In California, there are many dog owners and even more dogs. Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell if a dog will ever attack someone in its lifespan. Even dogs without a history of violence may grow agitated without warning and attack.
What do victims do after a bite attack? There is the initial surgery that saves their life and repairs damage. But what next? The process to recovery is not a smooth one. Today, we will look at one of the biggest hurdles bite victims face: plastic surgery.
Dog bite injuries and plastic surgery
Medscape discusses treatment to bite injuries. In specific, they discuss dog bite injuries to the head and neck. The initial medical care is of utmost importance. But what about after that? The surgery that saves a dog bite victim’s life cannot return a victim to their previous life.
Most insurance companies consider plastic surgery an elective surgery. This is the rough truth of the matter. This means it is not “necessary”. As such, they do not cover it. This means victims must pay tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars from their own pockets. Even in the case of bite attacks, plastic surgery is not deemed essential.
From the perspective of bite victims
Many bite victims find this ridiculous. After all, we live in a very visual society. Even if emergency surgery saves your life, what happens to disfigured victims? What happens if you are not recognizable as the person you used to be? This is deeply traumatic to the victim. The victim’s loved ones also suffer. Not only that, but many disfigured bite victims find themselves facing ridicule. They may face exclusion by the general public.
Due to this suffering, bite victims and advocates say plastic surgery is essential to recovery. It is a long and difficult battle between victims and insurance companies. In the end, victims have the most hurdles to clear and suffer the most.