Plastic Surgery Procedures

The term "plastic surgery" comes from the Greek term for mold or shape "plastikos." The field of plastic surgery encompasses cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. From reconstructing limbs and faces during the World War I, to microvascular surgery and face transplants, plastic surgery is at the forefront of medical and scientific research. The most common plastic surgery procedures are liposuction and breast augmentation, however plastic surgeons regularly correct cleft lips and palates in children who would otherwise not be able to eat or speak properly. Surgeons reconstruct faces and limbs after severe trauma and can use one part of the body to restore another body part affected by cancer. Recently, with ongoing research in the field of transplantation, plastic surgeons around the globe have transplanted hands and faces on to severely deformed individuals. The long-term survival of such grafts remains under investigation, however, the surgical possibilities in restoring function and wholeness in individuals continues to expand with modern scientific research.

Though the most common procedures in plastic surgery remain liposuction and breast implants, plastic surgeons regularly correct cleft lips and palates in children who would otherwise not be able to breastfeed or speak properly; they reconstruct faces and limbs after severe trauma; and they are able to use one part of the body to restore another body part affected by cancer as in the breast. Recently, with ongoing research in the field of transplantation, plastic surgeons around the globe have been able to transplant hands and faces on severely deformed individuals. Though the long-term survival of such grafts remains under investigation, the surgical possibilities in restoring function and wholeness in individuals continues to expand modern scientific research.