Plastic Surgery Advice

There is often some confusion about these terms, as different people and websites use them differently. Here’s how they should be used.

• Plastic Surgery – is the over-arching term, including the other two

• Reconstructive Surgery – is done for functional reasons on abnormal body structures which have resulted from congenital or developmental defects, trauma or disease

• Cosmetic Surgery – is done for esthetic reasons on normal body structures, to improve or enhance a person’s attractiveness, and it might also address minor function issues in the process

Basic Training

To perform reconstructive or cosmetic surgery, a physician must be qualified as a plastic surgeon. That means a minimum of:

1. Graduation from medical school

2. Licensing by a State Licensing Board

Legally speaking, nothing more is necessary, but you would not want to entrust your health to a physician who had no more qualification than that. Board-certification is highly important in assuring you that the doctor has gone further in his specialty training.

Specialty Training

So you would want to look for a surgeon who is:

3. Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) This is one of 24 accredited specialty boards recognized by the American board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

Professional Memberships

The best plastic surgeons also have memberships in other medical organizations such as:

• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)

• The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)

• The American College of Surgeons (ACS)

• The American Medical Association (AMA)

These memberships keep a physician in touch with his peers, and up to date with new ideas, techniques, and technology. They require high standards of their members.

Reconstructive Surgery

Reconstructive surgery is a very wide field and has subdivisions. It often works on children who are born with an abnormality such as a cleft palate, large disfiguring birthmark, or hand deformities.

Burn patients are another large category and often need reconstructive surgery where the entire skin and areas beneath it were destroyed. Accident victims may need replantation, which is the reattachment of a lost body part like fingers, ear, nose, arm or penis. Blood flow must be reconnected, the bones and muscles reattached, and nerves repaired.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) collects statistics each year, and for 2006, the most often performed reconstructive surgery was removal of cancerous tumors (3,905,831 such procedures). The procedure second in frequency, and very far behind, was laceration repair, at 312,855 procedures.

Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery is a growing field and involves enhancement or recontouring of the face and body, as well as a spectrum of skin treatments. The ASPS gives these surgical procedures as the top five for 2006:

• Breast augmentation (329,000) – implants to enlarge the breasts

• Rhinoplasty (307,000) – recontouring of the nose

• Liposuction (303,000) – removal of fat from selected body areas

• Eyelid surgery (233,000) – removal of excess fat, skin and muscle to restore youthfulness to the eyes

• Tummy Tuck (146,000) – removal of excess fat and skin from the abdomen, and tightening of the abdominal muscles

Skin improvement treatments are continually being developed, such as various chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and laser skin resurfacing. Injectable fillers are very popular, such as Restylane, Sculptra and Radiesse. Botox injections are often given to smooth out frown lines and forehead creases. These are all non-invasive procedures, as opposed to invasive (surgical) procedures, but modern cosmetic surgeons offer them all the time.

Plastic surgery is the over-arching term for both reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. The physician does specialty training in plastic surgery to qualify him or her to do either of those types of surgery. Typically, the surgeon will focus on one or the other. So if you need reconstructive work done on your hands, for instance, after a burn injury, you would go to a plastic surgeon. But if you want to enlarge your breasts so as to have a better-proportioned body shape, you would see a cosmetic surgeon.

Cosmetic surgery is growing fast in popularity and in response, cosmetic surgeons have been expanding their array of offerings. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) assembles statistics each year, categorized in many ways. In 2006, the top five cosmetic procedures were, in this order:

· Breast Augmentation – 329,000

· Nose Reshaping (Rhinoplasty) – 307,000

· Liposuction –303,000

· Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty) – 233,000

· Tummy Tucks (Abdominoplasty) – 233,000

Those numbers have been rounded off. They include both men and women and are surgeries, as opposed to “non-invasive” procedures.

The ASPS gives the top five minimally-invasive procedures for 2006 as:

· Botox Injections (for smoothing forehead wrinkles) – 4.1 million

· Chemical Peels (for rejuvenating facial skin) – 1.1 million

· Laser Hair Removal – 887,000

· Microdermabrasion (for rejuvenating facial skin) – 817,000

· Hyaluronic Acid Injections (for plumping up facial skin) – 778,000

Clearly, a desire for a more youthful shape and younger-looking skin are widespread. As the Baby Boomers continue to age, we can probably expect cosmetic surgery to expand even more in popularity. The Liposuction procedure encompasses reshaping of many body areas, as it can be done on the abdomen, thighs, hips, buttocks, upper arms, chin and perhaps every other area, depending on the individual case.

There are many more rejuvenating procedures offered by cosmetic surgeons, other than these top five listed above. You can have your ears reshaped, chin and cheekbones enlarged, lips plumped up, neck and face lifted, breasts reduced or lifted, and many more.

The best way to start sorting through what is available is to look at some cosmetic surgeon websites. When you feel ready, you can email one of them to arrange for what is usually a free initial consultation. Cosmetic surgeons are very interested in patient education, so you will be able to have your questions clearly answered, and will meet the staff and be given a tour of the facilities. Cosmetic surgery facilities tend to be extremely relaxing and pleasant, and the staff will be focused on providing for your comfort.