There are a lot of questions and misconceptions about the two, and many patients mistakenly believe that plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons are the same when they aren't.
Plastic surgery
residency programs may include cosmetic surgery as part of surgeon training, but usually do not include training in all cosmetic procedures. Reconstructive plastic surgery is usually done to improve function, but it can be done to approximate a normal shape or appearance. As cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery have different practice objectives based on a set of specific procedures, it follows that the training and certification process of a certified cosmetic surgeon will be very different from that of a board-certified plastic surgeon.In fact, in 1999, the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons changed its name to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to communicate more strongly the message that “plastic and reconstructive surgeons are the same”. Cosmetic surgery includes plastic surgery and other techniques, both surgical and non-surgical, to improve appearance. The term plastic surgery comes from the Greek word plastike (teckhne) or the art of modeling or sculpting. Therefore, the title of “board-certified plastic surgeon” indicates a certain level of training and experience in plastic surgery, but it does not indicate the same with respect to cosmetic surgery, since the residency training required to obtain certification in plastic surgery may not include training with respect to many common cosmetic procedures.
Elective cosmetic procedures are performed by doctors from a variety of medical fields, including plastic surgeons. Plastic surgery aims to correct dysfunctional areas of the body and, by definition, is reconstructive in nature. Because state medical boards vary, check with your state's medical board about the certification of cosmetic and plastic surgeons. Choose a board-certified plastic surgeon and rest assured that you're under the care of a highly trained surgeon you can trust.
Plastic surgeons use a variety of surgical techniques, such as flap surgery, skin grafting, and microvascular surgery. The initial training that a plastic surgeon receives can be done in many areas of surgery, such as urology, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology (ENT), general surgery, and even neurosurgery. The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
