Dr. Konstantinos Seretis, MD, MSc, EBOPRAS

 Plastic Surgery is the surgical specialty that has been developed to restore physical defects and deformities. These may be present at birth; they may be due to an accident; or they may be the result of surgery to remove a tumor (skin, breast, bones of the face, etc). The techniques of Plastic Surgery have evolved to make such defects as inconspicuous as possible but also enhance the appearance of people.

 

 Common base among these apparently different cases is the use of common principles and techniques such as: handling of tissues, moving and shifting of skin and soft tissues (muscle, cartilage, bone etc), material use (implants, artificial skin etc), microsurgery, surgical incisions used and types of wound closure. For example, silicone implants can be used to reconstruct a breast lost to cancer and similarly in aesthetic surgery to enhance small breasts. The skin can be lifted in a facelift and also in finding the nerves in facial paralysis or excision of tumors of the parotid gland.

 

 These examples illustrate the multiple different aspects of Plastic Surgery and the myth of pure aethetic plastic surgery. In fact, Aesthetic Surgery accounts for less than half of plastic surgery procedures. which are performed worldwide.

 

 All plastic surgeons have a common background: a solid training in both reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery. Hand surgery and burns are also included in the formal training of plastic surgeons in most countries, worldwide.

 

 In conclusion, plastic surgery offers multiple options, much more than most people have ever though about. Every one of us is a candidate for having Plastic Surgery during his/her life!