Contrary to popular belief the term "plastic surgery" has nothing to do with the fake, the unnatural or the manufactured as the word plastic might indicate. Plastic surgery includes reconstructive and cosmetic (aesthetic) surgery.
The word plastic is derived from the Greek word plastikos, meaning to mould or shape. It is an ingenious way to describe what plastic surgeons do: mold and give form to the human body.
It includes RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY, which deals with correction of deformities that are either acquired (like burns, scars, post-operative sequel, post tumour ablative surgery as in mastectomy for breast cancer), or congenital (i.e. deformities that we are born with like cleft lip and palate, hand deformities, etc.).
COSMETIC (AESTHETIC) SURGERY on the other hand, handles deformities that are unpleasing to the eye, and corrects the effects of age or weight changes. The word aesthetic has been defined as "the appreciation of beauty or good taste".
Plastic Surgery is the specialty that transcends the rigid scientific dogmas characteristic of many medical and surgical specialties and embodies best the Art of Medicine. Aesthetic surgery is the only specialty that deals with the personal satisfaction of patients.
It looks after peoples image, boosts self esteem, and brings up the moral, with procedures that reshape normal structures. It represents a blend of art and science.
Recently there has been a great demand for plastic surgery procedures for several reasons:
- increased exposure through the media
- trivialization of cosmetic operations, loss of taboos and better acceptance
- ease of access and reduction in cost and -most recently- cosmetic loans
- marked increase in safety levels in anaesthesia
- advances in techniques leading to improved results
- Increased safety of bariatric (weight reducing) surgery leading to excessive skin laxity all the body.
Typically, all Plastic Surgery procedures are best accomplished when the surgeon has a true sense of what is beautiful and therefore aesthetically pleasing, thus providing the patients with the result that best matches their architecture and build.
In recent years, Plastic (Cosmetic) Surgery in Lebanon became an acceptable operation that people would talk about, and taboos became a thing of the past.
This has inflamed the envy of many, and thus ASTHETICS became a lucrative business, that ended up neglecting all the principles of the medical profession,
and in some cases, the loss of the essence of the HYPOCRATES oath that we all take when we graduate from medical school.
All medical specialties wanted a part of this money-making business, which lead to untrained or poorly trained doctors performing these procedures without any idea about the side effects, post-operative care, and the ability to handle complications if any comes up.
There is always the excuse that it is the patients fault, though in few instances it is, but definitely not always. The biggest problem that we have to deal with lately is that non-physicians are beginning to perform minor procedures like Fillers, Botulinum Toxin injections, and Lasers.
They would travel and attend a conference somewhere, and come back as EXPERTS in the field. This has ended up in many complications that may last for a very long period or even permanently. The Lebanese society of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery (LSPRAS) tries to minimize these risks by INFORMING THE PUBLIC through TV interviews and Magazine reports.
We are always encouraging people and stressing upon them to seek professional doctors, and avoiding the non-specialists and the non-medical personnel when planning for any aesthetic procedure.
