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.
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. Plastic surgeons use microsurgery to transfer tissue to cover a defect when local tissue is not available. The initial training that a plastic surgeon receives can take place in many areas of surgery, such as urology, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology (ENT), general surgery and even neurosurgery.
Therefore, the term plastic surgery has no correlation with the synthetic polymer that Americans know as plastic. The Romans also performed cosmetic plastic surgery, using simple techniques, such as repairing damaged ears, around the 1st century BC. 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 word “plastic” in plastic surgery refers to the concept of remodeling and comes from the Greek π, the word “plastic” in plastic surgery refers to the concept of remodeling and comes from the Greek π.tekhnē), the art of modeling malleable flesh.
Elective cosmetic procedures are performed by doctors from a variety of medical fields, including plastic surgeons. Many birth defects or syndromes present at birth are best treated in childhood, and pediatric plastic surgeons specialize in treating these conditions in children. A significant number of plastic surgeons choose to focus their practice on cosmetic surgery and, therefore, the terms are often used interchangeably. 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.
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. 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. Although the family doctor, pediatrician or radiologist complete three years of training to practice their profession after graduating from medical school, the ASPS-certified plastic surgeon must complete a minimum of 5 years of postgraduate surgical training. 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.
