Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
Updated: Aug 11, 2020
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Plastic surgery? Even an 8-year-old today can say what plastic surgery is. Plastic surgery is a type of surgery that can change a person’s appearance and ability to function. Today every other celebrity from the glamour industry is going through this process to enhance their beauty. There is always news of a celebrity undergoing a nose job (rhinoplasty) or age delay, etc. Today plastic surgery is a miraculous invention.
Let's elaborate on history, advantages, disadvantages, self-preparation, etc.
History
Plastic surgery began with skin grafts in Ancient India. The severe-looking skin graft procedure was rediscovered in an ancient book called “Sushruta Samhita” where a technique of using a leaf-shaped flap from the forehead to reconstruct the nose.
Practitioners in ancient India were using skin grafts for reconstructive work as early as 800 B.C.
Overall progress in plastic surgery like most of the medicine was slow over the next few thousand years, as techniques used in India were introduced to the west and then subsequently refined and adapted for new applications. During this period that Roman medical writer Aulus Cornelius Celsus wrote De Medicina, which laid out surgical methods for the reconstruction of ears, lips, nose, etc. During the Renaissance, more significant advances in Science and Technology resulted in the development of safer and more effective surgical techniques.
Plastic surgery In the US
While many of the medical advances originated in Europe there were other surgical strides made in the U.S.
The first cleft palate surgery was performed in the US by Dr John Peter Mettaurer using surgical instruments designed by himself.
What is Plastic Surgery?
Plastic surgery is a surgical job devoted to the reconstruction of facial and body imperfections because of birth disorders, trauma, burns and disease divided into two categories: Reconstructive surgery and Cosmetic surgery.
Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (RPS): RPS is done to rectify the facial and body deformity or abnormality, be it defects, disease, injury or ageing.
Complications
All types of surgery carry risk. Infection, bruising, difficulty in wound healing, excessive bleeding, etc.
Examples include cleft lip and palate repair, breast reconstruction following a mastectomy or lumpectomy for breast cancer. Typically, reconstructive surgery is considered medically necessary and is covered under health insurance plans.
Cosmetic Plastic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery (also called aesthetic surgery) procedures carried out by plastic surgeons alter a part of the body that the person is not satisfied with. It is a type of plastic surgery that aims to improve a person's appearance, but it should be approached with caution. A patient is referred for counselling before surgery if they believe an underlying problem cannot be solved by the surgery or if the patient shows signs of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD can cause a person to perceive there is something seriously wrong with their appearance.
Examples include Dermabrasion (used for acne scars, wrinkles, age spots, etc.), facelift, rhinoplasty, lip augmentation, tummy tuck, etc.
Advantages
The main goal of plastic surgery is the elimination of the defects.
Plastic surgery helps many people to live on after accidents and fires.
Plastic surgery helps the person to return to normal life.
Improved confidence (by fixing and altering appearance).
Improved Physical Health: for eg. Rhinoplasty surgery not only will enhance the look and shape of the nose but may also help with the ease of respiration and related issues.
The massive advantage of plastic surgery is the preservation of natural facial expression.
Beauty and youth are the most significant advantages of plastic surgery.
Disadvantages
Expense: It is not a secret that cosmetic surgeries are expensive.
Risk of death: Although this isn’t common, this happens due to the reaction to anaesthesia or because of health history (a person with weak health is more likely to have complications during surgery.).
Mistakes do happen: Another key risk that should not be overlooked is that cosmetic surgeries can go wrong. The risk of death is rare but is still quite uncommon because of advancements in technology. For eg: a facelift can cause permanent nerve damage which leads to facial paralysis.
A cosmetic procedure like liposuction often leads to fat embolism.
Many people after surgery fall into severe depression.
At last, some people become addicted to plastic surgeries (Rodrigo the human Ken Doll).
Conclusion
Once you have made the decision, the next step is meeting with the plastic surgeon to help you learn what to expect before, during and after the procedure also the complication that would be involved. The success of plastic surgery will always depend upon how experienced the plastic surgeon is.
Depending on the procedure, you may feel some pain as you recover and temporary swelling and bruising can make you less like yourself for a while.
Procedures and healing times vary, so you will want to do your research into what is involved in your particular procedure and whether the surgery is reconstructive or cosmetic.
The cost will be a factor too. Elective plastic surgery procedures can be expensive. Although medical insurance covers many reconstructive surgeries, the cost of cosmetic surgeries almost came straight out of the patient’s pocket.
It is always advised that you should be aware of before making a concrete decision. Self-thorough research is a must so that you are familiar with the ins and outs of the procedure you wish to have.
Yes, there remains a question of whether plastic surgery is a great invention or disaster for the world?