Dr Anthony S. Youn answered people's burning questions about plastic surgery drawing on his experience after reconstructing 5000 body parts - it wasn't pretty... In the world of plastic surgery things may seem pretty straight forward, but as Dr Anthony Youn knows that's far from the truth. The doctor has reconstructed 5000 body parts in his 16 years of researching the secrets of cosmetic surgery ; from protruding ears to curve-less derrieres, warts to weird requests. In an enlightening AMA on Reddit , the doctor, who wrote the book In Stitches, revealed the wildest and weirdest things he's heard and had to do. People were shocked to hear leeches can save a dying nipple (yes you read that right) or how far people go to get work done. Dr Youn has counselled people, caught things off patients and been put in very bizarre situations. Here's a look at the strange things Dr Youn shared. Leeches saving nipples, catching lice and huge genital warts Leeches are used to drain the nipple Asked what the weirdest thing he's done or seen was, the doctor was all too happy to share the grim details leaving everyone wondering how nipples die. "I've used leeches to save nipples that were about to die," he said. "I've counseled women who had industrial strength silicone injected into them in hotel rooms, I've seen maggot infested wounds, I almost got lice from a patient. "I've seen genital warts the size of cauliflower heads, and have had patients hit on me, ask to set me up with their children (I'm married), threaten to hit me with their car, and ruin my career so that the only people who would let me operate on them are "the w*****!" Seriously." ...and how DO you use leeches to save a nipple? Apparently they actually work really well. "Leeches act as a 'vein' to drain out the clogged up blood. All plastic surgeons have them in their 'back pocket' in case all hell breaks loose and the surgery goes down the tubes. Thankfully I've never had to use them in private practice," Dr Youn said. Not everyone was surprised. One nurse, redheasidence, chipped in: "I'm a nurse and I've worked on a plastics ward before. We had a whole fridge dedicated to leeches and skin. Leeches work like a charm." People want wings like X-Men or to look like Kim Kardashian People have requested to look like X-Men's Angel When you thought you had heard it all, Dr Youn shares what sort of requests he gets. "I've had a lot of people ask me for wings. Like, turn them into the X-Men character The Angel. And they believe it's possible. "The next craziest thing someone asked for was to look like Kim Kardashian." That is scarily not as crazy as you would think. People ask surgeons to make them look like Kim Kardashian What surgery would you recommend to a friend? Dr Youn said it's more a case of best and worst. "Worst risk to benefit ratio: leg lengthening, rib removal, Lifestyle Lift (now defunct). "Best risk to benefit ratio: upper eyelid lift, Botox, Kybella. Others are in between: breast lift, facelift." Dr Youn says eye lifts and botox are the best options Parents have called up to get their children surgery When asked what he'd say to parents considering getting cosmetic surgery for their child, he replied: "I would say that the parent should see a therapist and/or have someone slap him/her." He didn't stop there though, giving an example: "I once had a parent call to make an appointment for her son. She was Korean and claimed her son wanted Asian eyelid surgery (to make an extra fold to look more Caucasian). "He was only seven! I told her she had major problems and I would never do that to him!" Hotel surgery is more common than you think People try and have surgery done in hotel rooms - and it doesn't end well People who want a cheap fix make bad decisions. "It's shockingly more common than you'd think!" said Dr Youn when talking about people having ops in hotel rooms. "And you would be surprised that the majority of people who have these procedures done are pretty normal. "They come in all types. Keep in mind you only hear about the horror stories when people die, not the unreported problems." Can you get breast surgery and still breast feed? Is breastfeeding impacted by augmentation? Dr Youn said: "If you want to breast feed after implants you should be able to. "Best to avoid the periareolar scar, though because this could disrupt some of the ducts of the breast. "As long as you don't develop a complication like capsular contracture, your breasts should end up soft and natural." Would you lose sensation in your nipples? Lots of people asked Dr Youn about breast augmentation, and shared their worries over whether it would damage their breasts. Particularly if they'd lose sensation. "It is possible, unfortunately. The nerves that supply sensation to the nipples can be stretched or even cut during cosmetic breast surgery. "The chances are low, like less than 5 per cent typically, and if one nipple is numb it's unlikely the other one will be numb too. Interestingly, implants can more risky to nipple sensation than a lift, since the nerves extend along the side of the chest and breast, and can be damaged during the dissection of the pocket. "But you can still have sex even if only one nipple had feeling!" It's not all about women - what about moobs? Men want surgery too - to get rid of moobs Dr Youn said this is a common thing, but it happens for various reasons. "Many men have moobs because they are overweight and just have a lot of fat there. "Other men have overgrowth of actual breast tissue, called gynecomastia, and this doesn't change with exercise or weight loss. Their only option is surgery," he said. Is rib removal a thing? It's been rumoured that stars have had it done, but is it actually real? "I thought rib removal was an urban legend, as I've never seen it presented in meetings or seen it performed." Dr Youn said. "But recently I've heard a few docs might actually do this! Scary what people will do! Like a more extreme version of corsetting!" Yep, not having that done. Acne scars? Not such good news Bad news everyone: acne scars are really hard to treat. "Even the most aggressive treatments, like ablative lasers and deep chemical peels, only get partial clearance of the scarring," Dr Youn said. "Some people are using microneedling with growth factors (either PRP or in serum form) fairly successfully with acne scarring. Best to see a plastic surgeon or dermatologist for more info." Someone has tried to steal fat before Dr Youn remembered a case where a doctor in LA used his patients' fat. "There was once a doc in LA who claimed to use his patients' liposuctioned fat to power his car. He called it "Biofuel." The only car I know of that could run on Biofuel was the old AMC Pacer pieces of crap. Anyways, his office was raided by the cops and last I heard he fled to South America!" Do you get what you pay for? Plastic Surgeon operating on woman Not always. "Some docs have noses that all look the same," said Dr Youn. "So, as a patient, if you go to Dr X you go with the knowledge that you'll get a Dr X nose. "I always discuss expectations with each patient to make sure we're on the same page prior to surgery." ...the real question is do we need plastic surgery? "No one really needs plastic surgery, although many people want it!" Dr Youn said honestly. "I turn down 1 out of every 5 people who come to see me. Usually due to unrealistic expectations, red flags, bad candidates, smokers, and 'bad feelings.'" Source
