Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty con-
cerned with the correction or restoration of
form and function. While famous for aesthetic
surgery, plastic surgery also includes two
main fields: cosmetic and reconstructive sur-
gery. The word "plastic" derives from the
Greek plastikos meaning to mold or to shape;
its use here is not connected with the syn-
thetic polymer material known as plastic.
History
Walter Yeo, a British soldier, is often cited as
the first known person to have benefited
from successful plastic surgery. The photo-
graph shows him before (left) and after
(right) receiving a skin graft performed by
Sir Harold Gillies in 1917.
Reconstructive surgery techniques were be-
ing carried out in India by 2000 BC.[1]
Sushruta (6th century BC) made important
contributions to the field of Plastic and Catar-
act surgery.[2] The medical works of both
Sushruta and Charak were translated into Ar-
abic language during the Abbasid Caliphate
(750 AD).[3] These Arabic works made their
way into Europe via intermediaries.[4] In Italy
the Branca family of Sicily and Gaspare
Tagliacozzi (Bologna) became familiar with
the techniques of Sushruta.[4]
British physicians traveled to India to see
Rhinoplasty being performed by native meth-
ods.[5] Reports on Indian Rhinoplasty were
published in the Gentleman’s Magazine by
1794.[5] Joseph Constantine Carpue spent 20
years in India studying local plastic surgery
methods.[5] Carpue was able to perform the
first major surgery in the Western world by
1815.[6]
Instruments
described
in
the
Sushruta Samhita were further modified in
the Western world.[6]
The Romans were able to perform simple
techniques such as repairing damaged ears
from around the 1st century BC. Due to reli-
gious reasons they didn’t approve of the dis-
section of both human beings and animals,
thus their knowledge was based in its en-
tirety on the texts of their Greek prede-
cessors. Notwithstanding this Aulus Corneli-
us Celsus has left some surprisingly accurate
anatomical descriptions, some of