Ethan Clarke
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on improving how parts of the body look or work. A plastic surgeon is a doctor who does surgery to repair, rebuild, or replace a part of the body to improve how it looks or works. Plastic surgery training starts with traditional medical school to earn a doctor of medicine degree (MD). After medical school, doctors complete a residency program in general surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, or another specialty, followed by a residency in plastic surgery. Plastic surgeons see patients daily to discuss and diagnose issues, perform operations, and monitor patients afterward. They can further specialize in areas such as craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, or cosmetic surgery.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Training | Prospective plastic surgeons must first complete medical school to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy degree (DO). This is followed by a 6-year residency program combining general and plastic surgery or a 5-year general surgery residency and an additional 3 years of plastic surgery residency. They may then choose to pursue further training in subspecialties. |
| Certification | Plastic surgeons may become board-certified by passing a rigorous exam, such as the one offered by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. |
| Specialties | Plastic surgery includes subspecialties such as craniofacial surgery, microvascular surgery, hand surgery, and cosmetic surgery. |
| Procedures | Plastic surgeons perform a range of procedures, including tissue expansion, complex wound care, facelift, brow lift, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and more. |
| Goals | Plastic surgery aims to repair, rebuild, or replace physical defects to improve appearance and function. |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic surgery training
The next step is to obtain a medical degree from an Allopathic or Osteopathic medical school, which usually takes around four years. During this time, students gain a comprehensive understanding of human anatomy, physiology, and various medical specialties. They also develop their clinical skills through rotations in different departments, including surgery.
After obtaining their medical degree, aspiring plastic surgeons must complete a residency program specializing in plastic surgery. This residency period is a crucial aspect of their training. It typically lasts a minimum of six years and provides extensive hands-on experience in plastic surgery techniques. During this time, residents work under the supervision of experienced surgeons, gradually increasing their responsibilities as they gain proficiency. They may also rotate through different subspecialties, such as craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, and aesthetic surgery, to gain a well-rounded education.
Some surgeons choose to pursue additional fellowship training after their residency. This optional step allows them to further specialize in specific areas of plastic surgery, such as hand surgery, microsurgery, craniofacial surgery, or cosmetic surgery. Fellowships typically last one to two years and offer a more focused and advanced level of training. They provide surgeons with the opportunity to refine their skills, conduct research, and establish their expertise in a particular area of interest.
Throughout their training, plastic surgeons are exposed to a wide range of clinical cases, allowing them to develop their technical skills and refine their aesthetic judgment. They also receive training in patient care, learning to conduct consultations, manage patient expectations, and recognize psychological issues associated with surgery. The combination of surgical expertise and patient care skills ensures that plastic surgeons are well-equipped to provide safe and effective treatments that consider the physical and emotional needs of their patients.
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Plastic surgery procedures
Plastic surgery is a competitive route in the medical field. It involves a lot of training and can take more than a decade to complete. After medical school, prospective plastic surgeons can choose between two paths: a six-year residency program that combines general and plastic surgery, or a five-year general surgery residency followed by three more years of plastic surgery training.
Plastic surgery is a specialty that involves improving a person's appearance and reconstructing facial and body tissue defects caused by illness, trauma, or birth disorders. Plastic surgeons can repair or reconstruct any part of the body except the central nervous system. They perform procedures to restore function and improve appearance.
Plastic surgery can be divided into cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Cosmetic surgery is performed to change a person's appearance. This may include redesigning the body's contour and shape, eliminating wrinkles, varicose vein treatment, or breast augmentation. Craniofacial surgery, a subspecialty of plastic surgery, focuses on the skull, face, ears, nose, and parts of the mouth. Surgeons in this field often work on cleft palates, facial deformities, or missing noses or ears.
Reconstructive surgery, on the other hand, is performed to treat medical issues affecting appearance, form, or function. Plastic surgeons use various techniques to treat severe injuries, improve function, and restore a natural-looking appearance. This may involve wound care, scar revision, and skin grafts. For example, tissue expansion is a technique used in breast reconstruction, where a balloon-like device is placed under the skin and filled with saline to slowly stretch or expand it. During a second procedure, the expander is removed, and the skin is used to close a large wound, minimising scarring.
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Plastic surgery specialties
Plastic surgery is a broad and challenging surgical specialty that involves improving a person's appearance and reconstructing facial and body tissue defects caused by illness, trauma, or congenital disorders. It is derived from the Greek word "plastikos", which means "to mold or give form". Plastic surgery is a diverse field that offers practitioners flexibility in their professional lifestyles and a wide range of conditions to treat.
Reconstructive Surgery
Plastic surgeons perform reconstructive surgery to restore areas of the body impacted by major illnesses, injuries, or congenital defects. They work with other surgical disciplines, such as orthopedic surgery, to address issues related to form and function. Reconstructive techniques include local rotational, transposition, and advancement flaps, as well as pedicled and free flaps. Microsurgery, a subspecialty of plastic surgery, involves the use of magnification tools to perform complex procedures on small blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatics. This technique is often used in free tissue transfer for reconstruction after cancer or trauma.
Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery is a subspecialty of plastic surgery that focuses on improving a person's appearance for aesthetic reasons. Common procedures include facelift, brow lift, blepharoplasty, breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast reduction. Breast reconstruction is a specific type of cosmetic surgery that utilizes tissue expanders and implants to recreate the appearance of the breast after a mastectomy.
Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery
Cranio-maxillofacial surgery is another subspecialty of plastic surgery that deals with conditions involving the bones of the face and skull, as well as associated soft tissue abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate. This specialty has its roots in the need to manage war wounds and has since evolved to address defects from anywhere on the body.
Hand Surgery
Hand surgery is a subspecialty that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of hand injuries and pathological disorders. Hand surgeons employ both plastic and orthopedic surgical techniques to address congenital, acquired, and traumatic musculoskeletal problems of the hand and upper extremity.
Burn Surgery
Burn surgery is a collaborative specialty that provides intensive care for patients with burn injuries. Burn surgeons work as part of a multidisciplinary team to treat acute burn wounds and chronic scars, aiming to minimize scarring and restore function.
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Plastic surgeons' experience
Plastic surgeons have a wide range of experiences depending on their specialty and the patients they treat. Plastic surgery is a competitive route in the medical field, with training taking over a decade to complete. This begins with medical school, where prospective plastic surgeons obtain a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree. The latter focuses on a holistic approach that considers a person's mind, body, and spirit.
After medical school, surgeons complete a residency program. There are two paths for this stage of training: a six-year residency that combines general and plastic surgery, or a five-year general surgery residency followed by three additional years of plastic surgery training. During this time, they learn a variety of techniques, including complex wound care, skin grafts, and microsurgery, which involves the use of a microscope to perform intricate procedures.
Following residency training, plastic surgeons may pursue board certification and further specialize in areas such as craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, or breast surgery. Craniofacial surgeons address issues related to the skull, face, ears, nose, and mouth, often treating cleft palates, facial deformities, or missing noses or ears. Hand specialists treat injuries and ongoing conditions, such as burns or scars, affecting the hand and upper extremity. Plastic surgeons specializing in breast surgeries may change the appearance of the breasts, reduce their size, or reconstruct them after surgery for a tumor.
Plastic surgeons see patients daily, discussing and diagnosing issues, performing operations, and monitoring patients afterward. They treat a diverse range of conditions, including congenital, acquired, and traumatic problems. While some plastic surgeons focus on cosmetic procedures to enhance a patient's appearance, others primarily perform reconstructive surgery to correct dysfunctional areas of the body, repair physical defects, and restore function.
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Choosing a plastic surgeon
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on improving how parts of the body look or work. Plastic surgeons repair, rebuild, or replace physical defects of form or function involving the skin, musculoskeletal system, cranio and maxillofacial structures, hand, extremities, breast and trunk, and external genitalia.
Plastic surgery training starts with traditional medical school to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD). Another option is osteopathic education to earn a Doctor of Osteopathy degree (DO). After medical school, doctors complete a residency program in general surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, urology, oral surgery, or otolaryngology (ENT) surgery, followed by a 3-year plastic surgery residency program.
When choosing a plastic surgeon, it is important to find a surgeon you trust and who makes you feel comfortable. Here are some factors to consider:
- Ask your primary care physician for a referral.
- Do your research: Find out about the surgeon's qualifications, experience, and whether they are board-certified by a relevant organisation, such as the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
- Initial consultation: During your first visit, ask the surgeon about their experience with the procedures they recommend. Find out about the risks, benefits, and what to expect for each option. A good surgeon will review your medical history and perform a physical exam before making recommendations.
- Specialisation: Plastic surgery has various subspecialties, such as craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, and cosmetic surgery. Choose a surgeon who specialises in the area you require. For example, if you need breast surgery, look for a surgeon who has experience in that area.
- Hospital privileges: Ensure the surgeon has privileges at an accredited hospital, as this indicates their qualifications and experience have been reviewed and approved.
- Patient reviews: Consider reading testimonials or reviews from previous patients to get a sense of others' experiences with the surgeon.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on improving how parts of the body look or work. It involves repairing, rebuilding, or replacing physical defects of form or function involving the skin, musculoskeletal system, cranio and maxillofacial structures, hand, extremities, breast and trunk, and external genitalia.
A plastic surgeon is a doctor who performs surgery to repair, rebuild, or replace a part of the body to improve how it looks or works. They see patients daily, discussing and diagnosing issues, performing necessary operations, and monitoring patients afterward.
Plastic surgeons perform a variety of procedures, including tissue expansion, complex wound care, facelift, brow lift, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and skin grafts. They may also specialize in specific areas such as craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, or breast surgery.
Cosmetic surgery is a subspecialty of plastic surgery. While plastic surgery focuses on repairing and reconstructing physical defects, cosmetic surgery aims to enhance a patient's appearance by improving aesthetic appeal, symmetry, and proportion. Any licensed physician can legally perform cosmetic surgery, but not all plastic surgeons are cosmetic surgeons.
Becoming a plastic surgeon requires extensive training and education. It typically involves completing medical school, followed by a residency program in general surgery or a combined residency program in plastic surgery. After residency, surgeons may pursue board certification and further specialization through fellowships. The entire process can take more than a decade to complete.
