Plastic surgery

Plastic surgery is a medical specialty that uses a number of surgical and nonsurgical techniques to change the appearance and function of a person's body. Plastic surgery procedures include both cosmetic enhancements as well as functionally reconstructive operations. In the former case, where aesthetics are considered more important than functionality, plastic surgery is also referred to as cosmetic surgery. Most procedures involve both aesthetic and functional elements.

Common techniques used in plastic surgery are:
- incision
- excision
- microsurgery
- chemosurgery
- electrosurgery
- laser surgery
- dermabrasion
- liposuction

In plastic surgery the transfer of skin tissue (skin grafting) is one of the most common procedures. (In traditional surgery a “graft” is a piece of living tissue, organ, etc., that is transplanted.
- Autografts: Skin grafts taken from the recipient. If absent or deficient of natural tissue, - alternatives can be: Cultured Sheets of epithelial cells in vitro or
Synthetic compounds (e.g., Integra--a 2 layered dermal substitute consisting superficially of silicone and deeply of bovine tendon collagen with glycosaminoglycans).
- Allografts: Skin grafts taken from a donor of the same species.
- Xenografts: Skin grafts taken from a donor of a different species.

Usually, good results are expected from plastic surgery that emphasizes:
- Careful planning of incisions so that they fall in the line of natural skin folds or lines.
- Appropriate choice of wound closure.
- Use of best available suture materials.
- Early removal of exposed sutures so that the wound is held closed by buried sutures.