There is often some confusion about these terms, as different people and websites use them differently. Here's how they should be used.



&bullPlastic Surgery - is the over-arching term, including the other two

&bullReconstructive Surgery - is done for functional reasons on abnormal body structures which have resulted from congenital or developmental defects, trauma or disease

&bullCosmetic Surgery - is done for esthetic reasons on normal body structures, to improve or enhance a person's attractiveness, and it might also address minor function issues in the process

Basic Training

To perform reconstructive or cosmetic surgery, a physician must be qualified as a plastic surgeon. That means a minimum of:

1.Graduation from medical school

2.Licensing by a State Licensing Board

Legally speaking, nothing more is necessary, but you would not want to entrust your health to a physician who had no more qualification than that. Board-certification is highly important in assuring you that the doctor has gone further in his specialty training.

Specialty Training

So you would want to look for a surgeon who is:

3.Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) This is one of 24 accredited specialty boards recognized by the American board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

Professional Memberships

The best plastic surgeons also have memberships in other medical organizations such as:

&bullThe American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)

&bullThe American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)

&bullThe American College of Surgeons (ACS)

&bullThe American Medical Association (AMA)

These memberships keep a physician in touch with his peers, and up to date with new ideas, techniques, and technology. They require high standards of their members.

Reconstructive Surgery

Reconstructive surgery is a very wide field and has subdivisions. It often works on children who are born with an abnormality such as a cleft palate, large disfiguring birthmark, or hand deformities.

Burn patients are another large category and often need reconstructive surgery where the entire skin and areas beneath it were destroyed. Accident victims may need replantation, which is the reattachment of a lost body part like fingers, ear, nose, arm or penis. Blood flow must be reconnected, the bones and muscles reattached, and nerves repaired.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons () collects statistics each year, and for 2006, the most often performed reconstructive surgery was removal of cancerous tumors (3,905,831 such procedures). The procedure second in frequency, and very far behind, was laceration repair, at 312,855 procedures.

Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery is a growing field and involves enhancement or recontouring of the face and body, as well as a spectrum of skin treatments. The ASPS gives these surgical procedures as the :

&bullBreast augmentation (329,000) - implants to enlarge the breasts

&bullRhinoplasty (307,000) - recontouring of the nose

&bullLiposuction (303,000) - removal of fat from selected body areas

&bullEyelid surgery (233,000) - removal of excess fat, skin and muscle to restore youthfulness to the eyes

&bullTummy Tuck (146,000) - removal of excess fat and skin from the abdomen, and tightening of the abdominal muscles

Skin improvement treatments are continually being developed, such as various chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and laser skin resurfacing. Injectable fillers are very popular, such as Restylane, Sculptra and Radiesse. Botox injections are often given to smooth out frown lines and forehead creases. These are all non-invasive procedures, as opposed to invasive (surgical) procedures, but offer them all the time.