Dr. Gregory T. Mesna, MD.
Training / Education
The specialty of plastic
surgery covers a wide range of procedures, and unlike other medical specialties which
concentrate on one particular area of the body, plastic surgeons are involved in the
reconstruction and remolding of nearly all external body structures.
Many people mistakenly believe that the specialty of Plastic Surgery
takes its name from the use of silicone and other manmade materials such as plastic to
achieve reconstructive goals. Nothing could be further from the truth. The
term plastic surgery comes from the Greek word plastikos which means to mold or
to give form. Many of the early recorded efforts in surgery were attempts to restore
normal form to body parts that had been altered due to injury. Procedures
that we would classify as Plastic Surgery today were being carried out before the birth of
Christ.
The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS)
comprises 97% of all physicians certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).
Training to become a plastic surgeon is one of the most rigorous pathways known to
medicine.In order to be a member of ASPRS, plastic surgeons must be certified by the ABPS.
ABPS certified surgeons have met the following criteria:
Unlike other physicians, ASPRS members are qualified to perform a full range of cosmetic and reconstructive surgical procedures - everything from liposuction to intricate reconstructive microsurgery.
To be board certified by the
American Board of Plastic Surgery, a doctor must graduate from an accredited medical
school, do internship and residency training in either general surgery or otolaryngology,
complete an approved residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery, practice a minimum
of two years after graduation, and pass extensive written and oral exams. These
include a review of all cases done by the surgeon in the preceding year. The process
takes approximately seven and one half years after graduation from medical school.
The reason for this extensive training is that the plastic surgeon is
one of the few medical specialists who is truly called upon to help with every part of the
body. From brain surgery, to cleft lip in infants, ear, throat, breast, malformed
genitals, injured hands, legs and feet, there is really no body part that plastic surgeons
aren't called upon to fix when other surgeons run up against difficult situations.
While many people feel that plastic surgeons spend all of their time doing
Rhinoplasties and Liposuction, that is far from the case.
In order to board certified a surgeon must be experienced in all of the
areas of plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Gregory T. Mesna, MD.
Board Certification / Training / Education