Evolution of Plastic Surgery

July 14, 2022

The earliest mention of plastic surgery done is at the dawn of time when God after creating man, caused a great sleep to come over him. He then removed a rib from the man and created a woman out of that. Though no one can comprehend the procedure, it can definitely be concluded that the foundation of General Anesthesia and Plastic surgery, was laid at that point in time by the Divine Creator Himself.

Travelling down further in the annals of time, it is indeed a matter of pride for us at while the great philosophers of the west, like Plato, Aristotle etc. were busy putting forth postulations and deriving abstract conclusions, great Indian Sages/Surgeons like Sushrutha and others, were performing the practical part of operative surgery, especially the branch of reconstruction and re-modelling of deformed or destroyed parts of the human body.

Unfortunately, the momentum was not sustained and it is a fact that plastic surgery techniques improved and flourished in the west and has grown exponentially in the last several decades, more so after the huge causalities of the World Wars. Thanks to the increased communication facilities and exchange of ideas and wide consultations, this speciality has advanced and is practiced with equal expertise and success in many countries of the world, especially in India; the country of its origin. In this context, it is very much proper & appropriate that ‘The Indian Plastic Surgery Day’ is also recognized and celebrated as ‘World Plastic Surgery Day‘.

The word Plastic is derived from the Greek language ‘ plasticos’ which means, to mould or shape. This word describes the speciality, which has two main fields, Cosmetic and Reconstructive.

Aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery as the name implies is the branch wherein a person’s appearance or beauty is enhanced using various surgical or non-surgical techniques. Procedures like tummy reduction, breast lifts, hip reduction, problems of face etc. are commonly performed. Though only available to the elitist and affluent society a few decades ago, now the expertise is availed by all age groups, cutting across social, gender and economical barriers.

Reconstructive surgery forms the major bulk in the practice of Plastic surgery. Though the general public is not fully aware, this branch deals with the reconstruction and re-modelling of various body parts that have been mutilated by disease, trauma, severe burns, industrial accidents, or even after extensive cancer-clearing surgeries. Re-attachment of severed fingers, hands and other body parts are routinely done, here. Treatment of birth defects and thus restoring the deformed face or an abnormal limb of a newborn baby, management of large life-threatening wounds with infections, diabetic feet, and bed sores all come under the purview of plastic surgery. With the latest equipment available and techniques and skills imbibed, the plastic surgeon today can tackle any seemingly impossible problem and restore structure and function to a great extent, thus helping the unfortunate patient lead a near-normal, non-dependent life.

Although Plastic surgery has developed by leaps and bounds, advances will remain subject to technological progress and more importantly the skill of the surgeon. The practice of Plastic Surgery is need-based, patient-specific and incorporates path-breaking ideas and ongoing, on-the-spot innovations to suit every need and situation. Whereas every other surgical speciality is restricted by area or disease, plastic surgery encompasses the entire body and tries to improve both structure and function of any salvaged part in unison with the rest of the body which is after all the purpose & plan for man in all his complexity and completeness.

 

 

 

By Dr Thomas Joe
Dr Thomas Joe, consultant - Plastic And Cosmetic Surgery, KMC Hospital, B R Ambedkar Road, Mangaluru.
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Comment on this article

  • Rita, Germany

    Fri, Jul 15 2022

    It looks like there is no end and no beginning in plastic surgery.Young people are so fond of it Pull here pull there ,cut here and repair there.Why you waste your valueable time in this surgery I ask.Lacs of rupees are wasted on this ..Even repairing all these parts,you see like Barbie Doll.Men too are not sitting back .They have different decisions .Sure sometimes when women or men doesnt feel well in her finger or toe ,that will be dont not by other parts.When people suffer from unnatural looks or have to be operated when some parts dont fillup their duties.That make sense.Today all stars ,teenies too are back of advertisement to show off their parts to others.In future we see more people designing their body as they want ,but not necessarily good.


Leave a Comment

Title: Evolution of Plastic Surgery



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.