Plastic surgery is a broad medical field and includes many different kinds of cosmetic and corrective surgical procedures. All these different procedures have the same end goal, which is to restore or enhance the appearance of a specific part of the body.
This means there are as many specialties of plastic surgery as there are procedures. A person should be wary of a plastic surgeon who claims to perform every kind of cosmetic or reconstructive procedure there is. Which brings up the question: What type of doctor performs plastic surgery?
This field includes elective or cosmetic procedures. It also covers reconstructive surgery, which is used to correct imperfections caused by injury, illness, a medical condition, or birth defects. It could be said that cosmetic surgery is actually a subset of plastic surgery, which is a much wider field.
Plastic surgery is performed by plastic surgeons, the keyword here being surgeons. All plastic surgeons, like other types of surgeons, are medical doctors. However. cosmetic surgeons and plastic surgeons take different paths after graduating from medical school. Here is a description of both these career paths.
Cosmetic surgery is performed on body parts that are already fully functional, which makes it elective. Rather than solving problems of function, this category of surgery aims to enhance the looks of specific areas of the body. This can be achieved by improving the symmetry or altering the dimensions of particular parts of the body.
Usually, an aspiring cosmetic surgeon will graduate from medical school and complete a three- to five-year residency in a field related to cosmetic surgery. To acquire board certification, they will go through a year-long post-residency training in cosmetic surgery. During this time the prospective cosmetic surgeon can learn how to perform a large number of procedures, such as breast augmentation, facial contouring and rejuvenation, general skin rejuvenation procedures like dermal fillers, and body contouring techniques.
It is important to note that many cosmetic surgeons go on to focus on specific parts of the body. It is not unheard of to find a practice with cosmetic surgeons of different specialties.
This type of plastic surgery repairs defects and restores body parts damaged by medical conditions, illness, or injury. The surgeons typically graduate from medical school and undergo a five-year surgical residency. Some residency programs allow an aspiring plastic surgeon to focus on plastic surgery from the get-go. Other programs offer three years of general surgery followed by three more years dedicated to plastic surgery alone.
Plastic surgeons deal with reconstructive issues such as the following:
The following are some common questions patients often have about undergoing plastic surgery:
Cosmetic plastic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body to improve its appearance. These procedures are elective, so they are not covered by most insurance providers. Reconstructive cosmetic surgery is performed on abnormal body parts that might be the result of congenital disabilities, disease, tumors, infections, or trauma. Reconstructive surgeries are primarily performed to improve the function of defective body parts, and they also aim to restore a normal appearance. Insurance providers typically cover these treatments.
Recovery varies for each patient since we all have different levels of pain tolerance. Pain medication is typically prescribed to minimize pain and discomfort during recovery. Surgeries on facial structures tend to lead to the slightest discomfort, while treatments that involve tightening or elevating muscles like breast augmentation tend to cause the most discomfort.
Patients can do a few simple things to minimize any bruising and swelling after getting plastic surgery. For example, sleeping in a reclined position helps to minimize fluid build-up in the eyelids and face. Avoiding alcoholic beverages also helps to minimize inflammation after plastic surgery.
Surgeons provide their patients with detailed instructions on how to make recovery go more smoothly during consultations.
Plastic surgery is a wide field, and getting the right surgeon for the right job can take a little time. When choosing a plastic surgery practice, be sure to discuss what the specialties of the surgeons are and whether the focus is on cosmetic or reconstructive surgery.
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