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Plastic surgery includes both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. The term plastic surgery comes from the Greek work plastikos meaning to mold or give form. Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal parts of the body in order to improve the patient's appearance. Some of the common procedures are liposuction, facelifts, nose reshaping, breast augmentation or reduction and eyelid surgery. Reconstructive surgery is done on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, tumors or disease. It is done to improve functions but also can be done to approximate a normal appearance. Reconstructive surgery is usually covered by health insurance policies while cosmetic surgery is not.
The most common plastic surgery (cosmetic or reconstructive) procedure is tumor removal. The most frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedure is liposuction, also called fat suction. Women 35-50 years of age are the most frequent users of cosmetic surgery although over 70,000 men decide to have a cosmetic procedure each year.
The most important factor in successful cosmetic surgery is the surgeon you choose. The Plastic Surgery Information Service of the American Society for Plastic and Resconstructive Surgery is a good source (1-800-635-0635). They will send you five names of plastic surgeons in your geographic area who are members of ASPRS. This also means they are board certified. Of course, you need to check credentials of any physicians you are considering. You should ask if a doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This ensures that the doctor has graduated from an accredited medical school and completed at least five years of additional residency training. The physician must also practice plastic surgery for two years and pass comprehensive exams. You should ask physicians how often they do the procedure you are interested in and when they last performed it. It is important to visit any physicians you are considering using to compare personalities, opinions, fees and their explanations of the procedures and risks.
The HealthInfo Library at Moses
Taylor Hospital has several sources on plastic and reconstructive
surgery. Everyone's Guide to Outpatient Surgery by James Macho
includes a chapter on this topic and gives information on the
actual procedures. What to Expect in your Fifties by Judy Mandell
includes a chapter on skin and aging.
An excellent web site to learn more about plastic surgery is www.plasticsurgery.org
developed by the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. Of course, the staff of the HealthInfo Library is always
available to research any health question you may have regarding
plastic surgery or any other concerns. Give us a call at 340-2555
for more information!