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ORIGIN OF PLASTIC SURGERY
The Plastic surgery
originated in ancient India in the Vedic period
about 3500 B.C. It is well documented in Sushruta
Samhita, a complete and comprehensive treatise on the
principles and art of Ayurvedic surgery written by Sushruta who is the
Father of ancient Indian plastic surgery. It is interesting to find
mention of several plastic surgery operations such as otoplasty,
rhinoplasty, tissue grafting, and some yet not achieved procedures like
organ transplant, embryo transfer, cross grafting of head and limb
transfers in ancient Indian medical treatise, Puranic stories and Jain
literature. Plastic surgery is thus as old as surgery and has been
practiced throughout the world particularly in Asia, Egypt and Europe
for centuries.
Carl Ferdinand Von Graefe coined the term plastic
surgery in Germany in 1818. The word plastic is derived from Greek word Plastikos,
that means to mould or to reshape.
The modern plastic surgery has however come off
it's age after the two world wars.
WHAT
IS PLASTIC SURGERY & WHO REQUIRES IT?
Plastic surgery is a
specialized branch of surgery that deals with correction of all visible
defects and deformities of any body part. Such deformities may be
present since birth or acquired following injuries or after various
surgical procedures. These defects commonly involve defects of the skin,
soft tissues, muscles or underlying skeleton. Thus plastic surgery has a
very wide domain and any person of any age or socio-economic status
may be the candidate.
GOALS OF PLASTIC SURGERY
Plastic surgery aims at
restoration or improving both function and look of the deformed part.
Reconstructive and Aesthetic or Cosmetic surgeries
are two basic components of plastic surgery. In Reconstructive surgery
the plastic surgeon is primarily concerned at restoring the function and
looks of a defect present since birth or after an injury. The Cosmetic
or Aesthetic surgery aims at improving the looks of an otherwise normal
body part. |
