Plastic Surgery: More than Tummy Tucks and Facelifts

You might think of plastic surgery as a way to make cosmetic improvements to your face or body. It’s certainly true that you can go to a plastic surgeon to seek out changes to your appearance. But this specialized field of medicine takes an active role in a wide range of care plans, including cancer surgeries, orthopedics and trauma care.

Consider that plastic surgery takes its name from the Greek word “plastikos,” which translates roughly to “capable of being molded or shaped.” The field can essentially be divided into two broad areas:

• Cosmetic procedures: This includes breast augmentation, liposuction, facelifts and other procedures generally not considered to be medically necessary.
• Reconstructive procedures: These procedures, which are usually considered medically necessary, can restore bodily function and correct scarring caused by birth defects, medical treatments and traumatic injuries.

Two years ago, there were 26.2 million surgical and minimally invasive plastic surgery procedures in the United States. Of those, more than 1 million were reconstructive procedures. The five most common were tumor removal, hand surgery, breast reconstruction, maxillofacial (face, jaws, head and neck) and scar revision.

Reconstruction Benefits

Any time you are dealing with an injury, medical treatment or some other condition with the potential to impact your daily life, there may be a role for a plastic surgeon and reconstructive procedures. This could include:

Trauma: Car accidents, bicycle falls, boating mishaps and fires can cause significant damage to your face and body. This could include fractures, deep cuts, open wounds, burns and missing tissue. A trip to the emergency room will get you the immediate care needed to address your general health. But without the aid of a plastic surgeon, you could be left with permanent disabilities or disfigurement. Some of the common procedures where a reconstructive surgeon may help:

• Reattaching severed body parts
• Fixing nasal and maxillofacial fractures and breaks
• Performing facial laceration reconstruction and facial reconstruction after trauma
• Cleaning wounds contaminated by dirt, asphalt, glass or other debris

Orthopedics: Plastic surgeons often work with orthopedic surgeons when there has been a fracture or a wound that carries substantial risk of infection. Cleaning out the wound, for example, could substantially enlarge the wound opening. A plastic surgeon can help with covering the damaged site with muscle, skin or composite tissue.

Cancer surgery: Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. And while it is among the most curable, treatment (removing the cancerous lesions) can leave substantial scarring and disfigurement. A plastic surgeon can employ techniques that minimize the damage to your skin.

Plastic surgeons also play a key role in breast cancer treatment, providing breast reconstruction immediately after a mastectomy or at a later time – after follow-up radiation and chemotherapy treatments are completed.

Birth defects: There are some conditions you are born with that can be corrected by a plastic surgeon. These conditions include cleft lip (incomplete formation of the upper lip) and palate abnormalities (incomplete formation of the roof of the mouth). These conditions can impact the ability to speak, eat and breathe.

Breast reduction: For some women, large breasts can create debilitating back, neck and shoulder pain. There may also be extremely painful rashes underneath the breasts. In some instances, this can be considered a cosmetic procedure, while in others it is considered a medically necessary reconstructive procedure.

Neurosurgery: While not a frequent occurrence, plastic surgeons may also be involved in surgeries on the head. This could include covering or replacing missing scalp, soft tissue or bone.

How To Involve a Plastic Surgeon

Often, if you are dealing with an injury with the potential for significant disfigurement, your doctor will likely recommend that you consider talking with a plastic surgeon. A trip to the emergency room with a deep facial cut, for example, will often result in a consultation.

But you can also request a meeting with a plastic surgeon or make your own appointment if you have any concerns about the potential impact of an upcoming surgical procedure.