Plastic Surgery - It’s More Important Than You Think

You’ve heard it all before: This actress got a nose job, that singer had his ears tucked, these others had their breasts enlarged or their fat reduced. In today’s society, plastic surgery is thought of as a way for the beautiful people to stay beautiful, or in their eyes become even more so. But it is also a saving grace for everyday people who suffer from a genetic defect or who endured a terrible accident that altered their appearance.

Plastic surgery as it is performed today can largely be traced back to World War I, when soldiers who suffered severe facial injuries became some of the first modern patients. By World War II soldiers suffering skin damage from burns were able to be treated. Today, doctors are capable of performing full facial transplants on individuals whose facial features were disfigured beyond recognition by disease or accident.

While cosmetic operations are those that are typically unnecessary, reconstructive plastic surgery can be life-altering. In many cases, it is the difference between a patient being able to move forward living a normal, healthy life rather than having to continuously address his or her ongoing medical and cosmetic issues over time.

Children who experience birth defects or developmental abnormalities can have their conditions corrected without impeding the body’s natural growth process. Adults who endured severe facial trauma or bodily damage resulting from a serious infection or disease can be saved from having their appearance forever altered. Reconstructive surgeons are also charged with addressing injuries of the hand, which can often be complicated due to its intricate bone structure.

Microsurgery is also a major component of reconstructive medicine, as it involves transferring tissue to an area where it is absent and attaching the blood vessels. This allows transplant surgeries, including those where missing extremities are replaced or re-attached, to become possible and ultimately successful.

Perhaps nowhere is this type of surgery more important than in the fight against cancer. Tumors that are discovered to be cancerous must be removed as soon as possible in order to give the patient the best chance of survival. It is a plastic surgeon who is trained to remove these deadly tumors from the body.

In the world we live in today, the focus on repeatedly trying to perfect one’s appearance has created it’s own diagnosed disease, known as body dysmorphic disorder. While serious in its own right and responsible for individuals spending thousands of dollars to go under the knife, it is a troubling trend that can prevents doctors who practice cosmetic medicine from being recognized for their importance.

Plastic surgery is a necessary, important and often revolutionary form of medicine that has changed and even saved countless lives. Its advancement over the years has allowed patients to recover from even the most serious ailments and be able to live normal, healthy lives and it will continue to do so into the future. You may never know anyone who needs it, but rest assured that there are those who truly do.