Reconstructive Surgery

Many people mistakenly believe that the specialty of Plastic Surgery takes its name from the use of silicone and other manmade materials such as plastic to achieve reconstructive goals. Nothing could be further from the truth. The term plastic surgery comes from the Greek word plastikos which means to mold or to give form. Many of the early recorded efforts in surgery were attempts to restore normal form to body parts that had been altered due to injury. Procedures that we would classify as Plastic Surgery today were being carried out before the birth of Christ. Plastic surgical procedures fall into two major subdivisions: reconstructive and cosmetic.

Reconstructive procedures are operations carried out with the goal of restoring form and in many cases function of body parts that are abnormal due to injury, disease, or congenital defects. The repair of severe lacerations and the repair of fractures of the facial bones are common plastic surgical procedures. Use of tissue expansion and flaps and grafts to repair disfigurement due to burn injury and the transplantation of muscle from the back to a severely injured lower extremity are other common examples of reconstructive procedures carried out by plastic surgeons. The removal of skin cancers and repair of cleft lips and palates are other reconstructive procedures which make up the majority of the work done by many plastic surgeons. Reconstructive surgery might be defined as a surgical procedure performed on abnormal parts in an attempt to restore a more normal appearance and to improve function. The primary consideration here is the fact that the procedure is carried out on abnormal parts or tissues.