PLASTIC SURGERY

	Overview of Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery

At IMH, the latest in Technology is used in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery to help you achieve a healthy look. Therefore, this site also contains information on different types of plastic surgery procedures.

It is a popular misconception that the word plastic in plastic surgery means artificial. Rather, the word is derived from the ancient Greek work plastikos, which means “to mold or give form?. Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involved with the reconstruction of facial and body tissue defects due to illness, trauma, or birth disorders.

Plastic surgery restores and improves function, as well as appearance. It can involve surgery on any portion of the anatomy, except the central nervous system, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Skin (including skin cancer, scars, burns, birthmarks, tattoo removal)
• Maxillofacial (the facial skeleton)
• Congenital anomalies (including deformed ears, cleft palate, cleft lip)

It is important for patients to select physicians who are certified in Plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Generally, a surgeon who is board-certified in plastic surgery has graduated from an accredited medical school and has completed at least five years of graduate medical education – usually three years of general surgery and two years of plastic surgery. In addition, the surgeon must practice plastic surgery or two years and pass comprehensive written and oral examinations to become board-certified.

• Reconstructive plastic surgery
  In general, reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body that may be caused by the following:
  
• Trauma
• Infection
• Developmental abnormalities
• Congenital (present at birth) anomalies
• Disease
• Tumors