"Bridalplasty": Plastic Surgery as a TV Prize?

Sept. 20, 2010— -- One part "Bridezillas," another part "Extreme Makeover," E!'s new reality T.V. Series "Bridalplasty" pits brides-to-be against each other in a competition for nose jobs, implants, lipo and the ultimate prize: a celebrity-worthy dream wedding.

"Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day but for the women competing on E!'s new series, 'Bridalplasty,' only perfection will do," says the network in a statement about the show. "'Bridalplasty' brings together engaged women who are seeking complete image transformations before their big day -- they want the dream wedding AND the dream body to go along with it."

"Bridalplasty" will be the first American reality show to have participants compete for plastic surgery. There have been shows about people having plastic surgery, but in "Bridalplasty," it's the prize -- pushing the limits of medical ethics.

Under the American Society of Plastic Surgeons code of ethics, "We're technically prohibited from giving procedures away as a prize for a contest. It totally undermines the doctor-patient relationship," says Dr. Gayle Gordillo, associate professor plastic surgery at Ohio State University. "The ethical and social implications of this [show] are frightening."

Competing in wedding-themed challenges such as writing vows and planning honeymoons, "each week one lucky bride will ? get one piece of her dream body -- going under the knife for one of the surgeries off her 'wish list,'' performed by celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow, the network writes. Dubrow is not new to reality TV: he was also the lead surgeon on Fox's show, "The Swan," in 2004.

The last bride standing will win the remaining procedures on her list and the dream wedding she has planned along the way, not revealing her new face and physique to her husband-to-be until they're at the altar. The ten-part show premieres Nov. 28.

While plastic surgeons agree that it is not uncommon for women to come in for a procedure or two in preparation for their big day, doctors and psychologists worry that the circumstances under which "Bridalplasty" provides these makeovers raise troubling social, ethical, and medical issues.

"It's a horrible idea. It absolutely plays into this notion that if you achieve the 'perfect' appearance, everything will be better. The message it sends to girls and women, as if you're not beautiful enough on your wedding day you have to receive plastic surgery from head to toe," says Roberto Olivardia, clinical instructor in the department of psychology at Harvard Medical School.