Plastic Surgery - What Is Plastic Surgery?

What is Plastic surgery? Despite its namesake, plastic surgery very rarely involves the use of plastic in any shape or form. The word "Plastic" in plastic surgery comes from the greek word Plastikos, which means "to shape", "to form" or "to mold". And that is what plastic surgery implies. Plastic surgery is a procedure that seeks to shape or correct imperfections in form or function.

The earliest instance of reconstructive surgery comes from as long ago as 2000BC. Some notable physicians that improved upon known plastic surgery methods at the time include Sushruta Samhita, a prominent Indian physician who lived around the 6th century BC. It was his works that were made known to the Arabic world and eventually to Europe. As such, Sushruta is often dubbed the "father of plastic surgery" or simply the "father of surgery".

People that opt to undergo plastic surgery do so for a variety of reasons. However, the three most prominent reasons seem to be - cosmetic surgery to enhance areas of percieved imperfection, a way to fight the cosmetic effects of age and finally, reconstructive surgery on those that have been deformed through trauma, disease, burns or an illness of some sort.

As mentioned above, there are three common plastic surgery procedures that are performed for a variety of reasons. They are :-

Reconstructive Surgery - Those that have experienced some form of deformity due to fractures, burns, cancer, tumors, infection or disease normally opt for reconstructive plastic surgery not as a means of enhancement but as a means of restoring form or function that was lost due to their condition.

Cosmetic Surgery - Cosmetic Surgery is a means of enhancing certain aspects about a persons features that were deemed imperfect or thought possible to be improved upon. Rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, facelifts, chin augmentation, cheek augmentation, eyelid surgery and tummy tucks all fall into this category.

Specialized Plastic Surgery - Further plastic surgery specializations are needed for specific cases. These usually include micro-surgery, hand surgery, pediatric surgery and craniofacial surgery. Most plastic surgeons worth their salt will have had some training in the field of hand and craniofacial surgery.