Overview of Plastic Surgery
What is plastic surgery?
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty. It can be used to improve how someone looks
and to reconstruct facial and body tissue defects. These issues may be caused by illness,
injury (trauma), or birth disorders.
Plastic surgery restores and improves function, as well as appearance. It can include
surgery on any part of the anatomy except the central nervous system (brain and spinal
cord). Plastic surgery may be done to:
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Address skin issues, including skin cancer, scars, burns, birthmarks, and tattoo removal
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Reshape facial bones
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Fix a condition a baby was born with (congenital malformation), such as an abnormally
shaped outer ear, cleft palate, and cleft lip
Healthcare providers who do plastic surgery
It's important to choose a healthcare provider who is certified in plastic surgery
by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Generally, a surgeon who is board-certified
in plastic surgery has graduated from an accredited medical school. They complete
at least 6 years of graduate surgical education. This often includes 3 years of general
surgery and 3 years of plastic surgery. In addition, the surgeon must pass comprehensive
written and oral exams to become board-certified. Board certification is renewed every
10 years. This ensures ongoing competency in the specialty.
What does plastic surgery include?
Plastic surgery includes both reconstructive and cosmetic procedures:
Reconstructive plastic surgery
In general, reconstructive surgery is done on abnormal structures of the body that
may be caused by:
This type of surgery is often done to improve function. It may also be done to change how
someone looks.
Cosmetic plastic surgery
Cosmetic surgery is done to fix or reshape otherwise normal structures of the body.
It's generally done to improve how someone looks.