Cosmetic Surgery versus Reconstructive Surgery

Plastic surgery can always offer improvement to your appearance, but there is a difference between cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. This difference is important to note since most insurance companies will only cover reconstructive surgery.

Cosmetic Procedures

Most people may have a part of their body that they are not satisfied with, but that part does already have a natural appearance. There is no deformity or scarring that affects the natural appearance of that feature. Cosmetic surgery improves the appearance of body parts that do have this natural appearance. Just because they look natural does not mean that you are comfortable with their appearance, which is why cosmetic surgery may be a viable option for you. Such cosmetic procedures include such things as tummy tucks, facelifts, wrinkle removal, and nose surgery.

Reconstruction Surgery

Reconstructive surgery will also improve the appearance of body features, but this given feature does not look natural to start with. Reconstructive procedures tend to camouflage scars, correct birth deformities, construct facsimiles of missing parts, or even fix trauma scars. This type of procedure can help an accident victim or a person born with a deformity to have a much more normal appearance. Several common reconstructive procedures are performed. One such procedure is cancer reconstruction. A cosmetic surgeon can use skin flaps, skin grafts, muscle tissue, or even bone pieces to correct defects that have been caused by cancer surgery. Another common procedure helps to surgically fix a cleft lip or a cleft palate. This seems remarkable since these conditions exist from birth. A variety of medical conditions can cause facial paralysis, and there is a reconstructive procedure available that can help a paralyzed face to appear normal. When parts are missing from the body, such as an ear, it is possible for a skilled plastic surgeon to create a replacement part that ends up looking remarkably like a natural one. Another common reconstruction procedure is facial reconstruction or scar revision. This type of procedure helps to make large scars or even facial fractures to appear much more normal in appearance. This surgery is helpful for people who have been in horrible and disfiguring accidents such as automobile accidents, fights, animal attacks, or even burn victims.

Plastic Surgery Commonalities

In the end, both plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery improve the appearance of an individual, and help improve that person's self esteem. The true difference is what the appearance of that body part was to begin with. Altering anything that started out looking natural is considered a cosmetic procedure.