Plastic Surgery

A specialized medical field, plastic surgery has grown in recent years. Generally speaking, plastic surgery procedures are performed for two reasons; reconstructive and cosmetic. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that there were more than 5.6 million reconstructive plastic surgeries in 2012. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), there were more than 1.6 million surgical cosmetic procedures in 2012. 

Reconstructive plastic surgeryis performed to help correct body parts that may have been damaged by an accident, an illness, or from a birth defect. The following are some of the many examples of reconstructive surgery:

• Skin expansion
• Head and neck reconstruction
• Flap reconstruction
• Extremity reconstruction
• Chest wall reconstruction
• Body contouring
• Breast reconstruction
• Abdominal wall reconstruction

Cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is performed because a person may want to change the way they look. Cosmetic surgery is performed for a whole variety of reasons like:

• Breast augmentation
• Skin resurfacing
• Rhinoplasty
• Liposuction
• Injectables and fillers
• Forehead and brow lift
• Face lift
• Face contour
• Brachioplasty
• Blepharoplasty
• Abdominoplasty

Cosmetic surgeries are performed more out of choice than necessity, while reconstructive surgeries are performed mainly out of necessity. Some of the most popular cosmetic surgeries according to the latest statistics from the ASAPS are:

• Breast augmentation
• Liposuction
• Weight loss related surgeries
• Gynecomastia (male breast reduction)
• “Nose jobs”
• Facelifts

Like other surgical procedures, plastic surgery operations carry risk. Cosmetic surgery could cause nerve damage, a poor cosmetic outcome, or other unforeseen results. Therefore, to minimize the risks of unwanted outcomes and help make yourplastic surgery safer, the ASPS recommends that you select a surgeon whom you trust. Furthermore, the surgeon should have the following qualifications:

• The doctor must be experienced in plastic surgery procedures
• The doctor must be certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery
• The doctor follows a strict code of ethics
• The doctor operates in accredited medical facilities only