Three Types of Cosmetic Surgery

Many people think that a plastic surgeon is someone who only performs elective procedures designed to improve the way that people look. However, in reality, they do far more than this. Cosmetic surgery comes in a variety of forms and is performed for a number of purposes. Most commonly, this kind of surgery is used to help patients who are the victims of some kind of injury, to reduce the appearance of surgical scarring, and as an elective procedure.

Helping Victims of Accidents

Cosmetic surgery is intended to help patients who have problems with their appearance. One of the most common cases in which these procedures are used is in cases where a patient has been the victim of an accident that has left him or her badly scarred. Burn victims can often benefit greatly from surgical procedures of this kind because their injuries come with lots of scarring. Operations of this type are greatly beneficial to the patient's overall quality of life.

Reducing the Appearance of Surgical Scarring

Another common use of cosmetic surgery is to help reduce the appearance of surgical scarring. If a surgeon is performing a procedure that has a high risk of leaving the patient with scars a plastic surgeon will often be consulted to treat the patient after his or her initial procedure. This is because these doctors are especially talented when it comes to reducing the appearance of surgical scars, and this is an important service to the medical profession and to patients who need are prone to severe scarring.

Elective Procedures

Finally, elective procedures also constitute a large part of the cosmetic surgery performed in the United States. These procedures are ones that the patient chooses to have because he or she thinks that his or her appearance will benefit from having them. Breast augmentations, facelifts, and liposuction are common examples of these operations. Like the above kinds of surgeries, these procedures are also important in their own way. Patients who undergo them often report improvements in their quality of life and in the way that they feel about themselves and their bodies.

As you can see, cosmetic surgery is an important sub-field within the medical community. It can help patients who are the victims of accidents, patients who have extensive surgical scarring, and it is an important elective option for many patients as well. Contrary to what many believe, surgeons who specialize in this field perform a variety of services and are an indispensible part of the medical profession.