Plastic Surgery the Term 'Plastic' Is Derived Term Paper

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Plastic Surgery

The term 'plastic' is derived from the Greek syllable 'plastikos' meaning 'mold' or 'give shape to'. Plastic surgery is a special branch of medicine that deals with curing or rectifying facial disfigurement, scarring or other anomalies in the physical features that are either congenital or accidental. Advancements in technology have broadened the scope of plastic surgery and today it is performed for a variety of cosmetic purposes like, face-lift, breast implantation, reduction, penile enlargement etc. The historic origin of plastic surgery is traced back to India (hundreds of years BC), where a text has references to what can be called as modern day rhinoplasty. Then in Italy during the sixteenth century Gasparo Tagliocozzi specialized techniques to treat facial disfigurement. He is also credited with the publication (1597) of the first comprehensive account of skin transplantation method in his work "De curtorum chirurgia per insitionem," [Alysa R. herman]. But plastic surgery, as a specialist branch of medicine became prominent only during the World War 1 period where the exigencies of the wartime situation and the horribly mutilated faces of thousands of soldiers demanded new methods of treatment and 'maxillofacial surgery' evolved. [Elizabeth Haiken]

History of Modern Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery evolved from a combined effort of French, British and American surgeons who were rendering their wartime services. Sir Harold Gilles a new Zealand-based octolaryngologist, Vilray Blair, an orthopedic surgeon, Robert Ivy, a surgeon from Philadelphia, Lee Cohen, again an octolaryngologist from America and Varaztad Kazangian, a dental specialist from the Massachusetts hospital are generally acknowledged as the forefathers of modern day plastic surgery. During the battle of Somme in 1916 Harold Gilles and Varaztad Kazangian performed maxillofacial surgery for more than 2000 wounded British soldiers.

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Varaztad Kazangian was acclaimed as the "Miracle man of the western front" for his novel bone grafting techniques, which he employed to reconstruct the broken jaws and mutilated faces of the badly injured British [Health Superstore]

Harold Giles is also credited with the invention and perfection of the 'tubed pedicle graft', a novel technique that made it possible for skin from different areas of the body to be used to cover up the damaged areas. More than 11,532 maxillofacial surgeries were performed by the time the World War 1 ended and the American Association of Plastic Surgeons was instituted in 1921. Then in 1931 the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS) was formed under the collective effort of Jacques Maliniak and other surgeons. After the 'world war two' plastic surgery gradually expanded to include what we currently call cosmetic surgery. [Health Superstore]

Types of Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery falls under two broad categories namely reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries. Reconstructive plastic surgery refers to the surgeries that are performed to restore the deformities in the body parts that are either caused by accidental injuries or natural abnormalities. It is also the oldest form of plastic surgery mainly developed as a necessity to reconstruct body parts of affected Today reconstructive procedures involve treatment of severe skin lacerations, facial scars, fractures of facial bones, etc. Reconstructive procedures for skin cancers, reduction mamaplasty (breast), cleft lip, and cleft palate, are some of the other common surgeries performed by plastic surgeons. Cosmetic surgery on the other hand refers to the surgery that is done purely to enhance the look or appearance of the otherwise normal body parts. Face lifting, Eyelid surgery, Brow lifting, are some common cosmetic surgeries. [University.....

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