> Some plastic surgeons question this logic. Dr. Shaun Parson, a
> prominent cosmetic surgeon in Arizona, says that cosmetic surgery
> and
> reconstructive surgery are two separate specialties. "If the Army
> is
> doing breast augmentations, it's doing it to practice breast
> augmentations, period."
I'm sure *some* do question the logic. But it's not as black and white as the quoted doctor would make it out to be, either, and frankly, what's to say he's not jealous or being territorial himself?
The plastic surgeon that re-canaled my nasal passages (and no, not from drug abuse) does both reconstructive AND cosmetic work, fixing two issues at the same time if the patient so desires. There's just way more crossover between those two practices than the article suggested. Practicality under a variety of circumstances demands it.
But on a more practical level, have you ever dealt with military doctors? I'm not talking about the ones that get called up from their private practices because of a reserve commitment. I'm talking about the career docs, on the bases both here and around the world. Do you know what their practices are like, what kind of creds and experiences the docs may or may not have? We want these people to be ready to perform medical miracles when the time comes, but can they if their practices don't have a range of experiences from which to draw? As trauma surgeons have learned, experiences from the medics and docs in wartime have crossed over to civilian hospital trauma units and vice versa.
So at the end of the day, the military doc racked up more surgical experience and Private Jane has tits that don't move. Don't count me jealous, because when Private Jane returns to active duty making pathetic wages and then has more of her benes cut by Shrub once she's out, those rock hard pointers may be all she has left.
- Deborah