The prevalent misconception linked to plastic surgery is that it is only intended for cosmetic purposes. However, this is far from the truth. Plastic surgery has fundamental roots based on the foundation of care, and for decades has been utilized to correct damage caused by disease or repair disfigurement caused by accidents.
The practice of improving one’s physical appearance is an ancient one. There have been records that prove medical treatments have been utilized to correct facial injury as early as 4,000 years ago. However, it wasn’t until the late 1800s and early 1900s that plastic surgery became more acceptable in society and the practice truly began to develop into what we see today.
Due to the ravages of battle specifically around World War I, it was discovered that plastic surgery was a much needed practice. The rapid advancements in weaponry resulted in soldiers becoming horribly disfigured by weapons they had never faced before. Brave men often found themselves coming home to a populace that shunned them from society due to their deformities.
Fortunately, there were skilled doctors who were able to rectify these disfigurements. By utilizing plastic surgery, surgeons were able to reconstruct a soldier’s face enough for him to be recognized by family and friends when he returned from battle. These medical professionals were able to save many men that were able to survive the horrors of war, but not the social stigma that followed.
Although plastic surgery has evolved over time, there are still cases when a patient requires this service as a result of an accident or an illness that has left his or her face disfigured in some way. Dr. Jhonny Salomon has personal experience with surgeries of this nature as he has participated in various charitable programs centered on assisting those with disfigurement. Dr. Salomon has traveled to countries such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic to perform cleft lip and palate repair surgery on adults and children.
These acts of kindness show how important the field of plastic surgery truly is. The profession is one that is necessary for much more than cosmetic purposes, and because of it many people have found the self-confidence they were missing.