Plastic surgeons
are medical doctors who specialize in remodeling and restructuring areas of the body. This can be done out of necessity to correct medical problems or as a way to enhance the look of the body. Plastic surgeons perform different procedures on all ages of patients. Many of them choose to specialize in certain fields or parts of the body, such as pediatrics, craniofacial, hands and burns.
Plastic surgeons perform many different operations.
Misconceptions
People often have a preconceived notion that plastic surgery is something people do out of vanity to make their bodies more perfect or to avoid aging. Plastic surgeons can perform cosmetic procedures such as breast implants and face-lifts, but they have a lot of other roles. Plastic surgeons are skilled doctors who also perform surgeries to correct medical problems and defects.
Reconstructive
Many of the procedures that plastic surgeons perform are intended to correct a medical problem in a patient. Patients often are referred to a plastic surgeon following accidents and traumatic injuries. After a bad car accident, surgeons in the hospital can provide life-saving procedures, but sometimes the results of the surgery can leave a patient with permanent deformities and scarring. The plastic surgeon can then perform procedures that will correct the look of the skin and restore function to it. Plastic surgeons often deal with non-emergency situations that cause functional problems. Many breast reductions are done to alleviate back pain and other problems that result. Other reconstructive procedures include skin grafts, scar repair, tumor removal and cleft palate surgery.
Enhancement
Cosmetic surgery is performed to enhance a part of the body. The most common cosmetic procedure performed by plastic surgeons is a breast augmentation. In this surgery, the breasts are enlarged and shaped by the insertion of some type of implant. Other surgeries that enhance the appearance of the body include tummy tucks, rhinoplasty (nose job) and buttock augmentation. They also do procedures that reduce body fat, like liposuction.
Anti-aging
Many cosmetic procedures are used to lessen or reverse the effects of aging on the skin. Many of these surgeries are performed on the face in order to reduce wrinkles and lines, and to tighten facial and neck skin. This includes procedures like face-lifts, brow lifts, cheek lifts and collagen injections. Laser procedures can also be used to resurface the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and age spots.
Pediatric
Plastic surgery isn't always just for adults. Many plastic surgeons specialize in pediatrics. They correct conditions that are best treated and corrected in childhood. Many of these conditions are from birth defects or illnesses. Examples of common pediatric plastic surgery procedures are cleft palate, congenital hand deformities and facial defects. They may also remove birth marks or large moles that could become problematic later in life.
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