Women's Plastic Surgery blog is an informational and educational blog discussing the latest in Plastic Surgery and non-surgical aesthetic techniques and trends for women, breast cancer survivors, and the public in general.
There has been a long hiatus in the posts on the Women's Plastic Surgery blog. The new website for my practice is nearly complete, and I will be starting to blog again about the following topics:
There has been an explosion of "cosmetic medicine" over the past few years, and many Physicians are being approached to "increase their bottom line" by entering into this lucrative field.
There is a tendency for the public, and some in the profession, to view laser treatments, Botox and cosmetic filler injections as cosmetic rather than medical treatments. The use of prescriptive drugs and devices, however, is the practice of medicine, and the same laws and regulations apply to these types of treatments as those driven by medical necessity.
Cosmetic procedures are the practice of medicine, and Physicians are responsible for their patients, regardless of who performs the treatments. There is no legal scheme that allows Physicians to collect a fee for signing their name to an agreement to lend their license to an entity to practice Medicine.
Legally, the "clients" of the spa or salon are patients - the Physician's patients, and that arrangement comes with all of the responsibility and liability that goes with any other Doctor-patient relationship.
The word “plastic” derives from the Greek word “Plastikos”, which means "to mold or change form".
There is actually no connection with modern-day plastic, a synthetic polymer that is moldable when heated. And despite many misconceptions, Plastic Surgery does NOT involve using plastic in the body!
The first known Plastic Surgical procedure, reconstruction of the nose, was documented in 18th Century B.C.A man's nose was literally cut off "to spite his face" for punishment, and it was reconstructed using a flap of skin from his arm.
See the image with the contraption used to keep the arm attached to the face for approximately three months!
Plastic surgery involves both reconstructive and cosmetic procedures. Common reconstructive procedures include breast reconstruction after cancer, burn surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, hand surgery, pressure sore reconstruction, facial fracture correction, skin cancer surgery, and the list goes on...
What is Cosmetic Surgery?
“Cosmetic surgery” is plastic surgery designed to improve the appearance of the body or counteract the effect of aging.
Cosmetic surgery can often improve body image, self-esteem and help to restore a more youthful appearance to the face, breasts and body.
Most of us are familiar with cosmetic surgery in the media - movie stars, celebrities, reality TV shows...
Cosmetic surgery is enticing in that it can dramatically change the appearance of the body, usually for the better, but sometimes for worse. We are all familiar with individuals in the press who have had TOO much cosmetic surgery!
Examples of common cosmetic procedures include facial rejuvenation (facelift, necklift, eyelid lift/blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty), breast surgery (reduction, lift or augmentation) and rejuvenation of the body (tummy tucks, liposuction).
There are also non-invasive cosmetic procedures such as Botox, fillers, lasers that are often an alternative to invasive surgeries.
Future blog posts will feature details on each of the major Plastic Surgery procedures - who are good candidates for surgery, details of procedures, what to expect during recovery, downtime, risks, and representative before and after photos.
