What is cosmetic surgery?
Duden:
If you look up the term cosmetic surgery in the dictionary, you will only find the expression: ‘surgical cosmetics’ – without any further explanation.
The word cosmetics is derived from the Greek ‘kosmetike’ and means the art of adornment.
Finally, the term cosmetic surgery is used to describe plastic surgery that seeks to correct cosmetic defects or deformities.
Brockhaus:
The Brockhaus describes cosmetic surgery as a synonym for cosmetic and aesthetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is intended to improve features of the external appearance that are perceived as unsatisfactory by the person concerned despite their organic health. This is followed by the most important paragraph: “A doctor may only call himself a specialist in plastic surgery after special training and a specialist examination. The term cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, is not protected.
The North Rhine Medical Association on the subject of cosmetic surgery.
The North Rhine Medical Association gets to the heart of the problem and misunderstandings in “Information from the North Rhine Medical Association on cosmetic surgery”. It emphasizes that the latter has developed outside the legally regulated further training law of the medical profession. It also explains that there is no public legal qualification for cosmetic surgery by the Medical Association. There is therefore no specialist for “cosmetic surgery”! With regard to the further training regulations, there is only the specialist title of plastic surgery, today: plastic and aesthetic surgery and the additional title of plastic surgery.
Further information can be found here: Information from the North Rhine Medical Association on “cosmetic surgery”
A quote from Dr. Robert Schäfer
In the Maischberger show on the subject of cosmetic surgery in 2008, Dr. Schäfer (at the time managing director of the North Rhine Medical Association) made the following statement:
“In principle, any licensed doctor may perform cosmetic surgery because the license entitles them to practice medicine without restriction.
The good qualification is usually acquired through further training, i.e. you can acquire the qualification as a plastic aesthetic surgeon. This is a six-year further training course, or you can acquire an additional qualification as a specialist in ear, nose and throat medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery.”
The facts about cosmetic surgery.
Any doctor can use the officially unrecognized term cosmetic surgeon and perform cosmetic surgery. The term cosmetic surgery therefore offers no certainty with regard to the training and qualifications of a doctor.
What is plastic surgery?
You can find a definition of plastic surgery in the article Plastic surgery. The difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery is explained. Furthermore, the pillars on which plastic surgery is based are presented.
Click here for information on cosmetic surgery in Düsseldorf.
