Plastic Surgery has the most extensive operation catalog of all surgical disciplines. How wide our operating spectrum stretches, not even other doctors often understand, let alone patients, who almost always consider only cosmetic surgery. However , we do much more.
The job title is “Specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery”, the subject is taught Austria since 1988 as a separate discipline. Prior to this plastic surgery was only one additional area of general surgery. The specialist training lasts six years.
The specialist training includes the following subregions:
1. reconstructive surgery
2. micro surgery
3. hand surgery
4. peripheral nerve surgery
5. burn surgery (- treatment)
6. aesthetic surgery
1. Reconstructive Surgery
The reconstructive treated among others: Tissue defects caused by injury or surgery. Typical examples are lower leg fractures after motorcycle accidents, in which skin and muscle are lost and the bone is exposed, or breast cancer, if the affected breast must be removed. In both cases,the plastic surgeon “reconstructs”, in which he takesbody tissue from another region and thus covers the defect ( flap surgery ) .
2. Micro Surgery
When the operation requires the aid of a microscope, one speaks of microsurgery. It is used in plastic surgery for example for severed nerves orsmall diameter blood vessels, such as for the reattachment of a severed finger. The diameter of the suture is approximately one hundredth of a millimeter ( 0.01 mm). To learn the necessary dexterity it is necessary to train for months on rats.
3. Hand Surgery
Hand surgery includes all operations on the hand. They include corrections of congenital deformities, restoration of joints, treatment of injuries, but also the elimination of compression syndromes ( carpal tunnel syndrome, Guyon’s canal ), Dupuytren’s contracture, trigger finger and many more.
4. Peripheral Nerve Surgery
This branch of plastic surgery is owed to Prof. Hanno Millesi, who is still active to the present time and has the made nerve surgery to his life’s work. The Peripheral Nerve Surgery affects all nerves which lie outside of the skull and spinal cord.
5. Burn Surgery (- treatment)
The plastic surgeon takes over the initial treatment, the intensive therapy and all consequential operations. First, the burned skin is removed and replaced with split-skin graft or laboratory cultured skin. After healing the plastic surgeon performs corrective surgery to remove restrictions and unsightly scars.
6. Aesthetic Surgery
Aesthetic Surgery covers operations aimed at improving the appearance. This website is predominantly devoted to this branch of plastic surgery.
