Cosmetic surgery is risky and should be performed only on healthy people, warned U.S. medical experts.

The operations carry the same significant risks as any other kind of surgeries and should require thorough preoperative screening, Dr. Rod Rohrich, chairman of plastic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, was quoted as saying by the website of The Los Angeles Times Saturday.

As the number of cosmetic surgeries increases rapidly, experts are struggling to educate people. "I think American consumers have been treating plastic surgery like a commodity," said Rohrich.

"It's not like going to find a pair of shoes. You can take the shoes back. You can't bring your life back," Rohrich said.

"Bottom line, cosmetic surgery is only for patients that are healthy," said the expert. "If they're not healthy, it's really not usually a good thing to do."

Nearly 11 million cosmetic procedures were performed in 2006, up 48 percent from the figure of 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

A study published in the latest issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that serious complications occurred in one out of 298 cases, and deaths occurred in one out of 51,459 cases.

Rohrich said the intense media focus on celebrities' operations and the development of reality TV shows have been the main reason for the soaring cosmetic surgery popularity.

A study published in the July issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery said reality TV shows have directly influenced first-time patients who decide to have cosmetic surgery.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2008)