Surgery is the branch of medicine that specializes in treating diseases or disorders by cutting a part of the body, removing a part of the body, or changing the body in an operation. Doctors who perform surgeries are called surgeons, and they usually specialize in one area of surgery. Surgeries can be as simple as a wart removal, and as complex as surgery of the heart or brain. When facing surgery, it is important to ask questions that will aid in familiarizing yourself with your surgeon, the hospital or outpatient center where you will be being treated, your anesthesiologist, and help you understand what will be happening as you undergo your surgical procedure.
     One of the most common types of surgery that is being done today is cosmetic surgery.  This includes such procedures as liposuction, which involves the removal of fat cells by the use of a long thin tube with vacuum like properties, breast augmentation, which is the process of enlarging the breasts by the use of saline or silicone implants, tummy tucks, which is a procedure that tightens the abdominal muscles, and does away with excess skin and fat, tattoo removal, which involves the use of lasers to remove ink from the skin, and facial cosmetic surgery, which is the process of reshaping or altering a person’s face with the aid of implants or reduction. Cosmetic surgery has been a rewarding answer for those who have struggled with birth deformities, or deformity from injuries sustained in an accident or traumatic event.  Cosmetic surgery was not a popular option, until the 20th century. It is now a widely accepted profession, and millions of people each year seek out cosmetic, or plastic surgery as it is known as, for both reconstructive and aesthetic reasons.
     A person, who specializes in cosmetic, or plastic, surgery, is called a plastic surgeon. Within the broad term plastic surgery, there are a few sub-specialties. One of these is pediatric plastic surgery. This deals with treating children who have been born with some type of disfigurement, such as cleft lip or palate, or who have sustained a deformity by way of some type of accident. Another area of plastic surgery involves treating those who have suffered severe burns. There are doctors who specialize in reconstructing the faces and bodies of those who have been scarred due to devastating burns. Hand surgery is another area I which surgical intervention can be taken. One major problem that occurs in the hand, and that surgery is frequently sought for, is carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a problem in which the median nerve which runs from the forearm into the hand becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. This begins to cause tingling and pain, and at some point can only be corrected with surgery. One lesser known type of surgery, but one that is gaining popularity, is known as body modification. This is a process in which implants are placed under the skin over all parts of the body to drastically alter looks, or different areas of the body are pierced or cut to change the way a person looks.