The Most Confused Terms In Medical History

Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery are, perhaps, two of the most misused terms in medical history.

In general, many people think plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery are two different sub-specialties but it is not. Cosmetic surgery is a subsection of plastic surgery. There are a lot of plastic surgeons who choose to focus their practice on cosmetology and cosmetic surgeries. However, there exists a myriad of differences between both specialties.

The Goals Of The Procedure

Plastic surgeons, as well as cosmetic surgeons, are focused on providing treatment that is used to alter the appearance of the individual. However, the principle distinction lies within the procedures that are conducted to accomplish either of them.

Plastic Surgery: When it comes to plastic surgery, the procedures involved are performed to address or repair the damages that have rendered organs dysfunctional. Mostly, these damages refer to birth defects or to damages that have been caused due to accidents. Reconstructive surgery is used to correct the dysfunctional areas of the body. In some cases, plastic surgeons do apply cosmetic surgery to provide an aesthetic feel to the procedure. However, their focus primarily remains on reconstructive surgeries.

Cosmetic Surgery: Cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, is completely focused on improving the external appearance of the body. Numerous procedures are involved in improving aspects such as the appeal, regularity, or proportion of certain areas of the body. Due to such goals, cosmetic surgery does not require a patient to be inflicted with a pre-existing medical condition.

The Certification

Getting certified by the right board is another major distinction. Not only does the certification provide you with a metric to measure your surgeon’s qualifications, but it also provides you with the tools to differentiate between the two procedures.

To become board certified in the field of plastic surgery, there are two routes that physicians can undertake:

1. They can either undergo an integrated residency training that combines three years of general surgery followed by three years of plastic surgery after MBBS.
2. Or, they can also go through an independent 5-year residency program in plastic surgery after MBBS.

On the other hand, cosmetic surgeons are basically plastic surgeons. They attain their training and experience during as well as after they complete their residency program in plastic surgery.

Legally, only a licensed physician is capable of performing cosmetic surgery. Therefore, you need to research extensively and find out whether the physician is a licensed plastic surgeon or not. However, at Arra Aesthetics, you won’t need to worry yourself with such research. Our team of experts is equipped with numerous years of experience, allowing them to completely understand your needs and treat them with the utmost level of care.