The 3 differences between Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Surgery (explained)

In 2018, according to a study published by the International Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 23 million aesthetic and plastic surgeries were performed in the world, a figure that is 11 million higher than the previous year. Thus, it is clear that this type of surgical intervention is the order of the day.

Even so, we are facing what is surely the branch of Medicine surrounded by more misconceptions and myths, because despite the fact that little by little it is disappearing, the idea that cosmetic surgery only satisfies the whims of people with money. , there are still many people who consider this type of surgery as something frivolous.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In any case, due to all this controversy, there is a widespread error throughout the world: confuse plastic surgery with cosmetic surgery (and vice versa) and consider them synonymous. And although they are related disciplines, they have a very different clinical purpose.

For this reason, in today's article and hand in hand with the most prestigious scientific publications, we are going to detail the medical bases of both interventions and, above all, analyze, in the form of clear and concise key points, the main differences between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery. Let's go there.

What is plastic surgery? And cosmetic surgery?

Before going into depth and presenting, in the form of key points, the differences between both interventions, it is very interesting (and important) that we put ourselves in context and define the clinical bases of both cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery. So let's define the two terms individually.

Plastic surgery: what is it?

Plastic surgery is a type of surgical specialty that is based on the development of clinical interventions that repair the body's anatomy, correcting any congenital, acquired, involutional or tumor process that affects the physiognomy and/or physiology of the organism.. Thus, it seeks to return the normal appearance, improve aesthetics or recover the functionality of the body after an accident or the development of a pathology.

Thus, plastic surgery is based on developing reconstructive or repairing surgeries, with the main clinical purpose of the patient recovering the functionality of a part of his body or improving the aesthetics that have been affected by an accident or a congenital deformity. as acquired.

In this context, plastic or reconstructive surgery can be in charge, for example, of performing skin grafts on a patient who has suffered severe burns, reconstructing the breasts after an oncological process, stylizing the ears when there is deformity and/or psychological impact on the patient, modify the shape of the nose when there are respiratory problems, correct excess skin on the eyelids, correct facial asymmetries after a process of paralysis, repair limb defects due to congenital diseases, improve the appearance of scars, etc.

Therefore, we can understand plastic surgery as any restorative or reconstructive surgical intervention in which the operation is intended to modify the external structure of the body, having, behind it, health reasons. That is to say, applies when a bodily deformity affects the physical and/or emotional health of the patient.

It is worth mentioning that, although in many sources plastic surgery is spoken of as a separate discipline from cosmetic surgery, many others (because despite the fact that the purpose is different, the techniques are often shared) consider this cosmetic surgery as a branch within plastic surgery. In these latter sources, plastic surgery is the concept that encompasses both reconstructive surgery (which would be the definition we have seen in this section) and cosmetic surgery, which we are going to analyze in depth below.

Cosmetic surgery: what is it?

Cosmetic surgery is a type of surgical specialty that is based on the development of clinical interventions that modify some part of the anatomy of a person with whom they are not comfortable, but without health reasons that justify the operation.. In other words, it is that kind of plastic surgery where the correction of the physiognomy is not due to pathological processes, but appeals to purely aesthetic issues.

Thus, cosmetic surgery corrects "errors" that are a complex for the person, so although it is true that there are no medical reasons that justify the intervention and that the emotional impact may seem minor from the perspective of others, it is necessary take into account the psychological section, because not feeling comfortable with a part of the body can lead to serious self-esteem problems.

In this context, we can understand cosmetic surgery as that discipline that, generally considered a branch within plastic surgery but separate from restorative surgery (which we have analyzed before), has the purpose of obtaining greater bodily or facial harmony in the person. , mitigating the effects of aging or improving the aesthetics of a part of the body, without there being purely clinical reasons that justify the intervention.

This includes breast augmentation (or reduction), liposuction, facelift, chin surgery, rhinoplasty, otoplasty (ear repair), cheekbone surgery, abdominoplasty... As we can see, there are some interventions, such as rhinoplasty or otoplasty, that They are also performed in reconstructive plastic surgery. But in the case of cosmetic surgery, it is for the purpose of beautification.

This does not mean, at all, that it is a "whim". It is true that the fact that these purely aesthetic operations, as is understandable, are not covered by social security (those of reconstructive plastic surgery, yes) and that, in addition, they are expensive, means that they are not within the reach of all people , but this does not mean that it is a totally respectable medical branch.

In short, cosmetic surgery is that type of surgical intervention that, apart from restorative plastic surgery, modifies a person's anatomy but not to correct a congenital defect or repair an acquired injury, but to improve their physical appearance and bring it closer to what that she, from her point of view, considers an ideal physique. A) Yes, enhancing the image through surgery helps a person not only look better, but also feel better.

Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery: how are they different?

After extensively defining both disciplines, surely the differences between them have become more than clear. Even so, in case you need (or simply want) to have the information in a more visual and schematic way, we have prepared a selection of the main differences between cosmetic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery in the form of key points. Let's go there.

1. Plastic surgery is done for health reasons; aesthetics, for embellishment

The key difference and, without a doubt, the one with which you should stay. Reconstructive plastic surgery is a type of surgical specialty that is based on repairing congenital or acquired deformities that pose a medical problem for the person in terms of physical or mental health. Therefore, the purpose of plastic surgery is, through the reconstruction of the anatomy of a region of the body, to improve the health of the patient.

In contrast, cosmetic surgery is not done for health reasons. That is to say, the operation is not performed because the person suffers from a congenital or acquired deformity, but because the person does not feel comfortable with a part of their body. It is true that it can be justified through emotional health, but after all, the purpose of cosmetic surgery is none other than, through the "improvement" of a part of the body, to get closer to what the person considers an ideal physique.

This explains why, in most countries, reconstructive plastic surgery operations, being performed for a purely medical reason since it involves preserving the patient's health, are covered by social security; while cosmetic surgery, being carried out for a purely beautification reason, is not carried out through public health.

2. Plastic surgery corrects abnormalities or deformities; aesthetics, improves physical appearance

In relation to the previous point, we must emphasize that, as we have seen, plastic surgery corrects bodily anomalies or deformities, both congenital and acquired, that impair the physical and/or mental health of the person. Thus, it can consist of skin grafts after severe burns, modification of the nose when there are respiratory problems, correction of asymmetries in the face after a process of facial paralysis, reconstruction of the breasts after having suffered cancer in this region, repair of defects in the extremities due to congenital pathologies, etc.

On the other hand, cosmetic surgery does not improve the physical health of the person (beyond the fact that a certain part of their body generates psychological discomfort), but it does improve their appearance. Surgical interventions modify a part of the body without a purely medical justification (because there is no deformity that threatens the physiognomy or physiology) beyond beautification. Thus, it can consist of breast augmentation (or reduction), liposuction, facelift, cheekbone surgery, etc.

3. Aesthetic surgery is a branch within plastic surgery

And finally, a point that must be mentioned. And it is that in many sources plastic surgery and aesthetics are not considered as two disparate disciplines, but plastic surgery is spoken of as the discipline that encompasses two branches. On the one hand, restorative plastic surgery (performed for health reasons) and, on the other hand, aesthetic plastic surgery (performed for beautification reasons).