Cancer is largely preventable: Dr Anil D’Cruz(Author: Dr Leena Jain, Plastic Reconstructive Microsurgeon and Hand surgeon, Lilavati Hospital)If aesthetic surgery is the face of plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery is its soul!
Reconstructive surgery is the inconspicuous core of Plastic Surgery, of which very little is known.July 15th is celebrated worldwide as Plastic Surgery Day, commemorating the birth of Sushruta: Father of Plastic Surgery.
This July, we attempt to uncover the widespread role of reconstructive surgery: both restorative and reformative.Various subspecialties constitute ‘Reconstructive surgery’, often based on body part reconstruction or based on the surgical technique involved.
In Hand surgery, the focus is restoration of function so a person can return to his original occupation.
These small structures are joined under the microscope using micro sutures held in micro-tipped instruments to ensure tender handling of these vulnerable structures.
Cancer is largely preventable: Dr Anil D’Cruz
(Author: Dr Leena Jain, Plastic Reconstructive Microsurgeon and Hand surgeon, Lilavati Hospital)
If aesthetic surgery is the face of plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery is its soul! This soul finds solace in restoring the form and function of body parts affected by deformity, disease, or disability due to birth defects, trauma, infections, or tumors. Reconstructive surgery is the inconspicuous core of Plastic Surgery, of which very little is known.July 15th is celebrated worldwide as Plastic Surgery Day, commemorating the birth of Sushruta: Father of Plastic Surgery. This July, we attempt to uncover the widespread role of reconstructive surgery: both restorative and reformative.Various subspecialties constitute ‘Reconstructive surgery’, often based on body part reconstruction or based on the surgical technique involved. In Hand surgery, the focus is restoration of function so a person can return to his original occupation. Joining back all structures of a completely severed finger or hand, starting from bone, tendon, nerve, and finally the vein and artery ensures restoration of circulation in the amputated finger bringing it to life! These small structures are joined under the microscope using micro sutures held in micro-tipped instruments to ensure tender handling of these vulnerable structures. This scientific ballet is called Microsurgery .1: When severed fingers cannot be joined back due to the patient being unable to find it at the site of injury or due to severe damage to it, the lost finger is effectively substituted for by a toe. What better match for a finger? Toes can be transferred to reconstruct missing fingers using microsurgery.2: This same art is utilized in Peripheral Nerve and Brachial Plexus Surgery to provide nerve supply to muscles and sensations to fingertips in case of single/ multiple nerve injuries or injuries to the entire bunch of nerves called brachial plexus. Staged surgeries like nerve repair, nerve graft, nerve transfer, or muscle transfer in various combinations help patients with brachial plexus injuries to be able to bend the elbow and hold a glass of water! A similar procedure done for a non-functional urinary bladder in a young adult, soothes a patient’s agony of repeated self-catheterization, by enabling the bladder to contract like that of a normal individual. Patients with facial palsy/ Bell’s palsy also have a ray of hope through these nerve surgeries restoring their smile!Craniofacial surgery addresses deformities of the skull and face including cleft lip, palate, craniosynostosis (premature fusion of skull bones), and facial fractures, to restore functions like eating, speech, and appearance.Despite improvements in safety norms, people suffer from life-threatening burns and their sequelae. Burn reconstruction significantly improves the range of movements of affected joints by releasing contractures and resurfacing scars with normal skin reducing the stigma of the misfortune.Pediatric plastic surgery focuses on timely intervention in correcting deformities of the hand and foot, vascular and lymphatic malformations, and genital and spine anomalies ensuring normal development and social integration.Cancer reconstruction surgery works on similar lines where breasts can be reconstructed following mastectomy surgery and jaws can be reconstructed following head and neck cancer resections, enabling the patient to eat and speak in a near normal way.With this informative article, we hope to increase awareness about reconstructive surgery and its crucial role in enhancing patients' quality of life by restoring normal function, appearance, and psychological well-being.
