Comestic or plastic surgery is a diverse field with many applications in medicine. Cosmetic surgery specialists can specialize in a number of different areas including burn wounds, hand and upper limb repair, cranio-maxillofacial surgery, and microvascular surgery. They may also focus on the removal and addition of tissues for aesthetic purposes.
All cosmetic surgery specialists are required to complete two years of residency, in their field after medical school. In some cases, the residency is a three year program. It takes place in a teaching hospital or practice, with established doctors supervising the residents in their work.
Comestic surgery specialists who deal with burn victims treat the damage to the skin with topical ointments, surgery, and tissue replacement or transplants. These doctors are often multidisciplinary, as burns can affect any area of the body. Furthermore, burns can result in complications like infections, respiratory poisoning, and weakening of the body's major systems. Burn doctors are trained to treat patients with these types of injuries and illnesses.
In the field of hand and upper limb repair, cosmetic surgery specialists deal with patients who have congenital diseases or abnormalities that affect their upper arms and limbs. Many are children with fused or additional digits, which require surgery to correct. Other patients have a degenerative disease or have experienced some type of trauma that has damaged an appendage. In both cases, the comestic surgeon works to repair the tissues and restore the limb to the highest possible level of function.
Cranio-maxillofacial surgeons work with the face, head, and skull. In some cases, the patient suffers from a congenital defect, like a cleft palate. Other patients undergo elective surgery to change the appearance of their eyes, nose, chin, cheeks, or forehead. In some cases, a defect can alter the appearance of one of the facial features, as in the case of a deviated septum, and surgery can correct the appearance of the nose and the function of the nasal pathways. Other times, elective cosmetic surgery is performed purely to satisfy aesthetic preferences.
Some cosmetic surgeons work to repair microvascular systems. These doctors repair and replace tissue to re-establish blood flow to various areas of the body. Microvascular surgeons typically work with structures so small that they must use a microscope.
There are cosmetic surgery specialists who only perform a select few procedures. Typically, they are plastic surgeons who specialize in changing aesthetic appearance. They may focus only on the face, or they may work with the torso, buttocks, and thighs as well. Common procedures include liposuction, tissue injections, and breast augmentations.
