Although we talk about cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery in the same breath and often use the terms interchangeably, these are completely different things for the purpose it serves. As the name suggests, cosmetic surgery is for cosmetic improvement only and does not impact functionality. For example, rhinoplasty or nose improvement involves techniques that aim at changing the appearance, shape, and size of the nose without affecting its functionality. The focus is exclusively on bettering the looks, which justifies the name of the procedure. The surgery can be carried out on any part of the body, especially the head and neck. The procedure is not applicable to any body part that does not function properly.
On the other hand, plastic surgery aims at the reconstruction of any defective or damaged body part to restore its appearance or function. It is specialized surgery that can help to overcome defects of the body and face due to disease, congenital disabilities, trauma, and burns. The purpose of plastic surgery is to reconstruct the body part to enable it to perform the normal functions. Although plastic surgeons perform both cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery, they train differently to apply their skills. You must remember that plastic surgeons are also known as reconstructive surgeons.
Distinguishing between the procedures
A typical example of plastic surgery is the breast reconstruction procedure applicable to women who have undergone mastectomy or breast removal that might be necessary for the treatment of breast cancer. The top plastic surgeon will help to create breasts to help maintain the fuller looks and rids women of the complexities that can arise from living without breasts.
Breast augmentation is a cosmetic surgical procedure that involves increasing the breast size and even changing its shape. The procedure consists of placing breast implants under the chest muscle or breast tissues. Women who are shy about their breast size would feel more confident after the procedure.
Surgery by choice
Cosmetic surgery is more of a choice, like any other beauty improvement procedure. In contrast, plastic surgery is often a medical requirement and necessary for people to regain their body parts and maintain its normal function. Those who want to improve their looks can use cosmetic surgical procedures, but even if they do not use it, they can still lead a healthy life. A fat person can think about liposuction or tummy tuck to improve the looks, which in any case does not affect their bodily functions.
The patient decides
The decision to undergo cosmetic surgery rests on the patient, and the doctor only concurs with the decision by assessing the body to understand how far it will be possible to achieve the beautification goals. The doctor will consider the objective of the patient and anatomy and then come up with the most appropriate action that can help to achieve the natural look that the patient wants.
Choose a board-certified surgeon who can explore the best available option and select the best one that can often include a combination of surgical as well as non-surgical procedures.
