Cosmetic surgery is done to repair or remodel structures in the body that would otherwise be normal, usually to improve appearance. Plastic surgery is a special type of surgery that can change a person's appearance and ability to function. There are a lot of questions and misconceptions about both, and many patients mistakenly believe that plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons are the same when they aren't.
In other words, cosmetic surgery is a subspecialty of plastic surgery.
Reconstructive surgery is often considered “medically necessary” and may be covered by health insurance. After medical studies are completed, a board-certified plastic surgeon first serves as a surgical resident for at least 3 years, where he receives rigorous training in all aspects of surgery and then 3 years of specialized training in plastic surgery.The process can last 6 to 8 years or more and many are refining their training with scholarships that include microvascular, craniofacial, manual, pediatric and aesthetic scholarships. This is a key differentiator between a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon. It's always important to confirm that a plastic surgeon has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the only board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) to certify doctors in the specialty of Plastic Surgery. Only ABPS diplomats can be called plastic surgeons. In Canada, patients must apply for certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCSC).
International plastic surgeons must be board-certified in their home country. A facial plastic surgeon is trained in otorhinolaryngology and performs cosmetic surgery on the face, and an oculoplastic surgeon can perform cosmetic surgery around the eyes afterwards of a residency in ophthalmology. It was then linked to the philosophical study of beauty and taste, and plastic surgeons later appropriated it to describe their work to “remodel the normal structures of the body in order to improve the patient's appearance and self-esteem”. Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty that deals both with improving a person's appearance and with reconstructing facial and body tissue defects caused by diseases, injuries or congenital disorders.
Plastic surgery takes its name from the Greek word “plastikos”, which means “to form” or “to mold”. Although the family doctor, pediatrician or radiologist complete three years of training to practice their profession after graduating from medical school, the ASPS certified plastic surgeon must complete a minimum of 5 years of surgical training of postgraduate degree. Many birth defects or syndromes present at birth are best treated in childhood, and pediatric plastic surgeons specialize in treating these conditions in children. The name does not come from the synthetic substance, but from the Greek word plastikos, which means to form or mold (and which also gives the plastic material its name).
Most certified plastic surgeons spend a lot of time interviewing teens who want to undergo plastic surgery to decide if they are good candidates for surgery. The term plastic surgery comes from the Greek word plastike (teckhne) or the art of modeling or sculpting. Around the same time that the term “reconstructive” was gaining acceptance in the plastic surgery community, cosmetic surgery began to experience rapid and widespread expansion in modern society. For example, some might plausibly argue that adding the term “reconstructive” has helped to clarify to the public what plastic surgeons actually do, since the term “plastic” has become part of the names of other subspecialties (for example, facial plastic surgery, oculoplastic surgery, etc.).
Oddly enough, it wasn't long after the creation of the plastic material, especially after the First World War, where its industry experienced a great increase in production, that the term “plastic and reconstructive surgery” began to appear in the medical literature. However, there are many other potential benefits of plastic surgery, depending on the type of surgery you are undergoing and the reason for it. With the rise of synthetic plastics and the increased need for plastic surgery procedures at the time of the world wars, it was considered that adding the term “reconstructive” to the name would help mitigate the new public perception of the term “plastic”. Benefits of Plastic Surgery The most obvious and well-known benefit of plastic surgery is that your appearance will improve.
In 1930, Gillies' cousin, Archibald McIndoe, joined the practice and committed to plastic surgery.
