Reconstructive surgery is often used to treat defects related to internal and external parts of the body, such as birth defects, fatal accidents that led to altering the appearance or function of the body like cancer, acid attacks, etc. The surgery is also performed in order to restore bodily functions and give a deformed person a normal appearance. Its one of the commonest procedures in this world, you can be sure of that.
Many people make the mistake by thinking that these procedures are done only to the question of aesthetics. We mean, this is the most important aspect, but there are so many people who have been in some kind of accident or they’ve been born with some condition that has a negative effect on the person’s appearance. Repairing all of the in-born irregularities can have a positive effect on a wide array of different segments of a patient’s life.
The reconstructive operation cannot be considered as cosmetic operation because the purpose of the reconstructive operation is to help the person in living a better and functional life with as much ease as possible, while the cosmetic operation is typically done to shape or mold the body parts for a purely aesthetic reason or for social popularity.
So, the reason behind these procedures can be either looking for the best way to look or looking for the best way to overcome some physical limitations, both in a practical and social way. Also, it goes without saying that you are not going to be able to decide on one operation you will be interested in undergoing, without having a thorough research.
There are different types of reconstructive surgery. Some common Reconstructive Surgery includes:
- Breast Implant or reduction
- Cleft Lip and Palate Correction
- Congenital Anomalies
- Craniosynostosis Surgery
- Breast Reconstruction
- Gender Confirmation Procedure
- Giant Nevi Removal
- Hand Surgery
- Microsurgery
- Migraine Surgery
- Lymphedema Treatment
- Panniculectomy
- Regenerative Procedure
- Scar Revision
- Septoplasty
- Skin Cancer Removal
- Tissue Expansion
However, the most common reason for reconstructive surgery is cancer.
Surgery Location
The surgery can be performed in the hospital(inpatient) or can be performed at the doctor’s clinic or surgery center (outpatient). When we talk about reconstructive surgery in reference to cancer it can be performed at the same time as the cancer operation, many surgeons who perform cancer surgeries are well equipped in performing reconstruction surgeries (try looking for a board-certified doctor).
This is a perfect way of killing two birds with one stone. So, you will be able to resolve both the issue you could have due to some dangerous conditions and the aesthetics part. Thankfully, there are many doctors and clinics who could perform these for you. Sometimes the reconstruction hospital is performed at a later period due to other treatments that are being conducted in response to cancer, like chemotherapy, laser, etc
How Does Reconstruction Surgery Work?
The surgeon uses a technique called Free Flap Surgery, the tissues and blood vessels are transplanted from one part of the body to the defected part for reconstruction. Surely, we are talking about the most popular and most efficient method any doctor could choose. So, you can be sure that all of the side-effects are going to be lowered down to a bare minimum. Especially in the case where you have chosen a quality doctor.
Anyway, the stitches used to connect the blood vessels are so fine that they can only be viewed through a microscope. By doing this, the surgeon is basically making an imitation of the cells and skin from one part of the body and moving it to another one. Surely, if we are talking about one person in both of these cases, it should be said that there is no possible chance of the body rejecting the added skin.
The proper functional part where the tissues are removed from the donor part, the part that receives the tissue is called the recipient. In reconstruction, fat, muscles, or bones can also be transplanted to correct the deformity. For example, in a neck or head surgery, the jaw can get affected, so a bone from a different portion of the body is transplanted to correct the structure of the jaw. Artificial implants are also used to construct. For example, breast, knee implants.
What to Consider Before Reconstruction Surgery
Before considering reconstruction surgery your surgeon will thoroughly check your medical history, what current medication or procedures are you going through. This has the aim to discover any possible bad health conditions that can damage the patient during the procedure. Therefore, its an absolute must for every surgeon to check out the medical history of the patient before moving on with the procedure.
Reconstruction surgeries aren’t always safe and a surgeon has to consider, are the side effects worth the surgery? Will the patient survive the surgery? Will the surgery improve his ability to live better? Naturally, filling the patient in with all of the things that could happen during the process is something every doctor needs to do. If there are some dangerous situations that can emerge, the patient could be asked to sign some empowerment.
Talk to your surgeon about different types of surgery and which will suit you the best. Discuss with him how the surgery affects your daily routine and would it have any sort of permanent effect in your life. The time it takes to recover. Not every procedure requires that same amount of recovery time, but you can be sure that its way is better for the surgeon to inform you about it before the surgery starts.
All these questions should be considered before gravitating towards reconstructive surgery. Those who want to discuss reconstructive surgery can reach out to DrPotter.com, a microsurgery fellowship-trained professional. You can see that all of the most common procedures can be done here in high-quality surroundings.
In Conclusion
We’ve provided you with the most crucial information regarding reconstructive procedures. Naturally, there is a serious reason why you should undergo one of these. This is not something that’s done without a proper reason. At the same time, there are so many things people still don’t understand about these procedures. So, we’ve provided you with some of the most important things you should know about this. We hope that you’ll find our article very useful.
