The term plastic surgery is usually first thought of cosmetic surgery. These procedures are a domain of plastic or aesthetic surgery. However, plastic surgery also has its importance as reconstructive surgery, which helps sick people.
What is plastic surgery?
Plastic surgery is a branch of surgery. It deals with performing shape-changing and reconstructive surgical procedures. Plastic surgery is a branch of surgery. It deals with shape-changing and reconstructive surgical procedures. The interventions can affect the skin, organs and other tissue structures. Most often, it involves corrections and elimination of deformities, consequences of injuries, elimination of visibly disturbed functions of the body and modulation of body shapes for aesthetic reasons. Plastic surgery includes breast surgery, plastic corrections and reconstructions after diseases and accidents, aesthetic surgery, hand surgery and burn surgery. Plastic surgery is not only concerned with surgical procedures that have a medical indication. Operations are also performed because the patient wants changes to his or her external appearance. After accidents or disfiguring diseases, both aspects also lead to the use of plastic surgery. It is a matter of medical necessity with the elimination of defects and functional limitations and the aesthetic correction of the patient’s appearance. Anyone who is allowed to call himself a “plastic surgeon” has completed the appropriate training as a specialist. The term “cosmetic surgeon”, on the other hand, is not a designation that originates from further medical training.
Treatments and therapies
Shape-changing and reconstructive procedures can greatly improve patients’ health and quality of life for medical reasons. An important subspecialty of plastic surgery is breast surgery. Breast surgery does not treat only women. This area of plastic surgery also helps men who suffer from abnormal breast enlargement (gynecomastia). A main focus of operations for medical reasons is the removal of tumors in the breast. It is not always possible to operate out the cancer in a breast-conserving way. Therefore, another task of breast surgery is to rebuild the female breast after cancer surgery. Plastic surgery also helps people who have lost a lot of excess weight. After a massive loss of weight, it may be necessary to harmonize the body shapes through surgery. Another important branch of plastic surgery is hand surgery. Patients suffering from compression of the nerves in the area of the hand (carpal tunnel syndrome) experience relief of their symptoms through surgical intervention. The hand has a very complicated anatomical structure. Anyone who performs surgery on the hand must have differentiated knowledge of the structures of the hand. Thanks to their surgical capabilities, hand surgeons can often remedy the consequences of serious accidents and injuries so well that the patient in question does not have to live with any restrictions in the function of the hand and fingers. Plastic surgery also deals with the care of patients who have suffered severe burns and scalds. In addition to the initial treatment of severely injured burn victims, secondary surgical procedures and skin grafts are performed in an attempt to improve the appearance of the skin and scars. Breast surgery, liposuction of unwanted fat and correction of body shapes are also performed by plastic surgeons in the absence of pathological changes. Many healthy people are dissatisfied with their body and want to achieve their individual image of beauty through one or more surgical procedures. This often involves a reduction, enlargement or tightening of the female breast. The field of aesthetic surgeons includes procedures such as wrinkle treatment, abdominoplasty, facelift, body lift and liposuction. Other fields of activity include the tightening of eyelids and the removal of troublesome birthmarks and hemangiomas.Those who are not satisfied with the shape of their ears or nose can have these parts of their body reshaped by surgery. Aesthetic surgery also removes sweat glands on request in order to curb excessive sweating. Another field of aesthetic surgeons has grown rapidly in recent years: the removal of tattoos.
Diagnosis and examination methods
Patients who have lost their normal appearance and full ability of bodily functions due to illness or severe injuries are very grateful for the healing and reconstructive possibilities offered by plastic surgery today. Surgery is often performed under a microscope to restore delicate structures and nerve connections. Operations classified as cosmetic surgery, performed at the request of inherently healthy patients, can also bring significant enhancement to their sense of self-worth and body image. However, every surgical procedure carries risks. Wound infections and wound healing disorders can occur. Even in cosmetic surgery, deaths can occur because wounds become infected and sepsis results. Possible blood poisoning and shock are the most common dangerous complications after surgery. It also happens from time to time that serious internal injuries are accidentally caused during liposuction. The risks and side effects of surgery can also include allergic reactions caused by the use of medications and surgical supplies or implants inserted. Anyone who decides to undergo surgery should always make sure that they are treated by an experienced specialist. Every patient has his or her own individual risk potential due to pre-existing conditions, as a smoker or as a severely overweight person. Only by talking to a specialist can a comprehensive explanation be given and an accurate weighing of the risks be made.
