When many people hear the term plastic surgery images of Hollywood stars trying to fight back the effects of aging come to mind. It is easy to assume that plastic surgeons just deal in vanity. However, that would minimize everything that these talented surgeons accomplish with their scalpels. The term “Plastic Surgery” comes from the Greek term “Plastikos” meaning “to shape or form.”

Plastic surgeons work to form or change the outward appearance of people for a variety of reasons. They work on reconstructing how a person looks after having a disfiguring injury such as a severe burn or major trauma. They can also help with patients who have had an amputation. The goal is to try to give the person the appearance closer to what they had prior to the injury or minimize the outward appearance of damage.

For patients who were born with cleft lip and/or palate, plastic surgeons perform surgeries to close the defects in the lip and roof of the mouth that did not close properly prior to the patient being born. These abnormalities can make eating and speech development difficult. Plastic surgeons will often need to perform a series of surgeries to slowly repair and restore the appearance and function of the lips, nose, and mouth.

Women who have suffered from breast cancer may elect to have surgeries to repair or replace the breast tissue that was removed in order to remove the cancer to save their life. After major weight loss, many patients have excess skin folds that do not go away when the weight is lost. The extra abdominal skin can hang down like an apron and chafe surrounding skin as well as get skin infections. Plastic surgery can be performed to remove this excess skin.

Whether for cosmetic or reconstructive reasons, the surgeon’s job is the same. Their job is to help improve how someone feels about their appearance and improve function. What may seem like a minor issue to a stranger could be the only thing that patient sees when the look in the mirror. While we say beauty is only skin deep, many people have been teased or criticized for the way they look. Plastic surgery can change this if the patient desires.

The plastic surgeon can help change the outward appearance of a person to help them feel more confident and comfortable with their body. The various applications of their skills are so numerous, that it is hard to list them all. In the hands of a skilled plastic surgeon, the transformation goes far beyond appearances, helping patients reclaim their confidence, functionality, and quality of life. Thus, plastic surgeons truly can transform lives both inside and out.

Jill Kruse, D.O. is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices as a hospitalist in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org and on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show, 2 podcasts, and a Radio program, providing health information based on science, built on trust, streaming live on Facebook most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central and wherever podcast can be found.