Reconstructive plastic surgery may be covered by insurance, while cosmetic plastic surgery is elective and usually not covered. Upon completion of medical school, a board-certified plastic surgeon first serves as a surgical resident for at least 3 years, where they receive rigorous training in all aspects of surgery and then 3 years of specialized training in plastic surgery. Plastic surgery is defined as a surgical specialty dedicated to the reconstruction of facial and body defects caused by congenital disorders, injuries, burns and diseases. To find the most qualified doctor for a specific cosmetic procedure, you must compare the doctors' general training (residency and post-residency), experience and proven competence with respect to that specific cosmetic procedure.
Plastic surgery is intended to correct dysfunctional areas of the body and is, by definition, reconstructive in nature. During this fellowship, surgeons receive extensive training in all facial, breast and body cosmetic surgery procedures, in addition to non-surgical cosmetic treatments, and perform a minimum of 300 individual cosmetic surgery procedures.
Cosmetic surgeons
who claim to be board-certified may have received their certificate from the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, which is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Plastic surgery is different from cosmetic surgery, which is surgery performed solely to change a person's appearance and achieve what they consider to be a more desirable appearance.The procedures, techniques and principles of cosmetic surgery are completely focused on improving the patient's appearance. Plastic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery; cosmetic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Board-certified plastic surgeons have completed at least six to eight years of specific training in an accredited plastic surgery training program in the United States, regulated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Plastic surgeons are guaranteed to be trained in cosmetic surgery, general surgery and reconstructive surgery.
Jordan Jacobs, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Mount Sinai Center in New York, told Healthline. Recent studies have shown that more than half of women in the United States are unaware of the difference between a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon. Because any licensed doctor can legally perform cosmetic surgery, regardless of how you received cosmetic surgery training, it's extremely important that you do your research when choosing a cosmetic surgeon. If you've always thought that cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery were the same thing, you're not alone. To become certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a surgeon must do at least six years of residency training, and at least half of that training in plastic and reconstructive procedures.
