Saturday, November 8, 2008

Frequently Asked Questions About Plastic Surgery

By Ricardo Gibson

Are those celebrities really that beautiful? Yes. Is it natural? Not all the often. How can this be? Well, let me introduce you to the magic of plastic surgery. Fighting the battle against aging has never been so successful.

There is a certain element of any area of medicine that carries a mythical quality. Most of us cannot understand the terminology much less the things happening. In this article, we try to answer some of the basic questions that come up frequently with plastic surgery.

The plastic surgery you read about really only represents half of the field. The other half, reconstructive surgery, is less glamorous, but more important. It is used to return a body to a normal state. Doing skin grafts on a badly burned patient is reconstructive plastic surgery.

In contract, elective surgery is the more well known area of plastic surgery. It is a voluntary surgery undertaken to enhance some part of your body that bothers you. Put another way, there is no medical reason for the surgery.

Another issue that often arises is the mistaken belief that plastic surgery does not carry the same types of risks as traditional surgeries. Any surgery involves anatomical trauma and there are risks. Admittedly, these risks are minimal, but things can happen and a bad result reached.

Surgery is great and all, but how long before I am back on my feet? As you might imagine, the answer depends on the procedure. Some involve recovery times of a day or two while others take longer. Ask your doctor for advice on your specific situation.

I want to look good, but I hate pain! Well, this is true for everyone. There is going to be some discomfort with plastic surgery because you are modifying the body. There will be swelling, some bleeding and pain as well as pain medication.

If I bring a surgeon a picture, will I look exactly like it afterwards? No. Everyone has different anatomical structures. Some of us have thin faces while others of us have wide ones. Your surgeon will tell give you a reasonable approximation, but that is all. You should look for improvement, not perfection.

What about the doctor behind the mask? A licensed plastic surgeon goes through a lot to reach their position. How about medical school and then five to seven years of post graduate training? The also continually keep up on new developments.

What will my surgery cost? Well, your doctor can tell you. Make sure to get his fee as well as any incidental costs so you know the grand total. This fee total should also be put in writing for your benefit.

As you can probably tell from the tone of this article, many of your questions are best answered by your doctor. The doctor should be willing to take the time to answer all of them. If not, find someone else. - 15359

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