A Close Look at Plastic Surgery

The long and interesting history of plastic surgery can be traced back to the ancient times. Doctors or medical practitioners in old India started using skin grafts to reconstruct human skin spots in the 8th century BC.

An ancient Indian surgeon named Susrutha made the first recorded nose construction. He used a portion or some skin from a forehead. During that time, nose amputations were punishable by old Indian laws.

Several millennium later, the Romans performed simple techniques like repairing damaged ears. In Europe, Dr Heinrich von Pfolspeundt conducted a simple plastic surgery by removing skin coming from the arm’s back and sutured it in place.

However, the practice and science of plastic surgey advanced and became common only in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was because in the old times, too much danger was attributed to plastic surgeries.

In the United States, Dr John Peter Mettauer was the first American plastic surgeon. The first plastic surgery operation he performed was a cleft palate operation in which dates back to 1827. He designed his own instruments and operation materials.

The father of modern plastic surgery is Sir Harold Gillies. He was able to develop a number of techniques for modern plastic surgery. Sir Gillies focused on patients who suffered facial injuries during World War I.

Defining plastic surgery

The term plastic surgery is a general term referring to manual or instrumental treatment or operation performed for aesthetic or functional reasons or purposes.

The word ‘plastic’ from plastic surgey comes from a Greek ancient word ‘plastikos’ that means to shape or to mold.

There are two principal or main areas or fields of plastic surgery to date. These include:

o Reconstructive plastic surgery. This area of plastic surgery concentrates on masking or undoing destructions in the face or other external parts of the body. This form of plastic surgey include closing defects bu grafting skin with regional, local or distant flaps. Through the procedure tissues from other parts of the body is transferred to another part.

o Aesthetic or cosmetic surgery is the most common form of plastic surgery nowadays. This form of plastic surgery is most of the time made to modify or improve features in the face or body that the patient finds ugly or unflattering. Examples of this kind of plastic surgery are breast reduction or breast implantation.

Related disciplines to plastic surgery

From the history and the two broad areas of plastic surgeries, it can still be further subdivided. The American Board of Plastic Surgery also includes the study or further advancement in the following related specific disciplines:

o Craniofacial surgery. This form of plastic surgery involves the treatment or surgery to align or modify congenital or in-born physical defects, It includes cleft lip palate, craniosynostosis and other defects in the face due to in born causes and physical development.

o Hand surgery is another discipline where plastic surgeons are trained. They receive full training in the discipline.

o Maxillofacial surgery is one form of plastic surgery that involves maxilla or jaw and face. The field grew or sprang from the contributions and advancements in both oral surgeries and plastic surgeries. Examples of operations in this discipline are fractures in the jaw as well as in the face that may have arisen from accidents or brawls.

Khieng 'Ken' Chho - Plastic Surgery [http://plastic-surgery.onew3b.net]

For related articles and other resources, visit Ken's website: [http://plastic-surgery.onew3b.net]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Khieng_Chho

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/221090

Breast Reconstruction With Fat Transfer: Why It Makes Sense

Breast Reconstruction With Fat Transfer: Why It Makes Sense

Breast reconstruction with autologous fat transfer (from the same individual) is an option for breast restoration after lumpectomy, partial mastectomy and/or mastectomy for breast cancer treatment. Fat transfer to the breast is commonly used with implant based and flap based techniques to improve the shape and contour of a previously reconstructed breast. Total breast reconstruction with fat transfer is a newer, exciting option for women who do not want implants or an invasive flap procedure.

Minimal downtime

Breast reconstruction with fat transfer is an outpatient procedure which means you will not need to spend the night in the hospital after surgery. The discomfort associated with these procedures is less when compared to other breast reconstructive techniques (implants or flaps) and several women report that taking Extra Strength Tylenol (Acetaminophen) alone is enough. Most women choose to return to work after a few days of rest. You can resume all activities of daily living within two to three weeks after surgery.

It's versatile

Unlike breast implants which have a pre-determined shape, fat grafts are versatile and can be sculpted into a natural looking breast shape based on your body type. Plastic surgeons frequently use fat grafts to round out and fill in areas of the breast around previously placed implants and flaps to give these reconstructions a softer and more natural appearance. Now, with newer techniques and instruments, you can have your whole breast reconstructed with fat. Studies suggest that fat transfer can improve the quality of previously radiated skin and in select patients; it may restore some sensation to the skin of the breast after a mastectomy.

It's natural

It's your fat and it's yours to keep. Because the fat transferred is living tissue with a blood supply, the risk of infection, wound breakdown and/or skin loss is less when compared to breast implants. Complications of implant exposure, implant infection, rupture and capsular contracture are virtually non-existent. Although some of the fat and fluid injected will be resorbed in the first three months after surgery, once healing is complete the results are permanent. Additional fat grafting sessions can be added over time if more volume is desired.

Flap surgery is also a natural option for breast reconstruction. However, these procedures are more invasive, complex, lengthy and require a hospital stay of at least three to five days. Complex and long surgical procedures often carry a greater risk of complications and a longer recovery period measured in months.

Less hassle

The recovery from a fat transfer procedure is simplified. There are no elaborate wound care rituals and no drains to take care of. Also, unlike other procedures where antibiotics are required for weeks after surgery, with fat transfer, in most cases, they are not needed unless there is an unforeseen problem. The need for narcotic pain medications is also minimized. Since there are no implants involved, there is no need for multiple doctor's office visits for breast expansion prior to an implant exchange. All breast reconstruction is staged which means that more than one procedure will be required to achieve the final desired result. Breast reconstruction with fat transfer allows a woman to return to her daily life with less interruption and it allows her to plan her breast reconstruction around her other priorities in life.

It has fringe benefits

Because the fat grafts are typically harvested from the abdomen, thighs and flanks by a technique similar to liposuction, women choosing breast reconstruction with fat graft injections will see the benefits of liposuction at the sites from which the grafts are harvested. This usually means an improvement in contour and shape in the tummy, thighs and/or back.

Breast reconstruction with fat transfer is a newer technique among plastic surgeons and not everyone is comfortable offering this procedure. All surgical procedures have potential risks and complications. Make sure you understand all of the potential benefits, risks and complications of a procedure before deciding to have surgery. Ask to speak with a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who has experience in breast reconstruction with fat transfer.

Learn more about how breast reconstruction can be naturally simplified with fat transfer by visiting http://www.nipntuck.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Mahsa_Moghaddam

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9004667