Plastic surgery is concerned with the correcting or restoring of both form and functionality. Cosmetic or aesthetic surgeries are the most common, but the vast majority of plastic surgical procedures are not cosmetic. This includes hand surgery, microsurgery and treatment for burns – read more.

Reconstructive cosmetic surgery can correct impairments in function caused by burns. In most cases, reconstructive plastic surgeries are performed to improve the function of the patient. They can however be carried out to simulate a normal look.

Reconstruction procedures include breast reduction, scar reconstruction, hand surgery and laceration removal. According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons data, reconstructive breast augmentations in women increased 2 percent over the past year. Men also had a 7 percent increase in breast reduction in 2007. The most common reconstructive surgery procedures are breast reconstructions after mastectomy and cleft lips and palates, contracture surgeries for burn victims, and the creation of a new external ear in cases where one has been congenitally removed.

The plastic surgeon uses microsurgery when there is no tissue available to cover the defect. Plastic surgeons can use microsurgery to transfer tissue to cover defects when no local tissue is available.

Cosmetic surgery

Aesthetic surgery is concerned with the enhancement of the appearance by using surgical or medical techniques. The goal is to enhance the appearance beyond its normal level, while maintaining the appearance.

While media and advertising can have a significant impact on the lives of people, some researchers think that obsessions with plastic surgery are linked to mental disorders. In the minds of people who have a body dysmorphic condition, they are driven to go under the knife for physical perfection.

BDD can be defined as “a person who is preoccupied with defects they see in their face or body.” In the United States 2% people have body dysmorphic disorder, and 15% are patients of dermatologists. It is possible that some people with this disorder will commit suicide. A half of those who undergo cosmetic surgery for the disorder are unhappy with the results. BDD can be made worse by cosmetic surgery. Unfortunately, the problem itself is not always easy to diagnose. This makes treatment more difficult. Depending on where the person is focused, it may be depression.

Plastic surgery is concerned with repairing, reconstructing, or replacing physical defects affecting the external genitalia and external skin of the body, as well as the craniomaxillofacial system, hand, extremities breast trunk, and musculoskeletal structures. In order to maximize the results of reconstruction procedures, plastic surgeons apply cosmetic surgical principles. A special skill and knowledge is required in the designing and surgery of free tissue transfer, grafts and flaps.

The two major types of plastics surgery are reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery aims at improving the features of the patient purely on a cosmetic level. This is done in absence of deformity and trauma. It is the purpose of reconstructive surgeries to correct physical features that are grossly deformed and abnormal according to accepted standards. These can result from a birth defect or congenital disorder or an injury. Reconstructive surgical procedures are not always limited to deformities of appearance. Sometimes, they also address deficiencies or abnormalities in function.