Cosmetic surgery and the motivation for health and beauty.

Cosmetic surgery, powerful in its potential to address human tragedies of severe disfigurement or congenital malformities, is increasingly viewed as a means of creating a culturally "ideal" physical appearance. The popularity and acceptability of this motivation for cosmetic surgery confronts practicing nurses with value and attitude choices, which can substantively alter the nature and focus of nursing care approaches to those who elect such surgery.