Cosmetic surgery and the Hippocratic Oath?

Question

Do doctors who only perform unneccesary procedures such as breast enlargements, botox and collagen injections and other "enhancements" take the Hippocratic Oath?

If so, how does the oath apply? Do such procedures truly contribute to the overall health and well-being of an individual?

To society? Short and long term?

I suppose a doctor should have the intellectual and ethical capability to make competent decision about such things. The risk of a potentially exploding breast implant is probably neither necessary nor sufficiently beneficial to overall well-being except, perhaps, in a case of disfigurement. Benefits of acne-clearing medicine must be weighed against potential side effects, etc.

Anyone smart enough to get through medical school and who has the capability of adhering to the Oath is, presumably, able to discern and weigh such things without specific definitions.

Answer 1

the medical profession was designed to help cure people, but since it has become a business, curing people would make them go bankrupt so what they do to stay in business is provide "temporary treatment of the symptom", (as opposed to the cause). many of these treatments have permanent side effects like diabetes, but that is even better for business because if you get another diagnosis, they get to schedule more visits and sell you more drugs, which in turn causes you to get more sick....see where this is going? The hipp oath is a joke and the medical industry has ironically become the biggest threat to public health since the bubonic plague.

Answer 2

This question will be alot easier when you start to define "overall health and well-being."

What makes a person healthy? Does having non life-threatening surgery, that only enhances the patient's self-esteem, help to reassure their own sense of self, thus fulfilling said obligation? Does a person's well-being stop at anything above the cell-wall line (you can live with acne, but the vast majority of teenagers happy without it suggests there might be a 'health' issue involved in its treatment?)

Might as well ask why a person should do anything unnecessary to their body. What 'overal health and well-being' benefit comes from cutting one's hair? Should I ask a doctor before breaking out the scissors, see if it squares with the Hippocratic Oath? How about getting my teeth straightened, why not just buy slurpy food?

Not only do you have to define "overall health and well-being of an individual" you also have to define "unnecessary."

Answer 3

Such procedure do not contribute to the overall health, physical health of an individual but it contribute to his/her mental health. Not everyone is born with self confidence, some has low self esteem, and whatever can help them get more confidence is worth it.