Synonyms
- Aesthetic Surgery
- Cosmetic surgery
- Plastic Surgery
Definition
Cosmetic surgery makes it possible to change certain parts of the body according to the individual wishes of the patient by means of cosmetic surgery, without there having to be a medical indication (medical necessity) for the operation.
Professional assignment
The term “cosmetic surgery” is not a separate discipline within medicine. It represents one of the main directions of plastic surgery, which includes not only cosmetic surgery but also reconstructive surgery (reconstructive surgery, e.g. after accidents), burn surgery and hand surgery.
Doctors in plastic surgery
Cosmetic surgery operations are performed by representatives of various medical fields with the additional title of “plastic surgery” or “plastic and aesthetic surgery”, e.g. : In the Society for Aesthetic Surgery Germany (GÄCD) unites specialists from various fields who are active in the field of cosmetic surgery.
- Surgeons: various cosmetic operations
- Gynecologists (gynecologists): especially breast surgery
- Ear, nose and throat specialists or oral and maxillofacial surgeons: especially facial operations
- Dermatologists (dermatologists): wrinkle treatment, liposuction and laser treatment
- Ophthalmologists (ophthalmologists): especially eyelid surgery
Measures of cosmetic surgery
- Eyelid correction (eyelid lift, blepharoplasty):
- Ear correction (earplasty, earmould)
- Nose correction (rhinoplasty, rhinoplasty)
- Lip correction (lip plastic surgery, cheiloplasty)
- Breast surgery (lifting, enlargement, reduction)
- Liposuction (liposuction)
- Hair Transplantation
- Face and neck lifting (facelift, facelift)
- Tightening of belly, legs, bottom, chest
History of cosmetic surgery
It is already known from the Egyptians that they performed cosmetic surgery on the face more than 3000 years ago. In the 19th century, they mainly performed nose, eyelid and cheek sculptures. The first breast reduction took place at the beginning of the 20th century. During the two world wars the field of reconstructive surgery in particular continued to develop. A continuous improvement of surgical methods and the increasing attention paid to the aesthetics of the surgical result led in the course of time to the possibilities of cosmetic surgery known today.