required to minimize the patient's impulsivity and abandonment fears, surgeons should be inflexible to any unrealistic requests. It is best to avoid surgery on patients with BPD. Surgeons should be aware of the nuances of this condition so as not to miss the proper timing for a psychiatric referral.

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.