What is Cosmetic Surgery?

Cosmetic surgery is a specialized area of medicine that deals with the enhancement of the human form. Cosmetic surgery is also in some cases called plastic surgery. While the term cosmetic surgery is used in reference to enhancement of all aspects of the head and neck and body, cosmetic plastic surgery is used in reference to restructuring and repairing defects due to abnormalities from birth or injury, these defects being called congenital and developmental deformities.

Congenital deformities are those a person is born with. Birthmarks, cleft palate, webbed fingers and other problems relating to development of hands, abnormal breast development, as in the case of one large breast and one extremely under developed breast, and the outer ear (reconstructive otoplasty) to name a few.

Developmental deformities are burns, aging, deep wounds such as lacerations, and growths such as moles and tumors. Using cosmetic surgery procedures to correct paralysis of the face and eyelids that have drooped because of age and block vision is performed more to restore function then for aesthetic reasons, with those positive aesthetic results being a benefit and not the initial cause.

Breast reduction is also part of plastic surgery procedures. Due to changes in hormones and perhaps other genetic reasons, inordinately large breasts can create physical problems that need to be addressed. This kind of plastic reconstructive surgery is called reduction mammaplasty. The breasts are reduced and then new ones constructed.

Cosmetic surgeons must complete a regular medical background and successful completion from medical school and a residency program in one of the surgical areas. There is no specific residency program for cosmetic surgeons, so would be plastic and cosmetic surgeons could do their residency in head and neck surgery, dermatological surgery, or general surgery and plastic surgery. General surgeons and dermatological surgeons can study to be cosmetic surgeons by enrolling in fellowships and then by becoming certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.

Cosmetic surgery statistics show that well over 8 billion dollars was spent on plastic surgery in 2004. For cosmetic surgery procedures, prices range from over 6,000 dollars for body procedures to almost 400 dollars for non invasive injections (per injection).