Plastic Surgery

Overview

What is plastic surgery?- It is a popular misconception that the word plastic in plastic surgery means artificial. Rather, the word is derived from the ancient Greek word plastikos, which means to mold or give form.

Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involved with the reconstruction of facial and body tissue defects due to illness, trauma, or birth disorders.

Plastic surgery restores and improves function, as well as appearance. It can involve surgery on any part of the anatomy, except the central nervous system, including the following: Skin (including skin cancer, scars, burns, birthmarks, and tattoo removal) Maxillofacial (the facial skeleton) Congenital anomalies (including deformed ears, cleft palate, and cleft lip)

What does plastic surgery include? Plastic surgery includes both reconstructive and aesthetic (cosmetic surgery) procedures:

Reconstructive plastic surgery. involves the restoration of form and function in any area of the body. This might include repairing a hole left when a bone tumor is removed, reconstructing a breast following a mastectomy. In general, reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body that may be caused by the following:Trauma/ Infection / Developmental abnormalities / Congenital (present at birth) anomalies / Disease / Tumors This type of surgery is usually performed to improve function, but may also be performed to approximate a normal appearance.

Hand surgery, including treatment of acute and chronic hand and upper limb problems, such as carpal tunnel surgery and brachial plexus repair.

Cosmetic (or Aesthetic) surgery, Cosmetic surgery is performed to repair or reshape otherwise normal structures of the body, generally, to improve appearance, such as breast reduction or augmentation, liposuction, facelifts, and skin treatments.

Craniofacial surgery, a major component of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, for children born with abnormalities of the face or head, from craniosynostosis (improper development of the skull bones) to cleft palate to jaw reconstruction.

Oral and Maxiollofacial Surgery, which relates to the mouth and jaw. It can help patients who suffer from jaw pain or injuries, and even sleep disorders

Microsurgery, in which surgeons reattach tiny pieces of tissue taken from a donor or from another part of a patient’s body. Microsurgeons specialize in the reconnection of nerves, muscles, and blood vessels.