Difference between Reconstructive Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery
The two types of surgical treatments, Reconstructive Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery both fall under the category of plastic surgery. The major difference that comes in them is that the Reconstructive Surgery is used as a medical treatment for any abnormal or damaged body part. Cosmetic Surgery is more of a personal choice. It is done for better physical appearance.
In case of Reconstructive Surgery, there may well be a serious threat to life if this surgery is not done. There can be a damaged organ at the time of birth or due to some accident that doesn’t function in a normal manner to its treatment is mandatory. In case of Cosmetic Surgery, there is no threat to life at all. If you have scars on your face, it affects your personality but there is no threat what so ever to your life. So it depends upon the choice of the person to look different than his normal appearance.
Reconstructive Surgery is a much longer process and can take few hours to complete. The healing process is even longer where it might take several months for the body part to come into its normal state. Cosmetic Surgery takes a couple of hours in most of the cases. The patient is fully recovered within one or two weeks. So the recovery time for this surgery is less as compared to Reconstructive Surgery.
Reconstructive Surgery is much more complex as compared to Cosmetic Surgery. Since there might be skin grafting involved in this case, it is certainly more painful. The patient might be in a very uncomfortable state after some days of the completion of this surgery. Whenever skin grafting is involved, make your mind that the process will be a longer and complex one. There is no easy way out. Skin grafting might be simpler in some cases but most of the time it is very painful and teasing treatment. Cosmetic Surgery is not that much complex. Here patient feels no or very little pain afterwards. There are very less risks involved like bleeding or infections.
Since both of them a part of plastic surgery, a great care needs to be taken after the surgery is done. Acting upon the doctor’s advice will help you recover in a few days time. Otherwise you might trap yourself into further trouble after going through any of these surgeries.