What Plastic Surgery Means?

Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty concerned with the correction or improvement of form and function.

It can be divided into two main divisions:

COSMETIC or AESTHETIC Surgery: Which deals mainly with improving appearance or shape of any body part

RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY: Which deals mainly with restoring lost function of any body part

The term "plastic" denotes sculpting, & is derived from the Greek word plastikē, meaning “the art of modelling” of malleable flesh. The history of plastic surgery in India dates back to Vedic times nearly 4000 years ago. Reconstructive surgery techniques were being carried out in India by 800 BC by Sushruta, the father of Surgery.

During the World Wars there was a great demand for reconstructive plastic surgeons and the speciality came into vogue. Subsequently Cosmetic surgery demand picked up & today Liposuction & Breast enhancement surgeries are the main aesthetic plastic surgeries done in developed countries. Now with rising incomes & growing realization that looks are important for getting that extra edge in this competitive world, cosmetic surgery is becoming very popular even in developing countries

In addition to these 2 major branches, Plastic surgery involves other subspecialities as:

Burns: Acute burn surgery is the treatment immediately after sustaining burns. Reconstructive burn surgery takes place after the burn wounds have healed.

Craniofacial surgery: In children it involves treatment of congenital anomalies of the craniofacial skeleton and soft tissues, such as cleft lip and palate, craniosynostosis, and pediatric fractures. In Adults craniofacial surgery deals mostly with fractures and secondary surgeries (such as orbital reconstruction) along with orthognathic surgery.

Hand surgery is concerned with acute injuries and chronic diseases of the hand and wrist, correction of congenital malformations of the upper extremities, and peripheral nerve problems (such as brachial plexus injuries or carpal tunnel syndrome). Plastic Surgeons know the minute structural (Anatomical) details in hand and can deal with the soft tissues as well as bones of the hand in a REFIND manner than others do; thus providing a complete one stop solution for all hand related problem

Plastic Surgery in small children: it involves management of variety of developmental defects in children such as: Clefts of lip & Palate, Deformities of hands & fingers, Hypospadias (Abnormally situated opening for passing urine) and many more.