What is cosmetic surgery? Also known as cosmetic surgery, cosmetic surgery is what many people think of when they hear the term plastic surgery. This field of medicine encompasses all procedures performed to enhance or improve aesthetic appeal, symmetry, and proportion. This includes procedures such as breast augmentation, tummy tuck, liposuction, facelift, rhinoplasty, and eyelid lift, just to name a few. A big problem for many people is that a cosmetic surgeon and a Plastic surgeons can be confused.
But while cosmetic surgery is a type of plastic surgery, cosmetic surgeons can only perform cosmetic procedures, explains Dr. Alan Matarasso, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). A facial plastic surgeon is trained in otorhinolaryngology and performs facial cosmetic surgery, and an oculoplastic surgeon can perform cosmetic surgery around the eyes after a residency in ophthalmology. Training and certification to become a board-certified cosmetic surgeon are different from training and certification for a board-certified plastic surgeon.
TOGETHER. Currently, 92% of board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States are members of the ASPS, which represents 11,000 plastic surgeons worldwide. ASPS member surgeons not only have to be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or in Canada by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, but they must also complete at least six years of surgical training after finishing their medical degree, with a minimum of three years of residency training in plastic surgery. It's always important to confirm that a plastic surgeon has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the only board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) to certify doctors in the specialty of Plastic Surgery.
Only ABPS diplomats can be called plastic surgeons. In a survey of 5,135 people, 87 percent believed that surgeons should have special credentials and training to perform cosmetic procedures or to advertise themselves as cosmetic, aesthetic or plastic surgeons. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the other major society that certifies plastic surgeons. To find a qualified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, consult a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. There are a lot of questions and misconceptions about the two, and many patients mistakenly believe that plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons are the same when they aren't.
Plastic surgeon versus cosmetic surgeon Plastic and aesthetic surgeons have two different educational requirements, training itineraries, and certification bodies...
