ASK THE DOCTOR
Ask the Doctor Q A
JOHN P. BROSIOUS, M.D.
People often equate plastic surgery with cosmetic surgery. But aren’t there many clinical uses for plastic surgery, as well?
Plastic surgery is actually one of the broadest fields in medicine. We are the only surgeons who operate on every body part from head to toe. We operate on every type of tissue: skin, bone, muscle, nerves, blood vessels and fat; and we operate on every age group, from newborns to the very elderly. The perception that cosmetic surgery is our primary focus is a mistaken one; it’s rooted in television shows like “Nip and Tuck” and “Extreme Makeover,” and in all the advertising for cosmetic surgery. These things have given the public a somewhat skewed view of plastic surgery. The fact is, cosmetic surgery is just a fraction of what plastic surgeons do. It’s one of many subspecialties within plastic surgery. Plastic surgery encompasses a wide range of subspecialties. Craniofacial surgery is the treatment of facial trauma, usually due to accidents and injuries, but also including the correction of congenital facial deformities such as cleft lip and palate. Treatment of burns is a major aspect of plastic surgery; we perform burn reconstructions, both acute and delayed, when there is a need for scar revision. Plastic surgeons perform many kinds of hand surgery; this is a very specialized field in which we strengthen and restore function in hands that have lost functionality due to fractures, tendon tears, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, and other conditions of the hand. There is also a subspecialty known as extremity salvage. This refers to the repair of arms and legs that have sustained severe trauma, such as open fractures and crushing injuries that damage soft tissue. We perform microsurgery or free tissue transfer; this means taking tissue from one body part and using it to repair and
restore another. Plastic surgeons do a great deal of cancer reconstruction surgery; the most common is breast reconstruction after mastectomy, but we also do a lot of reconstructive surgery for head and neck cancer. Some plastic surgeons specialize in wound care. This involves the treatment of difficult wounds such as pressure sores, which are common in paraplegics, quadriplegics, and the bedridden elderly. Wound care represents about one-fourth of my practice. And finally, there is the treatment of skin cancer, which often requires the skill and experience of a plastic surgeon. We remove skin cancer and other skin lesions, and we repair lacerations and scars, in a way that minimizes scarring. It’s a great field. I love plastic surgery and I embrace all of it. Working with the different age groups and all the parts of the body is challenging and satisfying. What we do provides both a functional and visible difference for our patients, and as surgeons we experience instant gratification in the operating room. There is no single solution in plastic surgery, no cookie-cutter approach. Each case is unique, so my approach is highly individualized to each patient’s situation and needs. n
JOHN P. BROSIOUS, M.D. Dr. Brosious earned his medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana. He completed an integrated residency in plastic surgery at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He practices with Bragdon-Stofman Plastic Surgery Group, P.C. To contact Dr. Brosious, please call 412.572.6164.
John P. Brosious, M.D.
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