COMMON AND POPULAR PLASTIC SURGERY PROCEDURES

• ABDOMINOPLASTY (Tummy Tuck)

Aesthetic surgery of the abdomen, also called abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck is designed to firm and smooth your abdomen. The procedure removes excess abdominal skin and may also reduce fat and tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. The result is a flatter abdominal profile.

The weakness of the abdominal wall is more common in females because of pregnancy or multiple pregnancies. Abdominoplasty may also be combined with liposuction and results in a lesser procedure being necessary. There are many variations in abdominoplasty and the final decision will be to tailor a procedure which is specific for the individual patient.

• BREAST AUGMENTATION (Breast Enlargement)

Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure to enhance the size and shape of a woman's breasts. There are a number of indications for this surgery:
To enhance the body contour of a woman who feels her breasts are too small.
To correct a loss in breast volume after pregnancy.
To correct an asymmetry in breast size.
For use in reconstruction of a breast following breast surgery.

Implants are placed beneath the breast or beneath the chest muscles and the breast size can be increased a cup size or more. This increase in size allows a woman to look better in clothing and to increase her choices in clothing selection.

• BREAST LIFT

Breast lift surgery, also called mastoplexy, removes excess breast skin to raise, re-shape and firm the breasts. The nipples and areolas (the pigmented skin around the nipples) are repositioned, and the areolas sometimes may be reduced in size. If indicated, implants may be inserted in conjunction with a breast lift to increase the breast volume.

• BREAST REDUCTION

Breast reduction, also called reduction mammoplasty, is designed to relieve the physical discomfort often associated with very large breasts and enhance the overall appearance of the breasts. The procedure removes excess breast tissue and skin, making the breasts smaller and firmer. The areaolas (the pigmented skin around the nipples) may be reduced and repositioned.

The weight of the heavy breasts can cause such symptoms as grooving of the shoulders where the bra straps cut into the shoulders, pain in the upper back and neck, and rashes in the area underneath the skin of the hanging breasts. The large breasts may also make a woman feel self-conscious and may restrict her activities such as sports participation.

• EYELID SURGERY (Blepharoplasty)

Eyelid surgery removes the excess fat and wrinkled, drooping skin of the upper eyelids that can make you look constantly tired or sad. It also eliminates the bags under the eyes and tightens the skin of the lower eyelid. Fat may be repositioned or removed in order to correct problems.

Often it is necessary to do a brow-lift in conjunction with an upper blepharoplasty to obtain the optimal correction of the problems. There are a number of approaches and different procedures to correct the specific individual problems of the patient.

Eyelid plasty is usually done on patients 35 years or older, however in some cases there may be a familial condition which results in indications for doing eyelid plasty at a younger age.

• FACE-LIFT

A face-lift improves the loose skin on the face and neck, tightens underlying tissues and removes excess fat. As a result, your face will appear firmer and fresher. A patient seeking a face-lift may have a deep line or fold running from the cormer of the nose to the mouth. Also, jowels or loss of a well-defined jaw line may be a problem. Deep wrinkles in the cheek and sagging of the "highlight areas of the cheekbones" can also be improved. There may be loose skin and wrinkles and verticle "cords" or excess fatty tissue in the neck.

A face-lift can improve all of these conditions but it does not make a patient look different. A face-lift should be considered as "turning back the clock". Other procedures such as correcting sagging of the forehead, removing excess skin and fatty tissue from the eyelids or perhaps laser resurfacing of wrinkled areas may be done at the same time as a face-lift.

• LIPOSUCTION

Liposuction removes deposits of excess fat from specific areas of the body or from the face and neck. It can slim the hips and thighs, flatten the abdomen, shape the calves and ankles or eliminate a double chin. Liposuction is particularily well-suited for men and women who have relatively normal weight but have isolated pockets of fat that cause certain areas of the body to appear disproportionate.While it is possible to undergo liposuction at almost any age, patients will obtain the best results if the skin still has enough elasticity to achieve a smooth contour following fat removal.

Liposuction may sometimes be used to treat a condition called gynecomastea or male breast enlargement, which frequently occurs among both teenage and adult males. Liposuction should not be considered a weight loss procedure and it is not used to treat markedly overweight
patients. Liposuction may be performed on several areas of the body at the same time. If the skin is loose or hanging it may be necessary to excise the excess skin.

• NASAL SURGERY (Rhinoplasty)

Aesthetic surgery of the nose can improve the shape, size and general appearance of your nose. The goal is a nose that looks natural and achieves a harmonious balance with your other facial features. Plastic surgeons usually recommend that patients wait until they are at least 14 or 15, and possibly older for boys, before undergoing rhinoplasty. If you are in good health there is little upper age limit for having the nose re-shaped. Often a rhinoplasty may be done in conjunction with a face-lift.

Sometimes breathing problems related to the internal nasal structures can be corrected at the same time the nose re-shaping is performed. Some fo the indications that you may be a good candidate for rhinoplasty are:

Your nose appears too large for your face.
There is a bump on the nasal bridge when viewed in profile.
Your nose seens too wide when viewed from the front.
The nasal tip droops or plunges.
The tip is thickened or enlarged.
The nostrils are excessively flared.
Your nose is off-center or crooked.
Previous injury has made your nose asymmetrical.

The patient should have a clear idea of how he or she would like their nose to look and must also realize that there are limitations to the procedure; often absolute perfection cannot be obtained.