About Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery, in some guise, has been around since around 800 BC, when Indian physicians began performing skin grafts. However, in the mainstream, cosmetic surgery is credited to Dr John Peter Mettauer, who used his own surgical instruments to perform a cleft palate procedure in 1827. The procedure was performed in the USA, which paved the way for many other procedures to follow suit. The first book on cosmetic surgery was penned in 1907 by Dr Charles Miller.

A man named Walter Yeo was the first person to undergo plastic surgery in 1917. His surgery was performed by acclaimed surgeon, Sir Harold Delf Gillies. Details on exactly what he had done, are sketchy. Existing before and after pictures are quite blurry. We do know that Walter Yeo is known to have lost his eyelids (upper and lower) during the Battle of Jutland, so it is likely he had reconstructive surgery in this area.  

The first recording of plastic surgery is from India in 800BC, when surgeons used forehead flaps to reconstruct noses that had been amputated. It’s also documented that the Ancient Romans and Egyptians both used plastic surgery to reconstruct lip and ear defects, while also helping to make the appearance of the skin smoother and healthier.

It’s not that plastic surgery is unhealthy per se, but it comes with a wide range of complications. Choosing a plastic surgeon carefully and having realistic expectations of the end result is important. However, when done incorrectly or poorly, plastic surgery can result in extreme scarring and in the worst cases, even death. Weighing up the pros and cons carefully is vital when considering plastic surgery.

The riskiest type of plastic surgery is a body lift. In this procedure, several smaller procedures are performed simultaneously. Different body areas include the genitals, buttocks, thighs, and belly area. The aim is to improve the patient’s body shape, but the amount of work and different structures involved makes for a very risky procedure.

South Korea is known to be a popular spot for plastic surgery. Many people travel to the country because of lower prices and surgeons with excellent reputations. South Korea has the highest percentage of cosmetic/plastic surgeries worldwide. Second is Greece and then Italy. You might have assumed that the USA would be the country with the most plastic surgeries, but it actually comes in fifth on the list.