Plastic surgery is a broad field that encompasses both cosmetic (aesthetic) procedures and reconstructive procedures. Reconstructive surgery focuses on repairing or reconstructing problems caused by congenital deformities, the removal of tumors such as cancer, trauma, or other reasons. Some other lesser-known plastic surgery procedures include carpal tunnel surgery, microsurgery, rhinoplasty, and peripheral nerve surgery.
A big problem for many people is that a cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon can be confused.
But while cosmetic surgery is a type of plastic surgery, cosmetic surgeons can only perform cosmetic procedures, explains Dr. Alan Matarasso, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).Plastic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery; cosmetic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. While both titles qualify a professional as a board-certified surgeon, the American Board of Medical Specialists recognizes only the American Board of Plastic Surgery. All ASPS members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have completed an accredited plastic surgery training program, practice in accredited centers, and follow strict safety and ethical standards. During this fellowship, surgeons receive extensive training in all facial, breast and body cosmetic surgery procedures, in addition to non-surgical aesthetic treatments, and perform a minimum of 300 individual cosmetic surgery procedures.
While both cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery aim to improve the patient's body, the general philosophies that guide training, research, and goals for patients are different. 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). Along with this residency training, surgeons must complete a surgical residency program and undergo at least one year of a fellowship program specializing in cosmetic surgery. Simply put, cosmetic procedures are performed to improve a person's overall appearance by remodeling and adjusting an anatomy that already exists, in order to make something more visually appealing.
Plastic and cosmetic surgery can include surgical, minimally invasive, or even non-surgical procedures. Cosmetic surgeons can operate on almost any area of the body, such as the face, breasts, arms, abdomen, back, skin, buttocks and the legs. Plastic surgery is very similar to reconstructive surgery, and some plastic surgeons perform head-to-toe reconstructions, whether on the face, hands, or even feet. Learn more about the innovative cosmetic procedures and medical spa treatments offered at About Faces Cosmetic Surgery and Med Spa.
And becoming a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons requires even more extensive training. Jordan Jacobs, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Mount Sinai Center in New York, he told Healthline. It's always important to confirm that a plastic surgeon has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the only board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) to certify doctors in the specialty of Plastic Surgery. Only ABPS diplomats can be called plastic surgeons.
If you've always thought that cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery were the same thing, you're not alone. Plastic surgery residency programs may include cosmetic surgery as part of surgeon training, but usually do not include training in all cosmetic procedures. Currently, 92% of board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States are members of the ASPS, which represents 11,000 plastic surgeons around the world.
