World Plastic Surgery Day is observed on July 15. India has a long legacy in this field with varied advancements made over the years
DR. DHARMESH J B
As a plastic surgeon practicing in 21st-century India, I often find myself reflecting on a lineage that stretches far beyond modern medicine. Indeed, the theme for World Plastic Surgery Day this year — ‘Plastic Surgery: From Sushruta to the 21st Century India’—is not just a look back at history but a proud tribute to India’s enduring contribution to global surgical science.
In the sixth century BCE, the great Indian sage and physician Sushruta wrote the ‘Sushruta Samhita’, one of the earliest texts on surgery. It described over 300 procedures, including early forms of plastic surgery like rhinoplasty using forehead flaps—a technique still reflected in modern reconstructive practices. His teachings laid the foundation for what is today one of medicine’s most innovative and versatile fields.
Reconstructive excellence
Modern reconstructive plastic surgery in India addresses a wide spectrum of conditions—restoring both function and form. Plastic surgeons manage traumatic injuries, congenital deformities, cancer reconstruction, burns, and more.
Hand and microsurgery are critical for restoring movement and sensation after accidents or birth defects. Procedures such as brachial plexus surgery and peripheral nerve repair offer hope to patients with serious nerve injuries.
In craniofacial and maxillofacial surgery, conditions like cleft lip and palate, facial asymmetries, and post-traumatic facial defects are corrected with the help of virtual surgical planning and 3D modeling, significantly improving outcomes.
In oncologic reconstruction, especially after breast, head and neck, or skin cancer, surgeries are becoming more personalised. Techniques like microsurgical free tissue transfer, regional flaps, custom implants, and stereognathic technology allow for precise restoration of complex anatomical areas such as the jaw and face.
Burn surgery
Burn care in India has evolved tremendously. Specialised Burn ICUs across the country now provide intensive care to patients with severe burns. Early excision and grafting, the use of bioengineered skin substitutes, and the expansion of skin banks have improved survival rates and reduced complications. Plastic surgeons also perform burn contracture release surgeries, which restore movement and improve appearance—significantly transforming the quality of life for burn survivors.
Trauma, and dialysis access
As a plastic surgeon, I remember the tension in the operating room when a severely injured patient arrives—often from a road accident or industrial incident. In these critical moments, we step forward to reconstruct shattered faces, save traumatised limbs, and restore lives. Using composite flaps, 3D planning, and interdisciplinary teamwork(orthopedics, neurosurgery, and general surgery teams), it is incredibly fulfilling to transform life-threatening injuries into stories of survival and resilience with restored body and renewed hope —a testament to the power of modern reconstructive surgery.
Plastic surgeons also create arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) for patients with chronic kidney disease—enabling safe and long-term hemodialysis access.
Confidence and transformation
On the aesthetic front, plastic surgery is helping people look and feel their best with safe and sophisticated techniques. Popular facial procedures include facelifts, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), rhinoplasty (nose reshaping), and minimally invasive rejuvenation with botox, dermal fillers, fat grafting, and thread lifts.
Breast surgery in India is both restorative and cosmetic, including augmentation with silicone implants, reduction, reconstruction after cancer, and gynecomastia correction in men.
Body contouring is a fast-growing field. Procedures like liposuction, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), and postpartum makeover help reshape the body after weight loss, pregnancy, or aging. Technologies like ultrasound- and radiofrequency-assisted lipolysis have added precision, sculpt with incredible detail and improve recovery times. In each case, highest standards of medical ethics and safety, and patient-centered care remain central.
Lymphatic surgery and vascular anomalies
Lymphedema, characterised by the accumulation of lymphatic fluid leading to swelling, can impair a patient’s quality of life. Advances in lymphatic surgery have brought new hope to patients with lymphedema. Microsurgical procedures, such as lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) and vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT), use ultra-fine microsurgery techniques to improve lymph drainage and reduce swelling. Plastic surgeons also play a major role in treating vascular anomalies, which include abnormal growths of blood vessels. These are managed using a combination of laser therapy, sclerotherapy, and surgical removal—helping patients, especially children, lead healthier and more confident lives.
Aligning identity with form
Plastic surgeons also offer facial feminisation, masculinising chest surgery, and genital reconstruction—supporting individuals in aligning their physical selves with their gender identity, with dignity and care.
Emerging technologies
Laser technology is used in both reconstructive and aesthetic procedures. Lasers like CO₂, Er:YAG, and pulsed dye target wrinkles, scars, pigmented lesions, and vascular conditions with high precision and minimal downtime. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is gaining importance. By delivering high-pressure oxygen to the tissues, HBOT speeds up healing, reduces infection, and improves outcomes in chronic wounds, burns, and post-surgical recovery.
The road ahead
With breakthroughs in robotics, 3D printing, AI-assisted planning, and regenerative medicine, plastic surgery in India is not just keeping pace—it is helping set the pace globally. What was once unthinkable is now standard in many tertiary centers across the country.In every scar we soften, every limb we restore, and every face we reshape, this shared tradition is reaffirmed. We do more than repair tissue—we restore identity, confidence, and quality of life. As we honor Sushruta—the world’s first surgeon, we also celebrate the living legacy carried forward by dedicated plastic surgeons who, through each procedure, keep the spirit of innovation, compassion alive.
(The writer is a plastic surgeon at Goa Medical College, Bambolim)
