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Plastic surgery specializes in the elimination of defects/deformities of organs and tissues of the human body. Correction occurs through surgery. Most often, patients change the shape of the nose, chin, ears, tighten the skin of the face, forehead, neck, Botox injections, change the size and shape of the breast. Buttock augmentation surgeries, liposuction, reduction or reshaping of the labia, and eyebrow plastic surgery are less in demand.
It is believed that plastic surgery is done only to improve their own appearance, and the surgeons themselves receive millions for successful intervention, but is this really so?
General characteristics of the direction
Aesthetic medicine was formed even before our era. From time immemorial, people have been dissatisfied with their own appearance and tried to correct it by all possible methods. The first plastic surgeons corrected the nose by transplanting skin from the cheeks and forehead, corrected the figure, eliminated the “hare lip” and varied the size of the breasts. The foundation for modern surgery was laid at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. It is this period that is credited with the development of antiseptics, the formation of the basic techniques of aesthetic medicine.
Modern plastic surgery attracts with large earnings, which does not benefit the profession itself. Young specialists choose a direction not according to the will of their hearts, but for the purpose of their own enrichment, although any other professional doctors receive an equally worthy rate. A similar aura around the direction is created by the media, since plastic surgery is as close as possible to show business and politics. The news about caries or SARS of an ordinary celebrity is not as interesting to the audience as information about breast augmentation or blepharoplasty. In fact, any specialist who does his job well receives not only a decent salary, but fame and recognition.
Over the past decade, surgery has advanced significantly. Doctors adopt experience, undergo internships in world-famous companies, give lectures and perform demonstrative operations. In addition, technological progress also affects the work. Modern tools make work easier, hide the consequences after surgery and minimize injuries.
Varieties of plastic surgery
There are only 2 types of intervention – aesthetic and reconstructive. Aesthetic plastic surgery is tied to beauty standards and deviations from them. Surgeons help the patient feel beautiful, get rid of complexes, far-fetched problems and significantly improve the perception of life. There are many opponents of aesthetic medicine. They argue that only a weak person without his own opinion and a holistic “I” can lie under the knife. Remember – inner harmony is much more important than public opinion about your external parameters. Don’t be afraid to change, even if it means going through a surgical table.
Aesthetic operations include (organs or body parts that are subjected to intervention are marked in brackets):
- blepharoplasty (eyelids), front-filling (eyebrows/forehead), cheiloplasty (lips), otoplasty (ears), malarplasty (cheekbones), mentoplasty (chin);
- facelift, rhytidectomy (general facial rejuvenation);
- rhinoplasty or septoplasty (nose);
- mammoplasty (breast);
- abdominoplasty or liposuction (life);
- gluteoplasty (buttocks);
- vaginoplasty (vagina), hymenoplasty (hymen), labioplasty (labia minor/major), phalloplasty (penis), preputioplasty (foreskin);
- torsoplasty, panniculectomy (skin);
- brachioplasty (arms), cruroplasty (shins), platysmaplasty (neck);
- hair transplantation.
Reconstructive surgeries are performed to eliminate defects/deformations of tissues and organs and restore them. Such intervention is necessary for victims of accidents, patients who have suffered serious illnesses or were born with congenital disorders. In this case, we are talking not only about the external component, but also about a healthy functional life. For example, tissue transplantation after multiple burns, dissection of fused limbs, correction of the nose, which interfered with normal breathing, recovery of the body after tumors, and so on.
How to become a plastic surgeon?
First, the future doctor must receive a basic medical education in the specialty “medical business”. Between the beginning of studies at the university and practice, about 6 years pass (excluding practice). But even after this period, the doctor may not be allowed to operate. After 6 years of study, a specialist goes to an internship or residency for at least 2 years. There he works with more experienced doctors and only after that he starts independent activities.
In the post-Soviet space, the specialty appeared not so long ago and is considered relatively young. There were plastic surgeons in the Soviet Union, but training and specialized education in the direction was not provided. Services were provided in large clinics in the capitals of the Union republics, but the public was little interested in them due to limited access and high prices. After the collapse of the USSR, reconstructive surgeons retrained as surgeons of aesthetic medicine.
Trends and popular operations in surgery
The essence of reconstructive therapy remains the same, but aesthetic medicine is undergoing some modifications. Operations no longer take a huge amount of time, effort and resources. A day after the intervention, the patient can already return to his usual rhythm, without experiencing difficulties, pain and obvious discomfort. Doctors recommend performing several operations in a row to reduce the recovery period and stress for the body.
The most frequent request of patients is youth. It seems to some that youth is in a large chest or lush lips, others are sure that it is in the absence of wrinkles and bags under the eyes. The surgeon works with each patient on an individual basis and selects the optimal specifics of the intervention.
Most often, people decide on liposuction (removal of excess fat) and rhinoplasty (correction of the shape of the nose). Breast augmentation/reduction and eyelid surgery are less popular.
The main trend of modern plastic surgery is minimal intervention. Doctors advise patients on many options instead of traditional surgery – laser / endoscopic / radio wave procedures. They allow you to achieve the desired effect, avoiding skin damage, scars and long-term rehabilitation.
About risks and unsuccessful operations
Any surgical intervention is associated with certain risks for a person. There are no simple operations and all of them can be fraught with complications. Even in therapeutic cosmetology, there are cases when patients suffer. Why is this happening? There are only 2 reasons – the incompetence of the doctor or a specific feature of the body. In aesthetic surgery, it is customary to refuse intervention if the doctor has the slightest doubt about the successful outcome, despite the money or status offered.
Surgery is not always successful. In some cases, the surgeon himself recognizes the work done as a failure and offers to compensate for the harm / perform a second operation on the patient. If the client is dissatisfied with the result, and the clinic refuses to enter into a dialogue with him, he has every right to sue. Usually the law is on the side of the patient, provided that the doctor really showed negligence.
Often, customers are not satisfied with the final appearance due to too high expectations. A person does not take into account temporary swelling, swelling, bruising, which will disappear over time or simply is not ready for changes. In such cases, it is best to work with a psychologist. To avoid such problems, practitioners discuss in detail with the patient the actions, the result, the subsequent care and recovery.
How to choose a plastic surgeon?
First of all, be prepared that your communication with a plastic surgeon will not end after the operation. At least once a month, you must visit a doctor and follow his specific recommendations for care. Later, the number of examinations can be reduced to 1-1 times a year (without correction).
It is better not to trust advertising and not to look for a doctor through the Internet. Really good surgeons don’t need that kind of publicity. Many are looking for specialists who have performed operations on celebrities or politicians. It is important to understand that a doctor can really be good, but the price of his services is most likely sky-high. It is best to select a surgeon through friends. A patient who has used the service, better than any magazine or advertisement, will tell about all aspects of the work, the strengths / weaknesses of the specialist, the behavior of the staff, and so on. It is very important to find a person who suits your spirit. The patient and the doctor must understand each other, feel some kind of unity of thoughts in order to get the desired result.
Plastic surgery is closely related to human perception and self-image. Most patients see non-existent flaws, hate themselves for them and try to hide their real face or other body part from others as much as possible. Think – is the problem so serious and does it really gnaw at you, and not society? If so, look for a plastic surgeon. If the answer is no, work through the problem with a psychologist.