What is the difference between a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon and the surgeries each does?
Cosmetic surgery is done to enhance or change a healthy, normal functioning part of the body. Only the patient’s desire for physical improvements necessitates cosmetic surgery. After medical school, internships and residences, a plastic surgeon receives extensive training in general surgery and, often, in reconstructive surgery, a field of surgery that restores function to abnormal, damaged, diseased or burned body parts. Moreover, a board-certified plastic surgeon represents about 14 years of training whereas a cosmetic surgeon may typically have only an extra year of training.
