Emotional effects of plastic surgery on the adolescent with a cleft

Issues related to the emotional effects of surgery on the adolescent are reviewed in this paper. Psychological aspects of the preoperative preparation of the adolescent and family are discussed. Caution is suggested regarding overgeneralizations from the sometimes conflicting data in the literature, reviewed here, on social aspects of physical appearance. An outline of a plan for the work-up of an adolescent undergoing appearance changing surgery is presented. The importance of communication and patience in approaching the adolescent is stressed.