www.freakyplasticsurgery.com

do all plastic surgeons do cosmetic surgery?

I have been thinking that I would like to maybe become a plastic surgeon, but I don't really like the idea of doing loads of cosmetic surgeries. Instead I am interested in re constructive surgery, like fixing people up after accidents, or burn victims, or that sort of thing. Is this still considered plastic surgery, or something else? Thanks

Public Comments

1. No. Plastic Surgeons all begin their career learning reconstructive procedures but just like lawyers can opt to go where the money is and become defense lawyers, a large number of plastic surgeons choose to go to elective cosmetics. I spent year in emergency services and working in ERs and trauma centers and I found "plastics" to be the most interesting. As where the majority of surgeons are working to keep someone alive, the plastic surgeons were working on the often overlooked "quality of life" side of reconstructive surgery. Knowing that beyond the physical injuries there is the issue of a person's self-worth and confidence that can be severely damaged or destroyed by scars and disfiguring tissue damage. Watching one of our plastics guys repair a laceration on a little girl's forehead and seeing the slow, painstaking efforts he put into his sutures to ensure that young lady had as small of a scar as possible on her face was truly a impressive. If you decide to pursue that specialty, good luck on your future and don't forget that your patients are counting on you to make the horrible events as hard to notice as possible.
2. Most will do some, as the reconstructive surgeries take a LOT of time and don't pay well. Cosmetic procedures are the opposite. You can choose to do what you want, once you finish your residency. And, yes, it's still plastic surgery.