Body dysmorphic disorder from the perspective of the plastic surgeon

Abstract

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is found with a certain frequency in aesthetic-related care. However, it is underdiagnosed due to the difficulty in differentiating a personal dissatisfaction with body image of a pathological complaint. For BDD patients, the discomfort generated by their "defect" is often disproportionate to that observed on physical examination. In addition, in an attempt to correct their "defect", the patients undergoes various surgical procedures, which are often considered insufficient by the patients to solve their problem. Hence, this study aimed to expand the already existing discussions in the specialized literature. Since there are only a few studies on the topic, we plan to discuss this condition so as to contribute towards identification of the characteristics of this disorder, thus, avoiding unnecessary surgical procedures and guiding the specialist's actions in case of a legal dispute.

Keywords

• reconstructive surgical procedures
• psychiatry
• body image
• aesthetics