In My Hands

摘要

One of the most fascinating and creative qualities of Plastic Surgery is that there are usually several ways to solve clinical problems and that several may work well. There may actually be several “right” answers, multiple ways to approach defects and deformities, some more appropriate for certain circumstances, some best served for certain skill sets. These concepts is what makes being a Plastic Surgeon so interesting and fresh; but, imagine how it looks to the student, or better yet, the patient.Most patients expect to be given one definitive solution to their problem, rather than a list of alternatives from which they can choose. Perhaps this is a throwback from previous generations when patients rarely questioned medical advice, and doctors underappreciated the patient's ability to sort out which treatment was best for them. Maybe this was true because it was easier for the physician. Regardless, patients expected and received authoritative advice, which was often a simple course of action. Plastic Surgeons of the older era, who still exists to a varying degree, offered solutions that did not solicit significant patient decision-making.