Plastic Surgery 101
What does “plastic” mean in plastic surgery?
From the Greek plastikos: to mold or shape.
Which procedure reshapes the nose?
Rhinoplasty.
What does DIEP stand for?
Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator.
True or false: Plastic surgery is only cosmetic.
False. It includes reconstructive care.
Which body part is reshaped in otoplasty?
The ears.
Name the two broad branches of plastic surgery.
Reconstructive surgery and aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery.
What is the medical term for eyelid surgery?
Blepharoplasty
Which muscle is generally preserved during a DIEP flap?
The rectus abdominis muscle.
True or false: All sutures must be removed.
False. Some sutures are absorbable.
What procedure corrects prominent ears?
Otoplasty.
What is a skin graft?
Skin transferred to another site without its original blood supply.
What does liposuction primarily remove?
Localized subcutaneous fat.
What can microsurgery reconnect?
Very small blood vessels and nerves.
True or false: Every breast reconstruction needs an implant.
False. Autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own tissue.
What is the medical term for a facelift?
Rhytidectomy.
What is the difference between a graft and a flap?
A flap retains or re-establishes its own blood supply.
What is another name for abdominoplasty?
Tummy tuck.
Name one common indication for skin grafting.
Covering a suitable wound after burns or trauma.
True or false: Modern plastic surgery guarantees no scars.
False. All incisions can produce scars.
Which part of the face is reshaped during genioplasty?
The chin.
What is the surgical connection of two blood vessels called?
Vascular anastomosis.
Which procedure uses abdominal skin and fat to reconstruct a breast?
DIEP flap reconstruction.
How do split-thickness and full-thickness skin grafts differ?
Split-thickness includes epidermis and part of dermis; full-thickness includes epidermis and all dermis.
True or false: Plastic surgeons can treat hand injuries.
True. Hand surgery is an important part of the specialty.
What congenital condition is repaired by cleft lip surgery?
A separation in the upper lip present at birth.