The Difference Between Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery

There are many web sites and organizations out there today that explain the difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery.

While the term plastic surgery is used loosely by many to describe surgical procedures that alter or change a person’s appearance, plastic surgeons and others in the medical field will tell you that their is technically a difference. Plastic surgery as we know it today was introduced after World War I as reconstruction procedures for battlefield injuries. As a result, the term plastic surgery is now recognized as surgical procedures for medical concerns focused on the correction or restoration of form and function. Examples of plastic surgery include nose surgery for a deviated septum to improve breathing, breast reconstruction after a mastectomy or injury, scar repair.

Cosmetic surgery involves surgical procedures that are not medically needed, elective procedures that a person chooses to undergo to improve their aesthetic appearance. Some of the most common forms of cosmetic surgery include breast augmentation, facelift and tummy tuck surgery.