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The principal areas of plastic surgery include two broad fields.
HISTORY The history of cosmetic surgery reaches back to the ancient world. Physicians in Ancient India including the great Indian surgeon Susrutha were utilizing Skin Graft s for reconstructive work as early as the 8th Century BC and performed nose reconstruction, using a portion of the forehead, during periods where amputation of the nose was a punishment for certain crimes. The Romans were able to perform simple techniques such as repairing damaged ears from around the 1st Century BC . In mid- 15th Century Europe, Heinrich Von Pfolspeundt described a process "to make a new nose for one who lacks it entirely, and the dogs have devoured it" by removing skin from the back of the arm and suturing it in place. However, because of the dangers associated with surgery in any form, especially that involving the head or face, it was not until the 19th and 20th Centuries that such surgeries became commonplace. The U.S.'s first plastic surgeon was Dr. John Peter Mettauer . He performed the first Cleft Palate operation in 1827 with instruments that he designed himself. Sir Harold Gillies developed many of the techniques of modern plastic surgery in caring for those who suffered facial injuries in World War I ; he is considered to be the father of modern plastic surgery. His work was expanded upon during World War II by one of his former students and cousin, Archibald McIndoe , who pioneered treatments for RAF aircrew suffering from severe burns. McIndoe's radical, experimental treatments, lead to the formation of the Guinea Pig Club . RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY Common reconstructive surgeries are: Breast Reconstruction for women who have had a Mastectomy , Cleft Lip And Palate Surgery , Contracture surgery for Burn survivors, and closing skin and Mucosa defects after removal of tumors in the head and neck region. Sex Reassignment Surgery for Transsexual people is another example of reconstructive surgery. Plastic surgeons have developed the use of Microsurgery to transfer tissue for coverage of a soft tissue defect when no local tissue is available. Tissue, such as a muscle, may be removed from the body, moved to another site on the body and reconnected to a blood supply by suturing blood vessels as small as 1-2 mm in diameter. There is a definite gray area between reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Many of the techniques of cosmetic surgery are utilized in reconstructive surgery to improve Cosmesis . COSMETIC SURGERY Cosmetic surgery is a very popular avenue for personal enhancement, as demonstrated by the 11.9 million cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. alone in (the only official entity overseeing physician certification in the United States) as the subspecialty dedicated to the surgical repair of defects of form or function -- this includes cosmetic (or aesthetic) surgery, as well as reconstructive surgery. The term "cosmetic surgery" however, simply refers to surgery that is designed to improve cosmetics, or appearance. (One could argue that reconstructive surgery always has some cosmetic aspect to it, because form and function are often both important in plastic surgery repairs.) Thus there is no real art of "cosmetic surgery": it is a catch-all commercial phrase that laypeople understand easily and non-plastic surgeons eagerly use because they are not allowed to use the term "plastic surgery". It is vital to check a physician's credentials, looking for those MDs who are actually board-certified by the American Board Of Plastic Surgery . Plastic Surgery training takes 5 to 7 years of surgical residency training after medical school, and even more depending on the residency program. Because cosmetic surgery is seen as lucrative, non-plastic surgeons who receive fewer years of training for their specialty, advertise that they perform "cosmetic surgery" which is not a true specialty, only a commerical term. Thus to gain cerdibility, these non-plastic surgeons have gotten together to draft fake "medical boards" that are NOT recognized by the American Board Of Medical Specialties , such as "American Board of Cosmetic Surgery" and "American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery," both of which have been created and easily fool the layperson into thinking these physicians have actually been trained in Plastic Surgery. Remember, the American Board Of Medical Specialties only recognizes the American Board Of Plastic Surgery for certification of Plastic Surgeons in the United States, and require rigorous training standards in order to provide safe medical and surgical care. The most prevalent aesthetic/cosmetic procedures are listed below. Most of these types of surgery are more commonly known by their "common names." These are also listed when pertinent.
RELATED DISCIPLINES Plastic surgery is a broad field, and may be subdivided further. Plastic surgery training and approval by the American Board Of Plastic Surgery includes mastery of the following as well:
ADDICTION TO COSMETIC SURGERY Some people appear to become addicted to cosmetic surgery, possibly because of Body Dysmorphic Disorder . Sufficient amounts of repeated cosmetic surgery can lead to irreversible damage to the normal body structure. However, due to the high cost of repeated cosmetic surgery, this disorder is generally one limited to the Wealth y. However, others have been known to take out loans for repeat procedures. |
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