Drunk_medic, I do respect your post and will say that it is a very good one indeed.
I don't know if it is assumable that MDC and his are considering an operation though, or maybe you had better insight than I did to consider that possibility.
The thing that peeves me about this and the reason why I am so anti-implants is because it has become like make up, and girls in high school think: well I am now 16, so I should get this to be popular. As if girls just should have them or do it, and that it is not a big deal. It gets done many times for not such a good reason. If more guys in society had my point of view, it would be less common. The males of this species do set what is desirable in the females. Just look at some of the Arab countries, it is unacceptable for a woman to show her face. That rule was set by men most likely, and then the women accept it so they can fit in. Men also set what is too fat in this society, and then the woman try to fit that role to be popular as well.
I am not blaming boyfriends on this, but society as a whole (the male segment).
As far as surgery for some who have valid reasons or because of reconstruction, I am 100% for it, and your recommendations on how to find a good doctor is very much needed. I have injured myself and have needed four operations related to cosmetics to fix the injuries. (For all I have done in life, I am really lucky to be alive. heh) But those four operations were only on two things, four operations were needed because both the initial operations were not successes the first time. Doctors are most incompetent people on the face of the earth. They get paid no matter what -- a testament that they are incompetent. If the operation goes bad, they still get paid. If it is their fault 100%, they still get paid. Suing a doctor, you will need to have an expert witness to testify against him. Getting that is not easy because they are usually on the same board and are in a community of their own. The way I see it: why put yourself or let someone be at the mercy of a doctor if it is not a truly needed procedure. I have seen doctors not do operations that are needed because they would not get paid enough, and so they acted as if it was not needed to get rid of the not so cost efficient deal. I have also seen doctors tell patients that they need an operation when they really did not, because that would have been a cost efficient deal for them [I have seen it too often].