Manchester Plastic Surgeon Questions Answered

Are you looking for a plastic surgeon in Manchester or surrounding areas who can alter or enhance a particular part of your body?At the Manchester Private Hospital, we have a number of highly skilled and highly experienced surgeons who specialise in both cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery.

Whilst some people think that the two phrases are just different terminology for the same field, there are actually a few distinct differences between the two and each can vary quite significantly.

Although some surgeons are trained and qualified in both, on occasion a surgeon may be more suited to cosmetic surgery than plastic surgery and vice versa.

What Is The Difference Between Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery?

The main difference between a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon is:

– A plastic surgeon specialises in reconstruction of body / facial defects that may be caused by trauma, birth, diseases, a severe burn or health disorder. Plastic surgery aims to correct these defects using a reconstructive nature.

– A cosmetic surgeon uses a combination of medical and surgical techniques to alter or enhance a person’s body using a variety of skills and methods. The term ‘cosmetic’ refers to the changing of aesthetic appearance rather than something that is required.

Whilst the career paths of both cosmetic and plastic surgeons are quite similar, there are distinct differences and a surgeon may specialise in one type of surgery rather than a broad range of procedures.

What Services Do Plastic Surgeons Provide?

Plastic surgeons can often perform a multitude of surgical procedures on different body parts.

The surgeon’s ultimate goal is to reconstruct or repair tissue and skin that may be damaged or absent. This in turn enables the restoration of skin or tissue function so that it behaves as it once did or should have.

One of the common misconceptions of plastic surgery is that it is the same as cosmetic surgery due to the fact that as well as restoring function, a plastic surgeon will also focus on restoring or improving a person’s appearance, which is the grey area between the two due to the focus on aesthetics. However this is secondary to the primary aim of functionality.

Often a person who undergoes cosmetic surgery alone is otherwise healthy and simply wants a more desirable look through choice.

A plastic surgeon performs function based surgery. Examples of which include:

– Birth defects / abnormalities
– Birthmarks
– Cleft lip
– Cleft palate
– Hand repair
– Tissue damage such as cancer . tumour removal
– Burns

As well as improving functionality, plastic surgery can boost confidence, improve self esteem and help with personal quality of life overall.

How Is Plastic Surgery Performed?

Plastic surgeons perform surgery in a variety of ways using various techniques and methods. Whilst some surgeons are more experienced and skilled than others, generally the techniques stay the same.

Below are some examples of plastic surgery that are sometimes confused with cosmetic surgery, although the two can occasionally cross over:

– Tissue Expanding, where tissue in particular body parts are stretched (expanded) in order to produce more skin and reconstruct certain areas.

– Skin flap transfer, where tissue and blood vessels are transferred from one body part to another whilst still attached to the body.

– Skin grafting, where skin from a healthy body part is taken and put in place of damaged / lost skin on another body part.

– Prosthetic artificial body parts are used to replace lost parts of the body such as limbs.

– Fat transfer, where fat is removed from one area of the body and used on another.

What Are Some Cosmetic Surgery Procedures?
Plastic surgeons perform surgery in a variety of ways using various techniques and methods. Whilst some surgeons are more experienced and skilled than others, generally the techniques stay the same.

Below are some examples of plastic surgery that are sometimes confused with cosmetic surgery, although the two can occasionally cross over:

– Tissue Expanding, where tissue in particular body parts are stretched (expanded) in order to produce more skin and reconstruct certain areas.

– Skin flap transfer, where tissue and blood vessels are transferred from one body part to another whilst still attached to the body.

– Skin grafting, where skin from a healthy body part is taken and put in place of damaged / lost skin on another body part.

– Prosthetic artificial body parts are used to replace lost parts of the body such as limbs.

– Fat transfer, where fat is removed from one area of the body and used on another.

What Are Some Cosmetic Surgery Procedures?

As cosmetic surgery focuses on aesthetics, it is considered elective and procedures are performed based on a person’s wants rather than needs. These procedures include:

– Breast enlargement
– Rhinoplasty
– Tummy Tuck
– Liposuction (including Vaser)
– Facelift
– Hair transplant

If you have any questions or concerns about whether the type of surgery you are considering is classed as plastic or cosmetic, speak with us on 0161 507 8822.
We provide a pressure free environment for all patients where our friendly team of highly trained staff can assist you with your queries.