Reconstructive surgery is a medical discipline that plays a fundamental role in improving the quality of life of patients with deformities, severe injuries, or congenital abnormalities.
Plastic surgery
The term plastic surgery encompasses procedures aimed at improving or correcting body structures and, in general terms, is divided into two areas:
- Cosmetic surgery: focuses on improving the appearance and proportions of the body according to the patient’s preferences, for example, rhinoplasty or breast augmentation.
- Reconstructive surgery: focuses on restoring the function and normal appearance of body parts affected by injuries, congenital anomalies, or diseases.
Specifically, reconstructive surgery refers to interventions that may be necessary after an accident, burns, diseases such as cancer, or congenital problems like cleft lip and palate.
Unlike cosmetic surgery, which primarily aims to improve a person’s appearance according to their wishes, reconstructive surgery focuses on correcting abnormalities that affect physical function, health, and even psychological well-being.
Plastic, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgery
It is common for the terms plastic, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgery to be used interchangeably, but each has its particular characteristics.
Plastic surgery is the main field that encompasses both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery; these two subspecialties may use similar procedures but with different objectives.
The plastic surgeon may use shared techniques such as skin grafts or muscle flaps, which are often required in facial reconstructions.
Some procedures can also combine aesthetic and functional goals — for example, breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, or blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), which not only rejuvenates facial appearance but can also improve vision in cases where excess skin obstructs sight.
For these reasons, it is common for both areas to collaborate and have a significant impact on the patient’s self-esteem and quality of life.
Types of surgery
Reconstructive surgery includes a wide range of procedures, each designed to address specific problems.
- Repair of traumatic injuries: traumatic injuries such as severe fractures or deep wounds may require surgical reconstruction to restore both function and aesthetics.
- Post-oncological reconstructive surgery: after cancer treatment, many patients face significant physical defects due to tumor removal. Breast reconstruction is one of the most common techniques, but reconstruction is also used for patients with skin, head, neck, or other body cancers.
- Correction of congenital anomalies: congenital malformations affect millions of people and require personalized surgery. This includes cleft lip and palate repair, limb deformities such as fused fingers, bone malformations, or missing limb segments. Ear reconstruction is also performed for microtia.
- Burn repair: severe burns leave scars that affect both aesthetics and functionality. Skin grafts, tissue expansion, or scar correction may be used.
- Hand surgery: the hand is a complex structure that requires surgical precision to restore functions such as mobility, sensation, and strength.
- Microsurgery: an advanced technique that uses surgical microscopes to perform highly precise procedures on tiny structures such as blood vessels and nerves.
- Repair of functional and aesthetic defects: many defects affect body function, and surgery can have a significant impact, such as abdominal reconstruction, craniofacial surgery, or extensive scar correction.
- Genital reconstruction: surgery especially relevant in cases of congenital anomalies, accidents, or medical procedures such as gender-affirming surgery.
- Pediatric reconstructive surgery: children require specific approaches due to their developmental stage, including correction of cranial deformities or limb reconstruction for congenital malformations, to name a few examples.
Reconstructive surgery is an integral part of plastic surgery and plays a crucial role in restoring the function and appearance of the human body.
At the High Specialty Surgery Center of the ABC Medical Center, we can provide you with specialized care. Contact us!
Fuentes:
Gob.mx, Shriners Children, Elsevier
