Islamic Center of Southern California

The Arguments of Islamic Law Rulings on Recent Medical Issues

Topic Twenty Two

Plastic Surgery

Definition

Plastic surgery is a branch of general surgery. Plastic surgery operations has become more complicated since the end of World War I. Its most important fields include the treatment of burns and inborn deformations, facial and skull surgery, hand surgery, and general plastic surgery, such as jaw fracture rectification and tattoo removal, as well as the surgery desired by a patient to give one of his organs an acceptable appearance, usually performed on the nose, breasts, eyelids, and other organs.

The Legal Position Chosen by the IOMS and Its Argument

One of the recommendations of the third seminar in 1987 says:

The seminar discussed the subject of plastic surgery and came to the conclusion that surgeries performed to treat a congenital anomaly or a postnatal deformity and restore the normal and familiar shape and/or function of an organ is legally permissible.

For the majority of scholars, this ruling also covers the elimination of a defect or blemish that causes the person concerned physical or pasychological suffering.

It is unlawful to perform surgeries which alter the fundamental nature of the body or of an organ, which are meant to allow the patient to escape justice or engage in fraud, or which are motivated by a whim. Islamic Center of Southern California