The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) was established in 1937 and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) granted it the status of an important specialized board in 1941. The most committed plastic surgeons also become members of the BAAPS and are audited each year to ensure that the highest levels of care can be maintained. Often, ASPS plastic surgeons delve into one of the many other specific fields of plastic surgery, such as manual surgery, craniofacial surgery, microsurgery, cosmetic surgery, etc. Plastic surgery describes any type of surgery that aims to restore the function and appearance of a patient's tissue and skin to be as close to “normal” as possible. Currently, 92% of board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States are members of the ASPS, which represents 11,000 plastic surgeons worldwide. Since there is no legal limitation on who can call themselves a plastic surgeon, it can be difficult to determine who is truly qualified to perform plastic surgery.
Plastic surgery, on the other hand, is surgery that is performed solely to change a person's appearance and achieve what they consider to be a more desirable appearance. As a specialty, plastic surgery aims to maximize the patient's aesthetic outcome from any point of view, but this experience does not only apply to the minimally invasive procedures that can be seen in the media. The term plastic surgery comes from the Greek word plastike (teckhne) or the art of modeling or sculpting. Regardless of the procedure you are undergoing, whether cosmetic or reconstructive, be sure to see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area.
To analyze the differences between plastic and cosmetic surgery, we asked three ASPS member surgeons what they think. Between Botox parties, the opening of beauty bars across the country, and social media influencers speaking more openly about their plastic surgery, there can be some confusion about what constitutes plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery. Aesthetic or aesthetic plastic surgery involves techniques aimed at improving a person's appearance through surgical and medical techniques, and is specifically concerned with maintaining a normal appearance, restoring or improving it beyond the average level to achieve an aesthetic ideal. Myers agrees, adding that board-certified plastic surgeons are appropriately designated by the American Board of Plastic Surgery through the logo of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Choose a board-certified plastic surgeon and rest assured that you are under the care of a highly trained surgeon you can trust.
Let's face it, when most people think of plastic surgery, they think of procedures like Botox and increased breasts.
