Plastic surgeons primarily work on reconstructive operations. They can see patients with concerns, including birth disorders, traumas, infections, or burns. Providing treatments to improve a patient’s aesthetics or physical looks can be considered their specialization. Even though plastic surgery is extensively practiced, before undergoing a procedure, one should consider many things. A thorough research of everything related to the procedure and the doctor is critical because there are various dos and don’ts throughout the process.

Who is a plastic surgeon?
Plastic surgeons address wounds and congenital abnormalities affecting a person’s appearance or functionality. They use reconstructive and aesthetic procedures to heal parts of the body that are damaged by severe conditions. They also perform surgeries to improve an individual’s physical qualities for aesthetic reasons.

Difference between a cosmetic and a reconstructive procedure
Reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery are two types of operations that plastic surgeons deal with. Patients with health conditions that affect certain body parts’ shape, function, or appearance are seen by reconstructive plastic surgeons. Cosmetic plastic surgeons enhance physical features for aesthetic rather than reasons related to health. Cosmetic surgery is taught to all plastic surgeons. Those who desire to perform cosmetic surgery full-time may pursue further fellowships to gain additional training. Some medical experts may choose to specialize only in cosmetic surgery.

What qualifications do plastic surgeons need?
Plastic surgery training begins with average medical education to complete a doctor of medicine degree (MD). Osteopathic training can also help one achieve a doctor of osteopathy degree. Physicians can complete a six-year plastic surgery residency after graduating from medical school. Alternatively, many medical professionals complete a five-year general surgery residency program before finishing an additional three years of plastic surgery-specific training.

Methods used in plastic surgery
Some of the operations used as part of plastic surgery include the ones listed below:

Skin grafts: Replacing the missing or damaged skin by removing healthy skin from an unaffected body area.

Skin flap surgery: When healthy tissue is moved from one body part to the other, the arteries that keep it alive also have to be moved. This is done since the healthy tissue generally continues to be connected to the body during the relocation; this procedure is known as skin flap surgery.

Tissue expansion: Tissue expansion is stretching surrounding tissue to allow the body to “generate” more skin, which can then be used to help repair the immediate area.

Categories in plastic surgery
The two primary subcategories of plastic surgery are reconstructive surgery (which includes hand surgery, microsurgery, craniofacial surgery) and surgery for aesthetic or cosmetic reasons. A few relevant categories in plastic surgery as mentioned below:

Aesthetic surgery: This procedure employs cosmetic surgical techniques to improve the appearance of a specific location in the body. Breast augmentation, facial surgery and contouring, body contouring, and skin rejuvenation are all parts of the cosmetic surgery spectrum.

Burn surgery: It is divided into two stages — acute burn surgery, which is conducted immediately after the accident, and reconstructive burn surgery, which is performed after the burn wounds have healed.

Microsurgery: This is another type of reconstructive surgery that deals with repairing missing tissues. In this case, blood vessels are rejoined, and tissue is transferred to the rebuilding site. Brachial plexus surgery, neck, and breast reconstruction are the most common forms.

Treating congenital anomalies: This includes managing problems with the soft tissues and skeleton of the face, such as craniosynostosis and cleft lip. They are treated during pediatric craniofacial surgery. Orthognathic surgery, additional surgeries, and fractures are common in adult craniofacial surgery.

Hand surgery: This covers the treatment of acute injuries, chronic hand or wrist disorders, and peripheral nerve conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Plastic surgeon prices
Here are some average prices for various types of plastic surgery in the country:

• A nose job in the country typically costs between $5,000 and $15,500.
• A facelift and a neck lift can cost between $4,000 and $19,000 on average.
• The typical cost of breast augmentation starts from $6,000 to roughly $12,000.
• Abdominoplasty costs can range from $7,500 to $16,000, depending on the treatment’s duration and other factors.
• Lip injections typically cost $500 to $1,000.

Top 10 plastic surgeons
The demand for plastic surgery services has grown in the number of hospitals and specialists globally in recent years. One must choose a reputable surgeon for plastic surgery. Listed below is a list of the top 10 plastic surgeons in the country.

• Dr. William P. Adams Jr., MD
• Dr. G. Patrick Maxwell, MD
• Dr. Garth Fisher, MD
• Dr. Michael Zenn, MD, FACS, MBA
• Dr. David Hidalgo, MD, FACS
• Dr. Dennis C. Hammond, MD
• Dr. Grace Ma, MD
• Dr. Steven Teitelbaum, MD
• Dr. Aaron Stone, MD
• Dr. Drew Metcalfe, MD