Deformities handicap mentally disabled kids.

• Position: Plastic Surgery

Reconstructing severe facial deformities in children with mental disabilities can be a hard decision for parents. Insurance companies may consider some operations to be for cosmetic purposes only and refuse to cover them. However, craniofacial plastic surgery to correct abnormalities of the face, skull, and neck, may give these youngsters significant psychological, social, and emotional benefits that can help them attain a better quality of life, according to a report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Arlington Heights, Ill.

"Plastic surgery to correct defects of the face, skull, and neck is reconstructive and functional in nature, not merely cosmetic, as some insurance companies assert," contends surgeon Steven Buchman, author of the report. "Children with severe mental impairments undoubtedly benefit from plastic surgery and ultimately gain the functional tools that will help them lead a fuller life."

Buchman insists a person's physical appearance can positively or negatively influence his or her ability to socialize. This, in turn, can affect long-term relationships with peers and employers as well as the ability to manage daily...