Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery - Description
A few definitions
Plastic surgery is a medical discipline that can be defined as "surgery of form and contour". It is not bound to a specific anatomical system: its scope ranges from surgery to the skin and underlying structures such as soft tissues to include the bones in some cases (facial bones, skull, etc).
By extension, it also has a role in:
- treatment of tumours affecting the skin and soft tissues
- treatment for the consequences of cancer (breast, face, etc.)
- treatment of burns and their consequences
- treatment of trauma involving loss of structures
- treatment of infections affecting the skin and soft tissues
- treatment of congenital malformations (which are present at birth):
- - malformations of the face (for example cleft lip and palate, malformations of the ear, etc)
- malformations affecting the breasts and trunk
- malformations affecting the hands and limbs - hand surgery
- microsurgery
- aesthetic surgery
Plastic surgery is subdivided into two main entities:
Reconstructive surgery (also called reparative surgery) and aesthetic surgery.
These two entities use similar techniques but seek to achieve different ends.
Reconstructive surgery is concerned with correcting and treating malformations (i.e. anomalies), whether these are congenital (malformations present at birth), or acquired during life (trauma, tumours, etc.).
Aesthetic surgery is concerned with correcting deformities, i.e. variations of "normal", which may be constitutional (for example a large nose, small breasts, etc) or acquired (drooping of the face with age). By definition, the services provided by aesthetic surgery are not covered by Social Security (mutual health funds) or by supplementary insurance policies.
At CHIREC
Plastic surgery is therefore a very wide-ranging discipline. Both areas, aesthetic surgery and reconstructive surgery, are practised on a large scale at the institution's four sites.
The medical and paramedical services provided to patients who are undergoing aesthetic or reconstructive surgery are personally tailored to their needs.