The term Plastic Surgery comes from the Greek word plastike (teckhne) or the art of modeling or sculpting. If you've always thought that cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery were the same thing, you're not alone. A significant number of plastic surgeons choose to focus their practice on cosmetic surgery and, therefore, the terms are often used interchangeably. But this is not technically correct.
Cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery are closely related specialties, but they are not the same thing. A big problem for many people is that a cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon can be confused. However, while cosmetic surgery is a type of plastic surgery, cosmetic surgeons can only perform cosmetic procedures, explains Dr. Alan Matarasso, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
While these types of surgeries are known as “plastic surgery”, the term has no real connection with the “plastic surgery” you know today. The term, like many other words in the English language, is derived from Greek. Coined from the Greek word plastikos, which means to shape or mold something, the term plastic surgery was first used in the 19th century to describe the process by which doctors and surgeons remodeled or molded body tissue. With the desire to change or improve our appearance, plastic surgery is one of the first forms of medicine.
Those who call themselves cosmetic surgeons usually belong to another board and, in fact, may be specialists in any other medical area that is not certified or recognized to perform cosmetic procedures with these high standards. We have even seen worrying examples of people without medical training who call themselves cosmetic surgeons. Many doctors with surgical residencies also perform whole-body aesthetic procedures learned through non-accredited training. The fact that the name includes the word plastic does not mean that patients who undergo this surgery end up with a face full of false things.
The name does not come from the synthetic substance, but from the Greek word plastikos, which means to form or mold (and which also gives the plastic material its name). Plastic surgeons perform plastic and reconstructive surgery. Surgeons in many fields perform cosmetic procedures. You can have cosmetic surgery by a plastic surgeon, dermatologist, otolaryngologist (specialist in otolaryngology), or other people.
Once you wake up and the effect of the anesthesia wears off, you may be able to go home. If you need to stay in the hospital, it will usually only be a night or two. Before you return home, you will receive instructions on how to care for yourself at home. Following them closely can reduce the risk of complications. Depending on the procedure, you may feel well enough to resume your regular activities in a few days.
Other procedures, such as a tummy tuck, may take several weeks or months to recover. Some people realize all the benefits of the procedure and don't feel pain within a few weeks. In the case of advanced procedures, such as facial feminization surgery, swelling can take up to a year to go away. These terms are often interchanged despite their different meanings and purposes.
Cosmetic surgery focuses on appearance, while plastic surgery focuses on correcting defects and functionality. During World Wars I and II, the term plastic surgery or reconstructive surgery was used to describe the surgery needed by soldiers due to burns, missing limbs, and facial reconstruction. Once doctors perfected the technique for reconstructing traumatic defects, a whole new world of perfecting the human body opened up. Nowadays, when most people think of plastic surgery, they immediately think of nose operations, breast augmentations, or Kardashians.
Most board-certified plastic surgeons spend a lot of time interviewing teens who want to undergo plastic surgery to decide if they are good candidates for surgery. While many plastic surgeons choose to complete additional training and also perform cosmetic surgery, the foundation of their surgical training remains reconstructive plastic surgery. Since that time, plastic surgery education, procedures, and techniques have become the plastic surgery industry you know today up to date. Procedures and healing times vary, so you'll want to research what your particular procedure involves and whether the surgery is reconstructive or cosmetic.
Plastic surgery may have gained popularity in recent decades, but people have been practicing the art of altering body tissue since ancient times. 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. On the other hand, a cosmetic surgeon could determine which technologies are best for a person and offer them all their options. Often a special effort is made to assure prospective patients that these surgeons are “board-certified.” As cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery each have different practice objectives based on a set of specific procedures, it only follows that the training and certification process of a certified cosmetic surgeon will be very different from that of a board-certified plastic surgeon. While all surgeons need a state license to practice medicine, and some may even be certified in their chosen specialty, they don't need specialized certification to promote themselves as “cosmetic surgeons.” Plastic surgery is defined as a surgical specialty dedicated to the reconstruction of facial and body defects caused by congenital disorders, injuries, burns and diseases.
Because any licensed doctor can legally perform cosmetic surgery, regardless of how you received cosmetic surgery training, it's extremely important that you do your research when choosing a cosmetic surgeon. Matarasso, who only performs aesthetic procedures, treats daily patients who have had a procedure but who are not the ideal candidates for it. Rebuilding a breast after a mastectomy is a reconstructive procedure that should only be performed by a plastic surgeon. Both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery are included in this general term, since cosmetic surgery is used for aesthetic purposes and reconstructive surgery is used to improve quality or function.
Some people use plastic surgery to correct a physical defect or to alter a part of the body that makes them uncomfortable.
