What’s the Difference?
Cosmetic surgery is a unique discipline of medicine focused on enhancing a patient’s appearance through surgical and medical techniques. Cosmetic surgery can be performed on all areas of the head, neck and body; its an elective procedure because treated areas, while lacking aesthetic appeal, function properly.
Plastic surgery is defined as a surgical specialty dedicated to reconstruction of facial and body defects due to birth disorders, trauma, burns, and disease. Plastic surgery is intended to correct dysfunctional areas of the body and is reconstructive in nature.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) is a professional medical society for cosmetic surgeons whose members are dedicated to patient safety and physician education. Founded in 1985, the AACS has more than 2000 members, including Dr. Ayewah, and represents cosmetic surgeons in the American Medical Association.
The AACS covers a number of practice areas, including dermatology, oral & maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology, general surgery, ophthalmology, and plastic/reconstructive surgery. The AACS is the organization that represents cosmetic surgeons in the American Medical Association. The Academy, in conjunction with the Cosmetic Surgery Foundation, sponsors the Annual Scientific Meeting as well as many live-surgery workshops.
The AACS has designed a special patient education website explaining the difference between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery, and how to choose your cosmetic surgeon. This website clears up a number of misconceptions in the media, issues about board-certification and the multi-disciplinary nature of cosmetic surgery.
The following information is from the AACS
What is Cosmetic Surgery?
Cosmetic surgery is a subspecialty of medicine and surgery that uniquely restricts itself to the enhancement of appearance through surgical and medical techniques. It is specifically concerned with maintaining normal appearance, restoring it, or enhancing it. Cosmetic surgery is a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive approach directed to all areas of the head, neck and body.
The educational profile of this specialty is unique in that it begins with a fully trained and board certified surgeon. Through continued post-residency education, training, and experience, cosmetic surgery is taught and learned across traditional disciplinary boundaries. The subspecialty fully incorporates the participation and knowledge from all contributing disciplines to attain a high level of skill and understanding. Contributing disciplines include dermatologic surgery, facial plastic surgery, general surgery, plastic surgery, otolaryngology, oculoplastic surgery, oral-maxillofacial surgery and others.
What is Plastic Surgery?
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, plastic surgery is a surgical specialty dedicated to reconstruction of facial and body defects due to birth disorders, trauma, burns, and disease.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLASTIC AND COSMETIC SURGERY?
Cosmetic surgery is entirely elective and meant to enhance one’s appearance. Plastic surgery is medically indicated and reconstructive in nature.
WHY IS COSMETIC SURGERY COMMONLY EQUATED WITH PLASTIC SURGERY IF THEY’RE TWO SEPARATE SPECIALTIES?
The most important thing to remember is that the terms ‘plastic surgery’ and ‘cosmetic surgery’ are not interchangeable. Confusion about the terms has led to public misconceptions about the two specialties. Cosmetic surgery is the “surgery of appearance.” It is elective and focuses on the aesthetics of beauty.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW A COSMETIC SURGEON IS TRAINED VERSUS A PLASTIC SURGEON?
A cosmetic surgeon is a doctor who has completed his training in a particular area such as general surgery, otolaryngology, head and neck surgery or plastic surgery and has gone on to receive continuing medical education through a one or two-year fellowship training program in the specialty of cosmetic surgery.
A plastic surgeon is a doctor who has completed his residency in plastic surgery, specializing in such topics as facial and body defects, burns, birth disorders and disease.
Plastic surgeons learn little about cosmetic procedures in their residency training programs.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF A PHYSICIAN IS BOARD CERTIFIED?
Being board certified means that a physician has successfully completed an approved education and training program and a rigorous evaluation process designed to assess the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to provide quality patient care in that specialty. In the case of cosmetic surgery, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS) is the only board that certifies physicians exclusively in the field of cosmetic surgery.
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