Dr. Mele is an active member of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Who is the American Society of Plastic Surgeons?
Perhaps you are familiar with the cyan circle above. It is the symbol of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The ASPS was established in 1931, by two European immigrants: Jacques Maliniac (Warsaw, Poland) and Gustave Aufricht (Budapest, Hungary), and has become the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. With over 6000 members, the ASPS has become a world wide partner in plastic surgery education, innovation and patient care.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons Membership
Membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons means your Plastic Surgeon is Board Certified and uniquely qualified to take care of a wide range of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery needs. To demonstrate our eligibility for membership, plastic surgeons have to:
- Be Board Certified (In the US by the American Board of Plastic Surgery)
- Be sponsored by current active or life members of the ASPS
- Meet specific Continuing Medical Education requirements in Plastic Surgery and Patient Safety
- Abide by the ASPS Bylaws and Code of Ethics
- Operate only in Accredited Hospitals and Outpatient Surgical Facilities (Surgery Centers)
- Maintain hospital admitting privileges in Plastic Surgery
Why not the American Society of Cosmetic Surgeons?
Plastic surgery encompasses more than cosmetic surgery. It includes a wide array of reconstructive procedures too. Did you know the first kidney transplant was performed by a plastic surgeon? ASPS member, Joseph Murray, MD, of Boston, received the 1990 Noble Prize in Medicine for his work with organ transplantation.
The society changed its name to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons from The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS) a few years back. The move was made to both simplify and unify the divergent aspects of the discipline.
The word “plastic” in plastic surgery comes from the Greek root plastikos. The word plastikos means to mold or give form, which is what we do to the body. Whether this is done for cosmetic or reconstructive reasons, it is still plastic surgery.
Why do we do Plastic Surgery?
Dr. Gaspare Tagliacozzi (1597) said it best. “We restore, repair and make whole, those parts which nature has given, but misfortune has taken away, not so much that they might delight the eyes of the beholder but that they may buoy up the spirit and help the mind of the afflicted.” In other words, we do it for you.
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