As indicated by the title, this book stresses the psychic reaction of the patient to plastic surgery and to the plastic surgeon, rather than technical procedures. Deformities, congenital and acquired, are segregated and discussed in appropriate age groups.
The congenital malformations most commonly encountered during infancy and childhood are presented in some detail. This age group being particularly susceptible to burns, the author touches lightly upon the secondary contractures following such accidents. He brings out the psychologic development of this period and the frequently-encountered social withdrawal of such children from normal contacts.
The chapter on adolescence continues the development of the reaction of inferiority and inadequacy which begins during childhood and is particularly accentuated during this period of high sensitivity.
In the chapter on adulthood stress is placed on the sociological aspects of disfiguring scars, the relationship to employment and to social contacts. The author's wide experience enables him to