Health Care

by: Ricardo Silva

Plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery are bandied about so much people often confuse them. While both involve the improvement of your appearance, there are distinct differences.

Plastic Surgery vs. Reconstructive Surgery

Both plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery are designed to improve the appearance of a person. This can be done through lifts, tucks, reshaping and so on. The correct usage of the terms, however, is dependent upon the underlying reason for the surgical procedure.

Plastic surgery is an elective surgery. In its most basic form, plastic surgery takes a normal part of the body and improves it in a manner desired by the patient. Common plastic surgery procedures include liposuction, breast enhancement or reduction, nose reshaping, reshaping of the abdomen and the well-known facelift. All of these surgeries are based purely on a voluntary desire to improve one’s appearance.

Reconstructive surgery is often elective, but can also be medically necessary. Reconstructive surgery differs from plastic surgery in one significant way. It is focused on making improvements to a damaged or abnormal part of the body. For example, a person may suffer damage from trauma or disease that leaves a part of the body looking abnormal and functionally deficient, such as breaking facial bones in an automobile accident. Reconstructive surgery will be undertaken to repair the facial structure so that it both performs and appears normally. While appearance is important, most reconstructive surgery focuses on functionality first.

The differences between plastic and reconstructive surgery often blur. Breast enhancement or reduction surgery is a form of plastic surgery. Repairing breasts after the all too common complications of breast cancer is considered reconstructive surgery. Repairing the septum of the nose is considered reconstructive surgery, but simply reshaping the nose is considered plastic surgery. This blurred line is repeated in other areas as well.

Ultimately, the dividing line between reconstructive surgery and plastic surgery is mostly an academic debate or vary obvious given specific circumstances. Regardless, it is important to understand that there is a distinction.

Facelift
Rhytidectomy
A facelift will lift your sagging cheeks, smooth your jaw line, and eliminate jowling. Plastic surgery of the face will also tighten the loose skin of your neck, remove excess fat from under your chin, and correct the turkey-gobbler appearance of your neck.

A facelift will NOT eliminate your wrinkles and other skin problems. Skin Care, Laser Resurfacing, Chemical Peel, and Dermabrasion complement a facelift because they address these problems.
Brow Lift
Forehead Lift

Brow lift (forehead lift) is a plastic surgery procedure which will raise your eyebrows to a higher and more aesthetic position. It will also improve lateral hoods (which are the droopy flaps of skin that hang over the outside corner of your eyes. Plastic surgery of your forehead will also soften your horizontal forehead wrinkles and the scowl lines between your eyebrows.
A brow lift will NOT improve baggy eyelids, puffy eyes, or crows feet. Consider eyelid surgery or wrinkle treatments for these problems.
Collagen
WrinkleFillers

How Wrinkle Fillers Work
Wrinkles are visible because they are lower or deeper than surrounding skin. Light casts shadows into them, making them visible. When you see wrinkles, you are actually looking at the shadow, not the wrinkle. If wrinkles can be brought to the same level as surrounding skin, their visibility will diminish because the accompanying shadows will be nonexistent. This can be accomplished by either lowering the surrounding skin or raising each wrinkle. Chemical peel, Dermabrasion, and Laser Resurfacing lower the surrounding skin. Fillers aim to raise the wrinkle.

Laser Resurfacing
Laser Treatments for Wrinkles
Laser resurfacing is the most common treatment used for wrinkles and acne scars today. Like many things in plastic surgery, laser resurfacing goes by several names: wrinkle laser, lasabrasion, laser peel, laser surgery, laser vaporization, laser desurfacing, and several others. Realize that all of these terms mean the same thing: they refer to the use of the laser to treat wrinkles and acne scarring.

About the Author

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