Plastic Surgery vs Cosmetic Surgery
The terms plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery are quite the same yet there is an appreciable difference between them. It is quite common for people to confuse between these two terms. There are a significant number of plastic surgeons who are quite accustomed to attending to cases of cosmetic goals. Both of these mentioned techniques are used widely all over the world yet their purposes are different. Plastic surgery is mainly aimed at reconstruction, restoration and treating severe forms of burns. On the other hand, cosmetic surgeries are mainly done to enhance the appearance of the face or other body parts. Let's find out which is better- Plastic surgery vs cosmetic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgeries are mainly dedicated to the class of surgeries which are aimed to improve or reconstruct the birth defects, accidents, burns or other abnormality. The main intent of this surgery is to improve upon the dysfunctional parts of the body. Such surgeries are necessary to be performed so as to restore the normal functioning of the body part. Many plastic surgeons choose to study further and enhance their skill from purely reconstructive to cosmetic as well but the pristine purpose remains the same which is reconstruction. Some of the procedures which come under these types of surgeries are breast augmentation, burn repair surgery, hand surgery, scar revision surgery, congenital defect repair and lower extremity repair.Cosmetic surgery
The purpose, aim, technique and principle governing cosmetic surgery are merely to enhance the appearance of the person. The key goals include achieving proportion, symmetry and perfect alignment of the face and other body parts. Today's modern advancement in technologies of medical fields has made us the master of our very own appearance. The main difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery is that the main aim of cosmetic surgery is to treat that part of the body which functions properly. Such aesthetic surgeries can target any part of the body including face, neck, breast and other body parts. These surgeries are elective and such surgeries can be performed by various medical practitioners including plastic surgeons. Some of the surgeries include breast enhancement like breast augmentation, lift or breast reduction as well. There are others like facial contouring(rhinoplasty, chin or cheek modifications), body contouring (tummy tuck, liposuction, gynecomastia treatment) and facial rejuvenation(facelift, eyelid lift, neck lift and brow lift).Difference between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery
Most of the difference has already been illustrated. Plastic surgeries are purely reconstructive in function whereas cosmetic surgeries are enhancement procedures. The other difference lies in terms of education the surgeons of these two categories require. The aims and purposes of both these surgeries are different therefore, the education requirement is also different. As such there are no speciality courses for a cosmetic surgeon. Physicians who have a medical background along with a residency or any fellowship in plastic surgery usually follow a post-residency in the same to be eligible and qualified to perform cosmetic surgeries. This post can be attained with the help of seminars, workshops and lectures. Surgeons with a significant amount of experience in the same department are certified by higher authorities as well. Enhancing the knowledge and studying further to be qualified as a cosmetic surgeon is totally optional. The board certification is important in this respect so as to determine the surgeon's skill and qualifications. There should be clear cut demarcations and guidelines set up for the surgeries which come under either of the categories. Checking for the board certification for a particular doctor is important when you are readying yourself for some plastic or cosmetic surgery. It is important for checking the affiliations of the doctor and calling up the board certification department regarding the criteria and the extensive training the doctor has to go through to obtain it.There are many primary requirements for a board to approve. Some of them are:-
- Performing a minimum of 300 individual cosmetic surgeries on different parts of the body
- Spending at least one year exclusively training for cosmetic surgery purposes
- Also receiving an additional non-surgical approach of cosmetic surgery which includes botox, fillers and laser treatment.
- There is also a requirement of documenting bare minimum performed cosmetic surgeries in the fellowship program.
