What is Plastic Surgery?

Whether to have plastic surgery (cosmetic or reconstructive) is an important decision. Selecting the right plastic surgeon is just as important. If you want a board-certified plastic surgeon in Jordan with the skill and training to help achieve your goals, the Jordanian Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (JSPRS) provides you with a complete list of all Board-Certified Plastic Surgeons working in Jordan.

Definition:

Plastic Surgery is the specialty concerned with Acute & Non-acute conditions which may be congenital or acquired as a result of trauma, disease, degeneration or aging in patients of both sexes & all ages.
Its aim is the restoration or improvement of function and the normalization of appearance and well being.

Objectives:

The Plastic Surgeon must have acquired & must maintain specialized knowledge relating to the diagnosis, preoperative, operative & post operative management & reconstruction where appropriate in the following areas of primary responsibility:

1. Acute trauma and/or infection involving skin and soft tissues as part of injury.
2. Maxillofacial trauma and different modalities of management.
3. Burns: thermal, electrical, chemical & radiation & their sequelae.
4. Management & reconstruction of deformities resulting from trauma both early & late.
5. Congenital deformities & diseases of the head and neck including craniofacial deformities and clefts.
6. Skin tumours, including management of regional lymph nodes.
7. Head & neck tumours, their management and different modalities for reconstruction.
8. Congenital and acquired deformities of trunk and limbs and other sites where provision of skin and soft tissue cover is a component.
9. Management of vascular malformations & hemangiomas.
10. Congenital and acquired deformities of external genitalia and their reconstruction in both sexes.
11. Skin and soft tissue problems related to spinal injuries.
12. All aspects of Hand Surgery.
13. Surgery of peripheral nerves and central nerves, specially the facial nerve and reconstruction & reanimation of facial muscles.
14. Reconstructive surgery of the breast.
15. Esthetic surgery with all its modalities including use of Lasers, suction assisted lipoplasty, and hair transplantation.
16. Prosthetic materials and their use in different areas.
17. Microsurgical techniques & use of microscope in different areas and aspects of reconstruction.
18. The plastic surgeon should be familiar with all methods of reconstruction of skin, soft tissues and bone including use of grafts, flaps of all kinds and free microvascular tissue transfer.
19. He should know how to employ endoscopic techniques for both diagnostic & therapeutic purposes.
20. The plastic surgeon should have very well knowledge of the basic sciences related to all of these.

 Training:

A) Hospitals and Institutes:

1. Hospitals should include other different surgical, specialties, General, Orthopedic, Paediatric, Neurosurgery, Genitourinary, and Chest & Vascular Surgeries. In addition to all facilities, as diagnostic radiology, laboratory & physical therapy & at least one Plastic Surgery Unit or Division with adequate number of beds for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery & Burn acute & late care.
2. The Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Unit must have at least 2 highly qualified Senior Plastic Surgeons at Consultant a level on the staff.
3. Training Program should be structured to give time for teaching and scientific activities and increasing supervised responsibility to the trainee and to encourage him to carry out projects. So the training program director and the trainee both have their duties & obligations.

B) Trainee:

1- Clinical Skills

The candidate must have capability for independent care of the patients with good knowledge of the different clinical diagnostic procedures and evaluation of the problem with competent knowledge of the body shape, contour & different measures in esthetic appearance and body shaping (image).

2- Technical skills

1. Competence in general surgical techniques and their principles.
2. Competence in all technical procedures commonly used in plastic & reconstructive Surgery
3. Ability to select the proper procedure to the clinical situation.
4. Competence in pre & post operative care.
5. To recognize his limitations.
6. Ability & orientation to the use of the different new instruments & machines.

3- Attitude     

The plastic surgeon should have:

1. A compassionate interest & understanding of the specialty and the patient as a person.
2. A good sense of form and an innate ability to make an aesthetic judgment & to perceive the result to be produced, before its realization in the material.
3. Well oriented to the needs of the specialty with its wide spectrum of the variety & good understanding of patient’s demands & satisfaction.
4. The ability to function as a member of a health care team.
5. Good understanding of the obligations of self education & teaching of others.  
6. An appreciation of research & the ability to understand the continuous scientific developments of the specialty.