cut-and-paste

cut-and-paste
adj.

Pieced together from several sources.


Over two million surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States in 2007. The most popular procedures were breast augmentation and liposuction. The third most popular was abdominoplasty

When all of these procedures are done together it is commonly referred to as the “Mommy Makeover”.

The “Mommy Makeover” requires approximately 9 hours of surgery under general anesthesia and takes a minimum of 6 weeks to recover.

I have found that cosmetic plastic surgery, like all body modification, often leaves the patient looking visibly off in some way. Each part might look right individually, but somehow the combination just isn’t quite balanced. Cut-and-Paste is a visual representation of that awkward feeling one gets when looking at someone who has had plastic surgery.

Below is some of the text used in the Plexiglas piece on the floor, under the shoe. It is the “fine print” that describes these surgeries and their side effects:

“an incision is placed below the breast in the infra-mammary fold, this incision is the most common approach and affords maximum access for precise dissection and placement of an implant, it is often the preferred technique for silicone gel implants due to the longer incisions required, this method can leave slightly more visible scars in smaller breasts which don’t drape over the IMF, in addition, the scar may heal thicker, this technique has been referred to as the “French lollipop”, due to the distinctive scarring, an incision is placed along the areola border,”

“breast implants can potentially remain intact decades in the body, but all such devices will fail at some point, when silicone implants break they rarely deflate, and the silicone from the implant can leak into the space around the implant”

“small amounts of platinum leaches from the these implants and is present in the surrounding tissue, regardless of the type of implant”

“It is likely that women with implants will need to have one or more additional surgeries over the course of their lives, breast implants do not last forever, they sometimes only last for a few years”

“an incision is made from hip to hip just above the pubic area, another incision is made to free the navel from the surrounding skin, the skin is detached from the abdominal wall to reveal the muscles and fascia to be tightened, the muscle fascia wall is tightened with sutures, the remaining skin and fat are tightened by removing the excess and closing the defect, the old belly button stalk is brought out through a new hole and sutured into place”

“liposuction is often used to refine the transition zones of the abdominal sculpture, a dressing and sometimes a compression garment are applied and any excess fluid from the site is drained, with extensions into the thighs, flanks”

“the skin of the abdomen, navel, genitalia, buttocks, and thighs become inflamed, and can persist for many months or can even be permanent if patient has poor circulation”

“contour and shape irregularities and depressions may occur after a tummy tuck body lift, or thigh lift, skin pleating, malposition, scarring, and an unacceptable appearance can occur…”