Plastic Surgery Overview

Plastic surgery generally refers to medical operations that mold or shape human features for aesthetic or functional purposes. Contrary to what its name may indicate, plastic surgery has nothing to do with modern plastics. In this context, “plastic” is based on the Greek word “plastikos” which means to shape or mold.

Among the most common plastic surgery procedures are the following:

ABDOMINOPLASTY, more popularly known as abdominoplasty, removes excess fat from the stomach that serves to flatten and tighten the abdomen. The procedure takes two to five hours, and patients can be back in circulation after two to four weeks. Common side effects include temporary pain, numbness, pain, and swelling.

BREAST AUGMENTATION is a procedure that involves the insertion of inflatable saline implants into the breasts to increase their size. The operation takes only one to two hours and the patient recovers after a few days, although the breasts remain overly tender to the touch for three to four weeks. Common side effects include temporary pain and swelling, changes in nipple sensation, and bruising.

If breast augmentation is all about size, BREAST LIFT is all about shape and is primarily performed to lift sagging breasts by removing excess skin and sculpting the nipples and tissues. It is a one to three hour operation that sometimes leaves scars that heal after several months to a year or remain permanently. Patients often return to work in a week or so.

A SKIN CHEMICAL restores wrinkled or blemished skin by removing the skin’s major players with the use of a chemical solution. Although this is usually an outpatient procedure, a full face phenol peel requires a one to two day admission. Side effects include acute sensitivity to the sun, as well as permanent lightening of the treated area and permanent loss of tanning ability.

COLLAGEN INJECTIONS, also known as fat injections, are used to plump facial skin that has sagged due to age, as well as add volume to the lips. It is a simple operation that can take from 15 minutes to an hour and recovery is almost immediate.

DERMABRASION is a scraping procedure intended to remove facial scars or wrinkles by scraping off the top layers of skin with the use of a high-speed rotary wheel. It only takes a few minutes and patients can be back to work in a few weeks. Side effects include acute sensitivity to the sun and loss of ability to tan.