Introduction to Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery, while not necessarily essential to physical health, can make a significant contribution to emotional well-being and self-esteem by improving the appearance of body features and therefore enhancing one's self-image and confidence. This can translate into increased enjoyment of life and improved confidence in work and social life. Cosmetic surgery can be classed as either therapeutic (to treat a feature with an abnormal appearance , often associated with dysfunction or medical symptoms), or non-therapeutic (to address concerns in those who wish to enhance or improve a normal feature for personal reasons). In appropriate candidates both forms of cosmetic surgery are now well accepted as reasonable and logical options in view of the proven benefits that successful surgery will  deliver for an individual’s life.

Therapeutic cosmetic surgery involves the correction of an area of abnormal anatomy that causes either visible deformity, or displeasing appearance in association with medical symptoms. As these therapeutic cosmetic surgery procedures are for the correction of abnormalities (i.e. medical indications), they are considered therapeutic and are therefore usually covered partly by Medicare and your private health insurance cover.

Cosmetic surgery procedures that may have therapeutic indications include:

Rhinoplasty / Nose Surgery (e.g. for severe crookedness, deformity due to injury or for nose problems causing breathing restriction), Nasal Airway Surgery (for nose breathing restriction due to a deviated nasal septum or enlarged turbinates), Otoplasty (i.e. setback of abnormally prominent ears), Breast Reduction (e.g. for neck/back pain or skin rashes under the breasts), Breast Lift (for significant breast sagging within 7 years of childbirth), Breast Implant Revision/Redo Surgery  (for non-cosmetic breast implant complications or capsules), Abdominoplasty / Tummy Tuck (e.g. for excessive tummy wall laxity causing symptoms such as back pain) and Labiaplasty.