While many people may be ready to get a procedure done, many potential clients in the Miami and South Florida region often wonder if plastic surgery is the same as cosmetic surgery. It is certainly a valid question and topic for discussion. Not to mention before agreeing to any type of surgical procedure you should always know enough about what you are getting yourself into before going through with it. Not to worry, you need not have your own certification from a Florida medical school to understand what each one is and how they work together.

Making Sense of the Basics

There is no true, cut and dry definition that would completely divide the two when it comes to plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery. The main thing to understand is that plastic surgery is actually the main category and cosmetic surgery falls into this subcategory as a type of plastic surgery.

The other main classification of plastic surgery procedures includes reconstructive surgery. In other words, both are a type of plastic surgery that can be defined as different category of surgery.

Generally, cosmetic surgery is a type of plastic surgery that works with a healthy body part that is being altered for cosmetic purposes. A breast lift is a good example of this because the purpose is usually not to correct or reconstruct anything. The goal of reconstructive plastic surgery is to work with a part of the body that is being surgically altered to improve the functionality or the look to aid in making it appear more "normal."

In this case, breast implants augmentation could actually be used if it were to help a woman who has lost one or both of her natural breasts to cancer. A nose job or rhinoplasty recovery is often used for either types of plastic surgery as well. While one can have a nose job as cosmetic surgery to reduce the size of the nose, another patient could be having this type of reconstructive plastic surgery to improve his or her breathing due to issues with nasal passages. So, whether you are looking for cosmetic surgery procedures in Miami or reconstructive surgery, you are still seeking a plastic surgery procedure.

Plastic Surgeon vs. Cosmetic Surgeon

Choosing a surgeon for your plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery procedures in the South Florida area, can seem a bit confusing. There are certainly many to choose from and plenty who seem to want to sell their services solely based on low cost procedures.

While it is certainly possible to find a perfectly affordable surgeon to perform your plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery procedures, you have to be careful not to take too big a gamble just to save a few dollars.

Plastic surgeons are required to have more training and experience to earn the professional title. This does not mean, however, that you cannot find a perfectly suitable, professional expert in the Florida industry of surgeons. It is important to realize that there are some plastic surgery procedures that only Board Certified Plastic Surgeons are allowed by law to perform.

Any cosmetic surgeon offering to give a discount rate on a procedure he or she is not approved or authorized to conduct should not only be avoided but should also be reported.

Keep in mind all plastic surgeons may also be cosmetic surgeons, but the opposite is not necessarily true. Always be sure you can verify the credentials of the plastic surgeon or cosmetic surgeon you are working with whether around the Ft. Lauderdale area, Miami and South Beach locations or anywhere inside or outside the state of Florida for that matter.