| Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
Overview What is reconstructive plastic surgery?
Reconstructive surgery is performed to correct facial and body
abnormalities caused by birth defects, trauma, disease, or aging.
More than one million reconstructive surgeries are performed each year in the US.
Usually, the goal of reconstructive surgery is to improve body function. However,
reconstructive surgery may also be performed to create a more normal appearance and
improve self-esteem (this may also be called cosmetic surgery). Abnormal structures of the
body may be caused by:
- trauma
- infection
- developmental abnormalities
- congenital defects
- disease
- tumors
Who are candidates for reconstructive surgery?
Generally,two types of patients have reconstructive surgery:
- patients with birth defects (such as cleft-lip, craniofacial anomalies, hand
deformities, or other)
- patients with developmental deformities (due to an accident, infection, disease, aging,
or other)
What are the possible complications associated with reconstructive
surgery?
Any type of surgery carries some risk. Patients differ in their anatomy and their
ability to heal. Some complications from surgery may include:
- infection
- excessive bleeding
- bruising
- difficulty in wound healing
- anesthesia problems
- surgery problems
Risk of complications may increase if a patient:
- smokes
- has connective-tissue damage
- has skin damage from radiation therapy
- has decreased circulation at the surgery site
- has HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
- has an impaired immune system
- has poor nutritional habits
How to prepare for reconstructive surgery:
The type of surgery will be determined by your physician(s) based on the following:
- age, overall health and medical history of the patient
- extent of deformity
- tolerance of specific medications, procedures, or therapies
- expectations for the course of the disorder or deformity
- opinion or preference
Reconstructive surgery may require multiple procedures done in several stages.
There are a number of areas in plastic surgery that may be either or both
reconstructive or cosmetic, depending on a patient's situation. For example, eyelid
surgery (blepharoplasty) may be a procedure performed for cosmetic improvement, as well as
to correct eyelids that are drooping severely and obscuring vision.
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