Plastic surgery is defined as a surgical specialty dedicated to the reconstruction of facial and body defects due to congenital disorders, injuries, burns and diseases. Plastic surgery aims to correct dysfunctional areas of the body and, by definition, is reconstructive in nature. While many plastic surgeons choose to complete additional training and also perform cosmetic surgery, the foundation of their surgical training remains reconstructive plastic surgery. In fact, in 1999, the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons changed its name to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to convey more strongly the message that “plastic and reconstructive surgeons are the same”.
Plastic surgery is sometimes confused with reconstructive surgery, but they are two different things. A simplistic definition is that plastic surgery is for aesthetic purposes and reconstructive surgery is to correct some type of deformity. For example, people who are unhappy with the appearance of facial sagging may do a face-lift to tighten their skin. A person whose face was disfigured due to skin cancer would be a good candidate for reconstructive surgery.
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Like many words in the English language, the origin of the word plastic comes from Greek. Elective cosmetic procedures are performed by doctors from various fields of medicine, including plastic surgeons. Plastic surgeons use microsurgery to transfer tissue to cover a defect when there is no local tissue available.
A significant number of plastic surgeons choose to focus their practice on cosmetic surgery, and as such, the terms are often used interchangeably. Many birth defects or syndromes present at birth are best treated in childhood, and pediatric plastic surgeons specialize in treating these conditions in children. The first American plastic surgeon was John Peter Mettauer, who, in 1827, performed the first cleft palate operation with instruments that he designed himself. The first kidney transplant was performed by a plastic surgeon who later received The Nobel Prize, the Dr.
The word plastic in plastic surgery refers to the concept of remodeling and comes from the Greek π α α α α (tr), plastikê (tekhnê), the art of modeling malleable flesh. With the growing popularity of plastic surgery, there has also been a widespread increase in minimally invasive alternatives that include intradermal and intramuscular injectables, including several neurotoxins such as Botox, Dysport, Xeomin and Jeuveau, among others, along with hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers. Ethnic plastic surgery is plastic surgery that is performed to change ethnic attributes and is often considered to be used as a way of passing oneself. The training, experience and knowledge needed to become a certified cosmetic surgeon reflect a specialization that goes beyond what is needed to become certified in a related discipline, such as plastic surgery. While plastic surgery may cause a surgeon to remove skin abnormalities, such as a birthmark, cancerous tissue, or excess skin after weight loss, the term cosmetic surgery would describe a procedure such as a lip lift and tends to be performed more frequently as an aesthetic benefit.
It is the multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of facial injuries, which brings together plastic surgeons, dental surgeons, technicians and specialized nurses, which has allowed the development of techniques that lead to the reconstruction of injured faces. The Romans also performed cosmetic plastic surgery, using simple techniques, such as repairing damaged ears, around the 1st century BC.
