I bet you thought we were going to start this post by lamenting what television shows like “Botched” have done to the plastic surgery industry. Not at all!

We’re all for programs that display the real-life consequences that are possible when the decision to undergo plastic surgery is made in haste. The show may contain extreme cases of long-lasting physical and emotional side effects due to poorly executed plastic surgery procedures that effectively leave a person with a “botch job,” or botched for short.

Many of these individuals may not have had such poor results if they did their homework, thought long and hard about the procedure, and made the quality of the surgeon the priority – not the price tag. For these reasons and more, you shouldn’t let shows like “Botched” scare you away from plastic surgery.

Make no mistake, surgery is surgery, and procedures of all shapes and sizes carry risk. That doesn’t mean a reasonable individual who has done their research on the procedure, results, side effects, and, most importantly, surgeon, should have to worry too much about a botch job, however. As the show exposes, many of the cases you see that involve a collapsed nose, uneven breasts or permanent scarring on thighs from liposuction came to be because patients sought out “quick fixes” in places like Mexico or the Philippines.

Dr. Tenley Lawton’s office very much encourages you to choose a plastic surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, as Dr. Lawton is. You should also make sure your surgeon has vast experience in your desired procedure, with years of practice and hundreds of that same procedure under his or her belt.

No surgery is ever risk-proof, but you shouldn’t let a few bad seeds deter you from achieving the look you’ve always desired. And unless you’re a queasy person, we say watch away when it comes to “Botched.” It serves as one of the best “buyer beware” programs out there!

Dr. Tenley Lawton, M.D.