The History of
Plastic Surgery

Most people probably think of plastic surgery as a modern development, but while plastic surgery has experienced increasing popularity in recent years, the practice of plastic surgery has a long and fascinating history.

Ancient India and the Sushruta Samhita

The earliest mention of plastic surgery in written text is in the Indian surgical text Sushruta Samhita, which is thought to have been written no later than 600 BCE and possibly as early as 1000 BCE.

This text describes many plastic surgery procedures that are still in frequent use, including techniques for grafting skin and procedures for changing the structure and appearance of facial features such as rhinoplasty (nose reconstruction), Cheiloplasty (lip reconstruction), and otoplasty (ear reconstruction).

Plastic surgery in ancient Rome

The practice of medicine in ancient Rome was quite advanced, using surgical tools and techniques that are strikingly similar to those used as late as the 19th century.

Texts from Rome dated to the first century BCE describe a number of fairly advanced plastic surgery procedures, including reconstructive surgery, growth removal, and skin grafting, primarily to repair defects that were a result of injury or illness.

Modern history of plastic surgery

Developments in plastic surgery waned considerably during the Middle Ages, only picking up again during the early Modern period, from approximately the 15th century and continuing to the modern day.

During these periods, many new developments allowed cosmetic surgery and other plastic surgery to thrive including:

• Ongoing developments in anesthesia that allowed patients to undergo elective procedures without the severe pain often associated with such surgeries in the past.
• Improvements in our understanding of germ theory and hygiene improved surgeons' abilities to conduct procedures with less risk of serious illness, injury, or death to the patient; making surgical procedures to correct moderate and even minor physical abnormalities more feasible.

While elective surgery was still relatively rare until approximately the 19th century, these developments allowed plastic surgeons to correct serious malformations and injuries, and these procedures, in turn, contributed to our understanding of the intricacies and the significance of surgically modifying our appearance.

Around the early 19th century, the practice of plastic surgery experienced a resurgence, leading to improvements that allowed surgeons to correct common birth defects such as cleft palates and cleft lips with relatively little difficulty.

Advancements in plastic surgery continued as veterans of World Wars I and II arrived home, often with disfiguring injuries from burns, bullet wounds, and other causes; plastic surgeons developed new tools, materials, and techniques for rebuilding and reshaping the features safely and effectively.

Plastic surgery today

Today, plastic surgery is one of the fastest growing fields of medicine, both in terms of adoption and advancement of the practice. As the tools and techniques used for plastic surgery continue to improve, more and more people are turning to plastic surgery to improve cosmetic and other problems and plastic surgeons continue to hone their skills and improve the materials and technologies used in plastic surgery.

To learn more about recent developments in plastic surgery procedures, and what plastic surgery has to offer you, please call or email our Chicago Cosmetic Surgeon today to schedule your initial personal consultation.