He developed a method of reconstructing nasal defects using tissue from the forehead, among other surgeries. Nasal amputation was unfortunately common in the ancient world because it was used as a form of punishment. Nasal reconstruction was one of the first procedures ever performed in the field of plastic surgery. Gaspare Tagliacozzi is the father of modern plastic surgery.
But the field has, for centuries, been driven by medical necessity -- and it has nothing to do with plastic. The discipline derives its name from the Greek word "plastikos" -- to mold or give form. And while the idea of perfecting yourself surgically is a relatively recent phenomenon, there is evidence of reconstructive surgery going back to antiquity.
The oldest-known procedures appear in an ancient Egyptian medical text called the "Edwin Smith Papyrus. As well as showing how the Egyptians treated wounds and bone fractures, the papyrus revealed a suggested fix for nasal injuries: manipulating the nose into the desired position before using wooden splints, lint, swabs and linen plugs to hold it in place.
The Egyptians occasionally used prosthetics, too: In , an ancient mummy was found to have a prosthetic toe that may have aided the woman's walking, according to researchers who tested replicas of the toe on modern-day volunteers. An illustration depicting 19th-century plastic surgery being performed on a woman with facial burns.
Whether these procedures can be considered types of plastic surgery is a matter of historical debate, according to Justin Yousef, whose research on the topic was recently published in the European Journal of Plastic Surgery. It is in India, in fact, that historians have found "the first description of reconstruction proper," he said in a phone interview. By the 6th century B. In a detailed compendium called "Sushruta Samhita," the Indian physician Sushruta -- who is sometimes called the father of plastic surgery -- outlined a remarkably advanced technique for skin grafts.
As in Egypt, the procedure involved repairing noses. But according to Yousef, patients' motives were, in a sense, cosmetic. Sushruta's technique involved constructing new noses using skin from elsewhere on patients' faces. But he basically raised the skin and the underlying fat, before transporting it to the area of the nose.
Elsewhere in antiquity, the first known cleft lip repair is believed to have been successfully carried out by 4th-century Chinese doctors. And in ancient Rome, the encyclopedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus documented a procedure whereby excess skin around patients' eyes was surgically removed. They were trying to shorten the eyelid so the hairs wouldn't reach the eye. In the ancient world, patients were usually "seeking to replace something rather than enhance their aesthetic appeal," Yousef said.
And given the pain and risks involved, going under the knife was reserved for those most in need. The needs of war. It was there that Dr. William Stewart Halsted created the first general surgery training program in the United States. With this, the U. It was not long before the U. Johns Hopkins was also home to Dr. John Staige Davis, who was considered by most to be the first American to dedicate his practice solely to plastic surgery.
In , he contributed a landmark paper to the Journal of the American Medical Association which described the role of plastic surgery within the medical establishment, again emphasizing the importance of specialization within the field. In , the time had clearly come for the publishing of a scientific journal targeted specifically for plastic surgeons.
In July of that year, the first issue of the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery became a reality. Out of the field hospitals of the Korean War came even more advances in reconstructive surgery, including internal wiring techniques to deal with facial fractures, and the use of rotation flaps to correct massive skin injuries and deformities.
The modern history of plastic surgery really started to take shape in the s and the s. There were also many significant scientific developments during this time.
Silicone was a newly created substance that was growing in popularity as a staple of certain plastic surgery procedures. Initially, it was used to treat skin imperfections. Then, in , Dr. Thomas Cronin created and unveiled a new breast implant device that was made from silicone.
Over the next decade or so, silicone implants were developed for use in just about every imaginable part of the face and body. Plastic surgeons were moving to the forefront of the medical establishment, including Dr. Hal B. Jennings who was appointed Surgeon General in , and another who won a Nobel Prize. In the s, plastic surgeons and plastic surgery advocates made a big push to expand public awareness and improve public perception of plastic surgery.
This increase in both the quantity and quality of information available to consumers, together with the economic boom of the s, began to make plastic surgery more accessible to mainstream America. Growth continued through the s, despite problems caused by healthcare reform, which caused sharp decreases in reimbursement from insurance companies for reconstructive work. Many surgeons were forced to focus more on cosmetic work in order to stay in practice, and some decided to forego reconstructive surgery altogether.
Surprisingly, the growing controversy over silicone breast implants did not seem to be deterring an ever-growing number of patients from seeking cosmetic procedures. Then, in , President Bill Clinton signed a bill that included a provision requiring insurance companies to cover the cost of post-mastectomy breast reconstruction surgery. In the s, cosmetic surgery has enjoyed an explosion in popularity, and medical advances have made possible reconstructive feats that were once only a dream of what might one day be.
In this age of accelerated communication, the internet and television have gotten in on the game, and we can now view just about any kind of plastic surgery procedure from the comfort of our own homes. Currently, the most important trend in plastic surgery is a move toward less invasive procedures designed to stave off the visible signs of aging. In fact, the most popular procedures at this time entail the use of injectable substances, such as facial wrinkle fillers and, most notably, Botox.
It is estimated that there are over 1. How much is too much, and what sort of values are we teaching through programming like this? Of course, several other shows with plastic surgery themes have followed in the footsteps of Extreme Makeover. Despite the ongoing debates about their merits, there is no doubt that people are thinking and talking about plastic surgery more than ever before in its history. We are all better educated as consumers about the potential risks and rewards of plastic surgery , and the stigma that was once attached to cosmetic surgery is falling by the wayside.
Thankfully, some of the media coverage surrounding plastic surgery has been focused on the miraculous reconstructive work that plastic surgeons are doing to improve the quality of life for those who would otherwise not have access to help. It is becoming more and more common for plastic surgeons to donate their time and considerable talents to performing reconstructive surgery on children with debilitating birth defects who live in disadvantaged parts of the world. For many of these surgeons, it is their cosmetic surgery practices that allow them to offer their services to those less fortunate young people.
These displays of altruism have helped to improve public perception of plastic surgery and to drive home the idea that reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery can work hand in hand to improve the quality of life for many. Perhaps this too is partly responsible for the staggering growth in the year-to-year numbers of people who get plastic surgery. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons. History of ASPS.
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