Reconstructive Plastic Surgery: Some Common Types

Reconstructive plastic surgery has a lot of benefits despite being viewed as a purely aesthetic oriented aspect of medicine. These benefits are not wholly focused on augmentation or aesthetics; they can truly be beneficial for the patient.

Breasts: These body parts are among the most reconstructed parts of the body. Although many people think that breast augmentation is solely focused on aesthetics, this reconstructive procedure is often used to restore form and function to a woman.

Many women suffer from breast cancer and other conditions that may require them to have an operation done to remove them. When the initial condition or disease is resolved, another operation may be performed to augment the area and restore the form and some of the function of the breasts. The woman will have the appearance of having two mammary glands and her clothes will appear as such. Even the appearance of a new nipple and areola may be reconstructed through grafting and the application of a tattoo. Unfortunately, not all function will be restored, especially those pertaining to breastfeeding in many cases.

Cleft Palate Reconstruction and Cleft Lip: Both a cleft lip and a cleft palate can be corrected and remedied at some degree with the use of reconstructive plastic surgery. While extreme cases are often handled by surgeons who specialize in such operations, simple cleft lip operations can be performed by a plastic surgeon. The procedure for such operations is to wait for an ideal age before subjecting the child to it.

The cleft lip is usually tackled first before the cleft palate. In almost all cases, the reconstruction of both cleft lip and cleft palate may require several operations. Not all procedures may have the desired effect or there may still be some semblance to a cleft lip for some individuals.

Facial Surgeries: There are many different types of operations focused on the face. The cleft lip and cleft palate ones are included in these. One other type that some consider as plastic surgery is the rhinoplasty. This procedure is focused on the nose and is usually aimed at improving a person's appearance by altering the nose.

On the other hand, reconstructive plastic surgery on the nose can also be beneficial by freeing the individual from chronic snoring by removing blockages, easing breathing, improving a person's voice and helping with the sinuses. Other facial surgeries can include ear surgeries and scar tissue surgery for those who suffered from skin disease, acne and other trauma on the face.