Keren Ezra

152 Harley street, UK

Title: Identity as a driver for cosmetic intervention as palliative care

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Biography

Keren Ezra is a psychology student with a particular interest in Quality of Life in Palliative care and the role of identity in illness behaviours.

Abstract

This paper describes the unusual phenomenon of cosmetic surgery in a palliative care setting and to evaluate the appropriateness of these interventions. A retrospective review was performed of consecutive palliative patients presenting for cosmetic interventions over a three-year period. Four female patients, with a mean age of 57 years (range 48 to 67 years) and all with a diagnosis of metastatic cancer were identified. The first patient underwent non-surgical cosmetic interventions to address a tired appearance and volume loss from chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The second patient was treated with upper eyelid blepharoplasty in addition to non-surgical treatments after expressing a loss of identity. A third patient with a history of upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty, malar implants and fillers underwent removal of the malar implants and dissolving of fillers as she wished to remove all artificial material from her body. The final patient who had undergone enucleation of her eye twenty years previously had eyelid surgery and fillers to the upper eyelid sulcus to improve the appearance of her artificial eye and to address the trauma of losing her eye as a young woman. Patients’ motivations for seeking treatment included diminished self-esteem, a loss of identity, wanting to take control and wishing to look healthy in the final stages of life. Our experience has been positive with patients reporting significant satisfaction with low-risk procedures, enhanced confidence and improved social interactions leading to a discernable benefit in quality of life.