information on Plastic Surgery

The Webster's Dictionarydescribes the phrase plastic surgery as: "plastic surgery Function: noun: surgery concerned with the repair, restoration, or improvement of lost, injured, defective, or misshapen body parts." Other dictionarys define Plastic Surgery as: "to correct disfigurement, restore function, or improve appearance.

Plastic Surgery may involve reshaping or moving tissues to fill a depression, cover a wound, or improve appearance. Cosmetic Surgery solely to improve appearance is not the main focus of plastic surgery. It is utilized after disfigurement by burns or tumor removal or for reconstructive work, and it may involve hiding incisions in skin folds or using buried sutures to hold wounds closed. Reconstructive surgery corrects severe functional impairments, fixes physical abnormalities, and compensates for tissue lost to trauma or surgery.Others have different definitions of this phrase: "Plastic surgery: The field of surgery concerned with reducing scarring or disfigurement that may occur as a result of accidents, birth defects, or treatment for diseases, such as melanoma.

Many plastic surgeons also perform cosmetic surgery that is unrelated to medical conditions, such as rhinoplasty to change the shape of the nose." With all these different meanings to the words is there any wonder that there may be some confusion when we hear and use this term? Derived from the Greek word Plastikos - plastic surgery means to bend or to mold. When plastic surgery was used to repair war injuries it became popular. Many of the Procedures, at that time, entailed the bending or molding of existing tissues (flaps) used to repair tissue defects from war injuries. Because of the popularity the term stayed with this type of procedure.

In subsequent decades, after those conflicts, the term began to take on additional meaning and include the surgical treatment on non-traumatic injuries and conditions. These Procedures then expanded to also mean the repair of damaged tissues from birth defects, disease conditions, surgical defects to remove disease and tumors as well as Procedures to improve the appearance. Perception becomes reality. The latter may be the most common today.

The term plastic surgery is used when speaking of procedures performed on healthy individuals for the sole purpose of enhancing ones own looks. People attempting to achieve beauty have left scattered details of their endeavors throughout recorded history. The Egyptians performed many procedures to enhance ones own appearance. They practiced Facelifts, Blepharoplasty and Rhinoplasties and may be considered the forefathers of modern-day procedures. The ancient Greeks and Romans however are generally credited with discovering many of the ideal beauty standards (ideal angles and proportions) that remain in existence today. From this point, the history becomes vague.

It is clear, that mankind has been driven to achieve beauty and has looked to Plastic Surgery as a means of achieving this goal. This desire to enhance ones looks has always been around. In the 1800's these procedures were being offered. However these Procedures were not widely accepted and having Plastic Surgery was considered taboo. This negative attitude, prevailed well into the 1900s when Plastic Surgery was being performed secretly.

Plastic Surgery was something that reputable surgeons did not do and if you were caught performing Plastic Surgery Procedures for the frivolous nature of improving someone's appearance, the surgeon risked being scorned and ridiculed by the surgical societies of the time. Still there were some that braved this new world of Plastic Surgery Procedures. One such surgeon, Harold Delf Gillies (1882-1960) is credited with developing Plastic Surgery as a field of medicine. In 1918 he became the first physician to specialize in plastic surgery. Born in New Zealand, Gillies studied and stayed in England. He was one of only 4 qualified plastic surgeons in England at the beginning of WWII.

Dr. Gillies once confessed, "Often while lifting a face I have a feeling of guilt that I am merely making money," adding, "Yet, is it not justified if it brings even a little extra happiness to a soul who needs it?" Such was the prevailing attitude towards Plastic Surgery and Plastic Surgeons. It wasn't until the 1950s that this specialty began to enjoy some of the popularity that we see today. Ever so slowly, Plastic Surgery became more of a medical discipline and more surgeons were being trained in the various aspects of Plastic Surgery. This specialty came to it's current day meaning of an all inclusive medical surgical specialty that includes: Reconstructive Plastic Surgery to repair congenital, traumatic or defects caused by disease states and the treatment of the disease; To improves ones appearance - Cosmetic Surgery; Hand Surgery Microvascular.