What is plastic surgery, and who is a plastic surgeon?
Medically Reviewed by Nassim Assefi, MD on September 16th, 2023
Plastic surgery comes from the Greek word ‘plastikos,’ which means to mold or form. It refers to procedures that alter certain body parts, such as the skin, stomach, breasts, hands, and legs. Plastic surgery is of two types—cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. While cosmetic surgery is usually not covered by insurance, you can look for plastic surgeons that take insurance for reconstructive surgery.
Plastic surgeons improve the appearance and function of your body. They use cosmetic and reconstructive procedures to repair injuries and congenital (present at birth) defects. Additionally, they can surgically enhance physical features for aesthetic reasons.
Education and training for plastic surgeons
To become a plastic surgeon, one completes a four-year undergraduate program and four years of medical school. After graduating with an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), most students enroll in a six-year residency program in plastic surgery. Other than that, they can also complete a five-year general surgery residency, followed by three years of training in plastic surgery. Once students complete their residency, they can clear an exam and get certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Plastic surgeons must participate in a Continuous Certification Program and complete a fixed number of continuing medical education (CME) credits each year. These programs help them maintain their license.
What specialties can plastic surgeons pursue?
After their residency, plastic surgeons can complete one-year fellowship programs to specialize in the following areas:
- Body contouring: Body contouring (or sculpting) can tighten the skin, remove fat, and shape different body areas. It comprises procedures like tucks, lifts, and liposuction. Plastic surgeons commonly perform body contouring on the back, arms, thighs, neck, chin, and buttocks.
- Gender affirmation surgery: Gender affirmation surgery helps people transition to the gender they identify with. It includes facial, top, and bottom surgery.
- Microsurgery: Plastic surgeons use microsurgery for transferring, replanting, and transplanting tissues from one body part to another. Head and neck reconstruction, nerve grafting, and complex wound reconstruction are common microsurgery procedures. Doctors can also use this technique to reconnect nerves or blood vessels.
- Hand surgery: Hand surgeons help restore hand and finger function. They treat injuries, infections, rheumatic diseases, and degenerative changes in the hand structure. Skin grafts, flaps, tendon repairs, nerve repairs, and fasciotomy are types of hand surgery.
- Burn surgery: Burn surgery is of two types - acute and reconstructive. Doctors perform acute burn surgery immediately after the injury. Patients with severe burns require this treatment. On the other hand, reconstructive burn surgery alters scar tissue to improve the function and appearance of the burnt areas. It is usually a long-term treatment.
- Craniofacial surgery: Craniofacial surgeons operate on the skull and face. They use different procedures to improve the appearance of the ears, jaw, area around the eyes, teeth, etc. However, craniofacial surgery does not involve brain or eye surgeries.
- Cosmetic surgery: Cosmetic surgery helps alter or enhance a person’s physical appearance. It has various types, from minimally invasive procedures to complex surgeries. Botox injections, chemical peels, laser hair removal, and dermal fillers are some examples of cosmetic surgery.
What procedures does a plastic surgeon perform?
During their training, plastic surgeons learn several techniques. The following are some common procedures they perform:
- Facelift - A facelift (also known as rhytidectomy) is an umbrella term for surgical procedures that reduce the signs of aging, like sagging skin, crease lines, and double chins, from your face and neck. Surgeons perform this by repositioning your skin, muscles, and fat in those regions.
- Skin grafts - During this procedure, your surgeon shaves off healthy skin from a body part and attaches it to another. Skin grafts help treat large wounds, especially burns.
- Liposuction - Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure. It permanently removes fat cells from specific parts of your body. Doctors might recommend excess skin removal procedures along with liposuction for you to get the desired results.
- Rhinoplasty - Rhinoplasty reshapes your nose. Doctors can perform this procedure to modify your appearance or treat medical conditions that make breathing difficult. Rhinoplasty can also correct a broken nose or a deviated septum.
- Free flap surgery - During this procedure, your surgeon removes skin, muscle, or fat from its original blood supply and transfers it to a different body part. Next, they connect it to a blood source near its new site.
- Tissue expansion - During tissue expansion, your surgeon places a balloon-like device under your skin. They then fill the device with saline to gradually expand it. They perform a second procedure to remove the expander and utilize the skin to close a wound that stretches over a large area. Doctors perform tissue expansion during breast reconstruction surgeries.
What risks are associated with plastic surgery?
All surgical procedures have certain risks. Since plastic surgery modifies sensitive structures and delicate tissues of your body, it can significantly affect body parts that are otherwise healthy.
The risks associated with plastic surgery depend on the type of surgery, your medical history, and lifestyle factors. Some possible risks are as follows:
- Scarring
- Infection
- Blood clots
- Fluid buildup
- Nerve damage
Some side effects occur during surgery, and some during recovery. Your doctor will inform you about any potential complications ahead of time. They will also help manage the above symptoms and ensure you recover healthily.
Find top-rated plastic surgeons near you
With Zocdoc, locating plastic surgeons near you is easy! To get started, create an account on the website. Next, enter your reasons for seeing a doctor, symptoms, preferred time and date, and address. Zocdoc will instantly generate a list of doctors who best suit your requirements.
You can use the existing filters on the website to narrow down your search results. This makes it easy for you to identify doctors based on their gender, the languages they speak, whether or not they treat children, etc. Zocdoc helps you sort through insurance queries as well! Go to the ‘Insurance carrier and plan’ option on the search bar and choose your current provider from the drop-down menu to identify plastic surgeons that take insurance.
All doctor profiles on Zocdoc include information about their education, certifications, experience, and specialization. This way, you can learn more about doctors in your area and pick the one that best fits your needs. On Zocdoc, you can book both in-person and virtual appointments. Look for a purple icon beside the doctors’ names; those whose profiles include the icon offer online sessions.
All bookings on Zocdoc are 100% free, simple, and secure!
Statistics related to plastic surgery in the US
According to a 2020 report published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, doctors performed 6.8 million reconstructive surgeries that year, about 3% more than in 2019. Further, the report found doctors performed 2.3 million cosmetic surgeries (14% less than 2019) and around 13.2 million cosmetic minimally invasive procedures (16% less than 2019).
The report also studied demographic trends. In 2020, women accounted for about 92% of all patients who underwent cosmetic surgeries, and men comprised only 8%. Individuals aged 13-19-year-olds had the least cosmetic surgeries (2% of the total), whereas 40-59-year-olds comprised the majority (45%).
A 2021 study published by The Aesthetic Society noted that, compared to 2020, surgical treatments increased by nearly 54% and non-surgical treatments by 44%. Women comprised approximately 94% of all procedures, and men formed 6%. The age-wise breakdown of all procedures is as follows - 17-25 years (25%), 36-50 years (41%), 51-70 years (31%), and 71 years and above (3%).
According to the 2021 study, liposuction, breast augmentation, and abdominoplasty were the top surgical procedures. The top non-surgical cosmetic procedures were neurotoxins, dermal fillers, and skin treatment (chemical peels, hydrofacials, etc.).
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