Plastic surgery is a term which covers various techniques employed by surgeons to correct physical abnormalities and improve the appearance of the patient. This is a practice which has a very long history - it has been practiced in some form or another for thousands of years. Plastic surgery used to be an exceedingly rare practice, but has now become a very common part of our lives.



There is documentation of plastic surgery procedures as far back as 2000 BC. In antiquity, plastic surgery was almost exclusively done to correct battle injuries or congenital defects, such as in the unfortunate event of a soldier having lost an ear in battle. Since anesthetic was unknown at the time, plastic surgery was not something done on a whim - the ancients were not dashing off to their plastic surgeons for a quick nip and tuck over the weekend.

The earliest historical records which we find pertaining to plastic surgery hail from India, where it had been practiced for millennia. British colonists were introduced to the procedure and their surgeons studied with Indian physicians. Dr. Joseph Constantine Carpue was one such surgeon, studying plastic surgery in India for two decades, eventually bringing the knowledge he had gained back to the west. Dr. Carpue performed the first documented plastic surgery in the western world in 1815. Sr. John Peter Mettauer brought plastic surgery to the United States shortly thereafter, performing the first plastic surgery in the United States in 1827 with his own custom surgical instruments.

Plastic surgery has made great strides since then, with a variety of procedures having become common. Now that anesthesia is in use, plastic surgery has become a very common occurrence. The more common plastic surgery procedures currently performed are lip injections, breast implants, dermabrasion, liposuction and laser surgery. To eliminate stretch marks, sagging areas of the skin, excess fat or hair has several procedures available to them. Always consult with a licensed plastic surgeon before undergoing any such procedure -they can tell you which procedure is best for your situation and indeed, whether or not any procedure is warranted.

The United States now boasts some of the most talented plastic surgeons in the world. While the practice was developed in India, the United States now holds its own in the area of talented plastic surgeons. In fact, Chicago is one area of the United States that is known for great plastic surgeons. If you're in Chicago cosmetic surgery is only a qualified phone call away.