Cosmetic Surgery and African-American Baby Boomers

Even though there is no “official” word on the cause of death for the mother of Hip Hop Rap Star Kanye West, there are plenty of rumors flying around that she died as the result of some complications connected to cosmetic surgery. Unsubstantiated reports indicate 58-year-old Dr. Donda West went into the hospital for a breast reduction and tummy tuck. According to CNN reports, A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon said he consulted with West several months earlier but refused to perform the procedure without a medical clearance. In a statement released through his publicist, Dr. Andre Aboolian said, "I always insist on a medical clearance for women over 40, and in this instance it was particularly important because of a condition she had that I felt could have led to a heart attack." It is believed West suffered from hypertension.

Undoubtedly there will be many questions raised about the doctor who actually performed the procedure. Did he get a medical clearance? If not, why? Was he aware of any pre-existing conditions? If so, how influential was the patient in getting him to ignore them?

West is among an increasingly growing number of baby boomers who have chosen plastic surgery as an option to either enhance their appearance or minimize the signs of aging. What is even more interesting is the fact that more and more minorities are choosing the procedure. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Hispanics lead the way with the number cosmetic procedures. Statistics from 2005 indicated more than 900,000 Hispanics had some type of plastic surgery. That’s nearly a million people. African-Americans weren’t far behind with more than 760,000. Overall, there were nearly 2.3 million procedures performed---which represents an increase of 65 percent from 2004.

The death of Dr. West will re-ignite the debate over whether cosmetic surgery is necessary. I can’t help but think how sad it is that we have become a society so obsessed with appearance. And shame on the so-called professionals obsessed with making the all mighty dollar all in the name of beauty. Whatever happened to “I love you just the way you are.”