The real reason we think plastic surgery is just boob jobs and tummy tucks

Be honest. What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the words “plastic surgery?” Breast implants? Nose jobs? Or maybe you’ll think about one of the numerous television programs out there that have featured the discipline: “Nip/Tuck?” “Botched?” “Grey’s Anatomy?” If so, you aren’t alone. Plastic surgery as a discipline is poorly understood by many, including primary care physicians, nurses, medical students and the public. Plastic surgeons perform many different reconstructive and aesthetic procedures. Many aren’t always familiar with the breadth of practice within the discipline; it is perceived largely as cosmetic, and the reason for these commonly held misconceptions has not yet been well-studied. I recently led a project on how medical students view the discipline of plastic surgery. Myself and my co-authors designed a survey that we sent to 231 medical students. We asked them which specialty was most appropriate to deal with a variety of medical conditions, most of which would generally fall under the purview of a plastic surgeon. These included brachial plexus injuries, correction of congenital craniofacial abnormalities, ectropion repair, hand fractures, breast reconstruction and burn care. Several non- plastic surgery conditions were included (e.g., inguinal hernia, shoulder dislocation) in an attempt to blind the respondents to the nature of the question. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Surgery Source Type: blogs