Basics of plastic surgery: possibilities of organ reconstruction
1. Big picture
Plastic surgery is the surgical specialty of restoring form and function after congenital defects, trauma, burns, tumour excision, infection, chronic wounds, or previous operations. In the exam, do not present plastic surgery as “cosmetic surgery only.” The key idea is:
Defect analysis → choose the simplest safe reconstructive option → restore function first, appearance second → prevent complications and contractures.
Plastic surgery uses a reconstructive ladder:
Primary closure → secondary healing → skin graft → local flap → regional flap → free flap/microsurgery → prosthesis/transplantation
The examiner wants you to know when to use grafts, when to use flaps, when microsurgery is needed, and what can cause reconstruction failure.
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