Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty, which changes the
way a person's body looks and feels. The
term plastic derives from the Greek word “plastikos", which means to mold or
give form. There are two main types of
plastic surgery. Reconstructive surgery
is the surgical reconstruction of body defects due to trauma, burns, disease
and birth defects. Cosmetic surgery is
used to enhance a person's appearance for purely aesthetic reasons.
Cosmetic plastic surgery is performed on normal body parts to improve a
patient's self esteem and perception of attractiveness. Many patients seek a more youthful, renewed
appearance. In cosmetic surgery, skin,
fat and muscle are reshaped, tightened and repositioned to enhance and improve
the patient’s physical appearance. Typical
surgeries include breast augmentations, rhinoplasty (nose job) and face lifts. Cosmetic surgery can be subtle or extreme.
Reconstructive plastic surgery is performed on abnormal body parts resulting
from infections, tumors, illnesses and other traumas. While cosmetic surgery is purely for appearance, reconstructive
plastic surgery focuses on improving function, but can help with physical
appearance as well. More than 1 million
reconstructive surgeries are performed each year. Reconstructive surgeries generally fall into two categories. The first category involves patients with
birth defects. The second category
comprises patients with developmental deformities acquired from accidents,
infection, or disease. Some examples of
birth defects are cleft lip, webbed fingers and birthmarks. Acquired defects can range from burns from a fire to breast
reconstruction as a result of breast cancer.
Many times, reconstructive surgery can require multiple procedures.
Recovery from plastic surgery can be painful.
Patients are advised not to take aspirin or other anti-inflammatory
medications. Patients also should not
smoke and should avoid exposure to secondhand smoke for 30 days before and
after the surgery. Direct sunlight
should be avoided and sunscreen should be used when sun exposure is inevitable. Many patients experience depression for the
first few months following a cosmetic procedure. A combination of the medications used during and after the
surgery can contribute to the depression.
Financial stress and stress relating to fear of disfigurement or guilt
about the procedure can play a role in depression as well.
Plastic surgery can be very expensive. Costs
can be as low as $350 dollars for a Botox or collagen injection and as high as
$7000 dollars or more for a face lift. Breast
augmentations can cost as much as $4000 dollars and breast implant removal can
be $2000 dollars. Many factors
determine the cost. Physician
experience, geographic location, lab costs, operating room costs and
anesthesiologist costs all contribute to the overall cost of plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is usually not covered by
insurance as it is not medically necessary.
Reconstructive surgery can be fully or partially covered for specific procedures. There are many financing alternatives
available through either the surgeon’s in house program or outside finance
companies.
It is a common misconception that mainly older affluent Caucasian women get
plastic surgery. Nowadays ethnic minorities
account for more than 11% of
all procedures. A majority of people
seeking plastic surgery make less than $60,000 per year and are younger than
age 50. In any case, plastic surgery is not a decision that is taken
lightly. Most surgeons carefully
prescreen patients before agreeing to complete a procedure, to determine if
they will be able to handle the surgery physically and emotionally.
Michael Russell
Your
Independent guide to Plastic
Surgery
tweet this!
