On Veterans Day, we honor those who have served in our military.  The sacrifices and dedication of our service people cannot be ignored.  It is fitting that we take a day to recognize those willing to fight to preserve our way of life, and to never take it for granted.

Interestingly, the field of plastic surgery really had its beginnings during the World Wars, where advanced techniques were needed to reconstruct the horrific injuries that modern weaponry inflicted upon our troops.

The innovations of the founders of plastic surgery in the modern era started the ever expanding role of our specialty to include virtually the entire body.  This extensive and comprehensive training in surgery and anatomy and physiology makes us the specialty with the most variations in surgical sites, and has lead to so many breakthroughs in other medical specialties.  The reconstructions that plastic surgeons can offer lets cancer surgeons be more complete in removing tumors and allowing function afterwards.

Cosmetic plastic surgery is a byproduct of all of the wonderful reconstructive procedures developed by our specialty, and I am grateful for all of the efforts of those who came before, as well as for the training I received to be the surgeon that I am today.

To our military veterans as well as the plastic surgery pioneers who saved their lives, I thank you for your service.