A Long History of Reconstructive Surgery

Reconstructive surgery techniques were being practised in India as early as 800 BC. Sushruta, an ancient Indian physician, made important contributions to plastic and cataract surgery as far back as the 6th century BC — making India one of the earliest homes of this science.

The surgical definition of "plastic" first appeared in the West in 1839, long before the word came to be associated with the engineering material of the same name.

Why Oculoplasty Differs From General Plastic Surgery

Oculoplasty is treated as a distinct discipline because the tissues around the eye behave differently from tissue elsewhere on the body:

• The delicate tissues of the globe of the eye demand a different surgical approach than general facial or body tissue.
• Tissue behaviour around the eye — healing, scarring, and elasticity — differs from general tissue.
• An ophthalmologist's training and mindset bring a vision-first approach that general plastic surgery training does not provide.