Is Cosmetic Surgery an Appropriate Commencement Gift for Teens?

The death of a High School Cheerleader from South Florida, Stephanie Kuleba, during cosmetic surgery has sparked a national debate on whether it is appropriate for young people to go under the knife for beauty enhancements. Kuleba, an 18-year-old high school senior with a near-perfect grade-point average and plans to be a premed student in college, died after suffering a rare fatal reaction to anesthesia. She was undergoing surgery to correct asymmetrical breasts and an inverted areola.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons strongly believes that no one younger than 18 should undergo plastic surgery. Cosmetic breast implants for patients younger than 18 are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, except in cases of reconstructive or corrective surgery, such as asymmetry.

According to just released data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 348,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in 2007, a 64 percent increase from 2000.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that between 2002 and 2003, the number of women and girls younger than 18 who got breast implants nearly tripled, from 3,872 to 11,326.

Doctors also say they are seeing more parents giving their teens the gift of new breasts or other cosmetic surgery for milestones like birthdays or graduations. “I’ve seen an increase in teens having plastic surgery, and certainly for graduation,” said Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg, a New York plastic surgeon and the author of “A Little Nip, A Little Tuck.”

A growing number of teenagers are choosing to have breast augmentation and other plastic surgeries — a trend some experts find alarming.

“I am seeing an increase in the number of teens who are undergoing elective cosmetic procedures,” said FOX News medical contributor Dr. Jennifer Ashton. “It’s just another example of how teenagers are increasingly fixated on physical appearance with potentially dangerous consequences.”

Reality shows like “Extreme Makeover,” the explosion of celebrity culture and the Internet are all culprits, she said.

Ashton blamed the pattern on “the increasing pop-culture pressure that has filtered down to permeate the every thought of teenagers” as well as the “unrestricted access to trends, treatments, cults and movements” kids now have when they go online.