Facial plastic surgery can be divided into both function and cosmetic procedures. Functional procedures are those which are aimed at replacing lost function or form after cancer treatment, trauma, or other medical conditions. Cosmetic procedures help to reverse the often concerning signs of aging. For the patient considering facial plastic surgery there are often many questions which arise during the decision making process to proceed with surgery. Some of these questions include:
Does plastic surgery have anything to do with petroleum based plastics? In fact, no. Plastic surgery got its name from the Greek word plastikos which means “to form”. Plastic surgery can be used to improve the cosmetic appearance of a person or it may be used to recreate loss function after an operation for cancer, trauma, or other medical conditions which can cause disfigurement. In some cases, plastic surgery is used to recreate features which are not formed at birth.
Is general anesthesia safe? General anesthesia is very safe when performed by a board certified anesthesiologist in an appropriately staffed and credentialed facility. While there are risks with any procedure, the risks of general anesthesia in a healthy person undergoing cosmetic surgery are minimal.
How are facial plastic surgeons different from plastic surgeons? Facial plastic surgeons specialize only in facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Plastic surgeons often perform surgery on the entire body. Facial plastic surgeons go through a rigorous 5-6 year residency and/or fellowship to only perform operations in the head and neck. There are another group of physicians who refer to themselves as cosmetic surgeons. Be careful because some of these physicians may not be trained in plastic surgery or have any background more than a weekend course in cosmetic procedures.
How long will the results last? This is as hard a question to answer as What will I look like in 10 years if I don’t have surgery?. Plastic surgery helps to reverse the signs of aging but a person will still age. The aging process is dependent on many factors, both environmental and genetic. Determining what a long term result will look like for most procedures is almost impossible.