The Basics about Plastic Surgery

With the many people undergoing cosmetic plastic surgery each year, it is beneficial to know the most basic things about it. Plastic surgery is the medical specialization concerned with correction or restoration of form and function of a specific body part. Most plastic surgeries are actually not cosmetic in nature but rather reconstructive ones.

 

Sushruta of India, considered the father of surgery, made important contributions to the field of plastic surgery in the sixth BC. His medical works were translated into Arabic, and then into European intermediaries. Ancient Romans and Egyptians also performed simple plastic surgeries in their time. John Peter Mettauer, the first American plastic surgeon, performed the first cleft palate operation with instruments he designed himself.

 

The World War I produced a lot of casualties that needed plastic surgery. Sir Harold Gillies developed many of the techniques of modern plastic surgery in caring for soldiers suffering from disfigured facial injuries. He successfully performed a skin graft on Walter Yeo, a British soldier considered as the first person to have benefited from plastic surgery.

 

Skin grafting is a very common procedure in most plastic surgeries. Autografts are skin tissue taken from the person's own body part, which is usually the thigh, and transferred to the injured part. Allografts are taken from donors, while xenografts are from animals. A successful plastic surgery in Los Angeles sometimes involve performing skin grafting and making it appear as if the patient did not have an operation at all. It takes years of skills and experience before a surgeon can achieve this.

 

Reconstructive surgery is necessary to correct functional impairments caused by burns, accidents, or congenital conditions. Reconstructive plastic surgery in Los Angeles is usually performed to improve functions and to return injuries to their normal appearance.  Some surgeries are for tumor removal, scar repair, or hand surgery. These are also for serious cases of mastectomy and cancers.

 

Cosmetic surgery on the other hand is intended for enhancement of appearance through surgical and medical techniques. Cosmetic plastic surgery in Los Angeles is specifically concerned in maintaining and restoring normal appearance. Millions of cosmetic surgeries are performed each year in the US alone. The most common procedures are liposuction, mammoplasty, and lip enhancement. In planning to undergo a cosmetic surgery, be sure to consult only with government-certified surgeons to ensure safety and quality.

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