Five “Ds” of plastic surgery

Although there are a variety of definitions that describe plastic surgery, confusion persists in the minds of both the lay public and doctors. A common lay misconception is that actual pieces of plastic are used to repair injured tissues or placed over defects to make them appear better. On the other hand, resident doctors from specialities such as ear-nose-throat and general surgery fail to appreciate the vast scope that plastic surgery specialty entails. In recognition of this, trainee plastic surgeons are often asked to briefly define our specialty in their final exams, so that subsequent misconceptions are minimized.