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What is plastic surgery?

Plastic surgery involves repairing, reconstructing, or replacing physical defects of form or function that affect the skin, muscles, skull, face, extremities, breasts, trunk, and external genitalia. This type of surgery uses aesthetic principles to improve and reconstruct the undesirable qualities of typical structures. 

Surgeons employ advanced techniques to not only restore functionality but also to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal, ensuring a comprehensive approach to the patient's well-being. To prevent the risk of questionable or unscrupulous treatments, you should consult with a certified and licensed plastic surgeon.

Who is a plastic surgeon?

Plastic surgeons specialize in treating wounds and congenital disabilities that impact both appearance and functionality. They utilize reconstructive and cosmetic techniques to address areas damaged by severe illnesses, such as cancer. Beyond enhancing physical characteristics, plastic surgery can also contribute to the aesthetic appeal of an individual.

Their areas of expertise encompass:

1. Facial Structures: Including the mouth, face, ears, head, and neck
2. Skin: Involving procedures to improve the condition and appearance of the skin
3. Breasts and Chest: Covering both reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries related to the breasts and chest area
4. Extremities: Encompassing arms, legs, hands, and feet, with a focus on functional and aesthetic improvements
5. External Genitalia: Involving procedures related to the penis, testicles, and vagina, addressing both functional and cosmetic considerations

These specialties showcase the diverse range of conditions and concerns that plastic surgeons can handle, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of their medical and aesthetic expertise.

Educational requirement to become a plastic surgeon 

To become a plastic surgeon, an individual must complete traditional medical school (MD). 

Another way is to get a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree by completing an osteopath program. The holistic approach taught to osteopathic doctors considers the patient's mind, body, and spirit.

The doctors must complete a six-year residency in plastic surgery after graduating from medical school. During medical school, they learn general and cosmetic surgery procedures. 

Some medical professionals complete a five-year general surgery residency program with three more years of plastic surgery-specific training before continuing their education.

After completing residency training, plastic surgeons can become board-certified by passing a competitive exam. The American Board of Plastic Surgery awards board certification to the students. After completing these requirements, plastic surgeons can continue their education in any subspecialty. 

Plastic surgeons can maintain their board certification through a Continuous Certification Program. To keep their medical licenses, they must also complete a specific number of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits annually.

What are the specializations in plastic surgery?

Following residency, plastic surgeons can pursue a one-year fellowship to become subspecialists in: 

1. Burn surgery
2. Craniofacial or craniomaxillofacial surgery
3. Gender affirmation surgery
4. Body contouring
5. Microsurgery
6. Cosmetic surgery
7. Hand surgery

What conditions do plastic surgeons fix or restore? 

People choose plastic surgery for various reasons, and here are some of the conditions that plastic surgeons tackle.

Congenital Disorders

1. Cleft lip and palate
2. Hypospadias
3. Microtia
4. Syndactyly (webbed fingers or toes)
5. Congenital hand differences
6. Craniosynostosis

Trauma

1. Complex wounds.
2. Scars that limit natural movement
3. Burns
4. Cuts involving delicate tissue, such as your feet, lips, eyelids, nose, genitals, or nerves
5. Facial fractures

Cancer reconstruction

1. Testicular cancer
2. Colorectal cancer
3. Gynecologic cancer
4. Vaginal cancer
5. Head and neck cancer
6. Breast cancer
7. Skin cancer

Gender dysphoria

1. Plastic surgery treats gender dysphoria in transgender and nonbinary individuals whose physical features do not align with their gender identities.

Are plastic and cosmetic surgeons the same?

Plastic surgery has two subspecialties: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. 

Reconstructive plastic surgeons work with patients with health conditions affecting their form, function, or appearance. On the other hand, in cosmetic plastic surgery, physical characteristics are enhanced for beauty rather than medical reasons.

All plastic surgeons undergo training in cosmetic surgery. Medical professionals who aspire to practice cosmetic surgery full-time must pursue additional fellowship training. Other medical professionals may decide to specialize in cosmetic surgery only. 

What do plastic surgeons do?

The best plastic surgeons near you employ various techniques to treat severe injuries, enhance function, and restore a natural-looking appearance. These consist of:

1. Microsurgery: A microscope assists surgeons in performing intricate procedures. Microsurgery reconnects minuscule blood vessels or nerves. 
2. Prosthesis preparation: Patients who have lost a portion of their bodies sometimes opt for prosthesis. Attaching a prosthesis may sometimes involve fastening a donor or artificial replacement. Prosthetics, especially breast implants, are most commonly used in breast reconstruction, although they serve other reforming purposes as well.
3. Skin grafts: Plastic surgeons remove sections of healthy skin and attach them to a different part of your body as skin grafts. The graft survives surgery by joining with pre-existing blood vessels. Skin grafts treat burns and other large wounds.
4. Flaps: A flap uses the patient's tissue to fix damage from trauma or cancer resection. Surgeons often transfer skin, fat, and sometimes muscles from another area.
5. Free flap surgery: Skin flap surgery is similar to free flap surgery (free tissue transfer). However, the skin, fat, and muscle are cut off from their natural blood supply and moved to another part of your body. Surgeons join this moved body part to a fresh blood supply close to the implant site. 
6. Tissue expansion: A balloon-like device filled with saline is inserted under your skin to stretch or expand the tissue slowly. In a subsequent procedure, the surgeon removes the expander and closes a large-area wound using the skin.
7. Complex wound care: People with large or complex injuries require complex wound care. Plastic surgeons can occasionally apply methods to minimize scarring while closing the wound. They might use a range of techniques, like skin grafts and microsurgery.

What cosmetic procedures do plastic surgeons typically perform?

During their medical training, plastic surgeons acquire expertise in various cosmetic procedures. The best plastic surgeon near you can skillfully perform the following:

1. Tightening loose skin to achieve a more youthful appearance.
2. Repositioning the forehead to reduce creases, frown lines, and sagging eyebrows with brow lifts.
3. Removing excess skin, muscle, and fatty tissue from eyelids via blepharoplasty.
4. Reshaping the nose for enhanced appearance or addressing medical issues through rhinoplasty.
5. Transplanting hair from other body areas to add fullness to the head's hair is a common technique used in hair transplants.
6. Administering products to correct facial wrinkles with injectables.
7. Performing peels, hair removal, and treatment of spider veins with lasers.
8. Removing stubborn fat deposits with liposuction.
9. Increasing breast volume and shape with breast augmentation.
10. Reducing breast size by removing fat, skin, and tissue in breast reduction.
11. Elevating and reshaping the breasts for a more youthful figure through breast lifts.
12. Shaping body areas and tightening skin with body contouring.
13. Tightening sagging skin in arm lifts.
14. Restoring a more youthful figure through thigh lifts.
15. Tightening sagging buttock skin with body lifts.
16. Restoring a pre-pregnancy appearance with "mommy makeovers."

What to expect during your initial meeting with a plastic surgeon? 

Selecting a surgeon with whom you have confidence and who instills a sense of comfort is crucial. Your initial appointment allows you to get to know the surgeon and discuss your procedure options. The surgeon examines your medical history and performs a physical examination to provide recommendations.

To maximize the value of this appointment, you should:

1. Inquire about the plastic surgeon's experience in the recommended procedures.
2. Learn about the risks, benefits, and expectations associated with each option.
3. Bring relevant files, notes, or test results from previous healthcare providers to assist the plastic surgeon in tailoring care to your specific needs.
4. Be diligent in keeping track of your medical history, including any existing health conditions and the medications you are currently taking.
5. Consider and articulate to your healthcare provider what you hope to achieve through the surgery.

Finding the best plastic surgeons near you

If you're looking for a qualified plastic surgeon in Houston, Texas, Zocdoc can help. Zocdoc features a comprehensive list of licensed plastic surgeons. You only need to enter your symptoms, location, and the type of healthcare provider you need, and Zocdoc will compile a list of the top plastic surgeons in your area.

You can easily set up a complimentary account on Zocdoc in minutes. It is easy to find healthcare professionals online by looking through a few pages. Each doctor's profile on Zocdoc is comprehensive and includes information about their gender, hospital affiliations, education, training, certification, specialization, accreditations, and awards.

You can book an appointment on the day of your choice as soon as Zocdoc provides you with a list of the best plastic surgeons near you. You can schedule an appointment during regular business hours, before 10 AM, after 5 PM, or even on the weekends, depending on the plastic surgeon’s availability.

All bookings on Zocdoc are simple, secure, and 100% free.

Statistics about cosmetic surgery in the US

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates that they perform roughly 15.6 million cosmetic procedures annually. Nearly 2.3 million cosmetic surgical procedures account for about 14% of all functions performed, while around 13.2 million minimally invasive cosmetic procedures account for 16%.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that breast augmentation ranked in the top 5 cosmetic surgical procedures since 2006. In 2020, 84% of breast augmentations utilized silicone implants, while nearly 16% opted for saline implants.

In 2020, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment surpassed Laser Skin Removal to become one of the five leading cosmetic minimally invasive procedures, with over 827,000 IPL procedures, per the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Also, with an estimated 5.2 million operations in 2020, tumor removal yet again was the most popular reconstructive procedure performed that year.

Sources 

WebMD

Cleveland Clinic

American College of Surgeons

American Society of Plastic Surgeons

American Board of Cosmetic Surgery

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.