Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is a medical specialty concerned with surgically altering the physical appearance. The specialty branches into two main fields: cosmetic to approximate a desired appearance and reconstructive to improve function impairments.

The surgery is performed to correct functional impairments caused by:

• burns
• traumatic injuries, such as facial bone fractures
• congenital abnormalities, such as cleft lip, or cleft palate
• developmental abnormalities
• infection or disease
• removal of cancers or tumors, such as a mastectomy for a breast cancer, a head and neck cancer and an abdominal invasion by a colon cancer

Plastic surgeons developed the use of microsurgery to transfer tissue for coverage of a defect when no local tissue is available. Tissue flaps of skin, muscle, bone, fat or a combination may be removed from the body, moved to another site on the body and then reconnected to a blood supply by suturing arteries and veins.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and The Chester County Hospital

For more information about plastic and reconstructive surgeons on the Medical Staff at The Chester County Hospital and Health System, call our Physician Referral Service at 610.738.2300 or visit the Find a Doctor section of our website.

Last Updated: 2/22/2013