Plastic Surgery Developments: Another Step Forward

Nowadays plastic surgery progress permits to reshape or replace almost any part of the body or face. Through up-to-date plastic surgery methods one can change not only appearance, but even sex. For an experienced plastic surgeon human body is like an Erector Set which can be assembled, disassembled, and assembled once again using “spare parts”.

One of the latest plastic surgery developments is sentinel node biopsy – the removal of cells or tissues with the purpose of testing them and minimizing the risk of metastases formation. The accuracy of this plastic surgery method equals to 95% and it becomes quite indispensable in cancer preventing.

Another important advance is vacuum assisted wound closure during which a wound is exposed to negative pressure with the help of a vacuum pump. It forms granulation tissue at the wound's base and quickens the healing process. This procedure is applied for difficult or chronic wounds.

Thanks to the scientific progress such plastic surgery operation as microvascular free tissue transfer is also possible. The amputated parts of the body can be replanted by anastomosing the injured structures like nerves and blood vessels. Plastic surgery history knows the examples when not only divided fingers or limbs were successfully replanted, but even a head! It may seem unbelievable but this difficult operation is as realizable as another plastic surgery miracle – hand function restoration in tetraplegic patients. A box implanted under the skin in the pectoral area controls several (eight at the most) electrodes in the muscles of the hand and arm. A movement detector picks up the signals and helps to the control box to coordinate the shoulder activity.

Among the most important plastic surgery developments immediate breast reconstruction should be mentioned. This procedure is performed in patients with breast cancer and gives options for mastectomy or local excision. During a tumor removal operation a bilateral breast reduction can be performed. The surgeon restores the breast proportions depending on its size and shape. Besides that many cosmetic plastic surgery procedures like blepharoplasty, liposuction, facelift have become practical all over the world.

However, all these considerable advances wouldn't value much without being available. Fortunately today plastic surgery centers are not isolated and their services are becoming more and more affordable.