When you hear plastic surgery, you might think of high-priced procedures that make celebrities look more glamorous. However, plastic surgery encompasses a wide range of surgical procedures.
Cosmetic surgeries include breast augmentation, liposuction, and facelifts. Reconstructive plastic surgery aims to improve function and restore a normal appearance to body parts that injuries or cancer treatments have damaged.
Facial
Facial plastic surgery procedures focus on reshaping the face, chin, and neck to change its appearance, repair traumatic injuries, or improve the result of a congenital disability. It also reverses aging by tightening lax skin and removing wrinkles, crow’s feet at the corners of the eyes, forehead lines and wrinkles, and a double chin.
These procedures include blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), rhinoplasty, otoplasty (“ear surgery”), genioplasty (chin augmentation), submental lipectomy (“double chin surgery”), and facial implants. They also include gracilis muscle-free tissue transfer, which involves taking a section of the gracilis muscle — a tough, flexible connective tissue that runs along the inside of the thigh — and attaching it to the masseteric nerve in the cheek. This helps improve chewing and smiling functions.
Other cosmetic facial plastic surgery techniques include chemical peels, dermabrasion or dermaplaning — the controlled removal of the upper layer of skin using a wire brush or diamond fraise — and micropigmentation, which is the injection of natural pigment into the skin to create the effect of makeup.
Body
Regarding body Bellevue plastic surgery, the most common procedures are breast augmentation and liposuction. However, there are a variety of other surgical and nonsurgical procedures that can help you feel comfortable in your skin in 2023.
Cosmetic (or aesthetic) body procedures include making the breasts larger or smaller, reshaping the nose, and removing pockets of fat from specific body areas, such as the thighs and buttocks, arms, abdomen, and waist. These procedures aim to make the patient more satisfied with their appearance.
A few of the most popular facial and body cosmetic procedures include rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), otoplasty/ear pinning, and neck lift. These surgeries can be performed individually or combined into a custom package to save on surgeon, operating room, and anesthesiologist fees. Combining operations also allows the body to heal more quickly, and patients can see results sooner than if they underwent these procedures separately.
Breast
Many associate breast plastic surgery with women seeking a more extensive “boob job.” While cosmetic procedures are common, reconstructive plastic surgeries often restore form and function after injuries, tumors, or disease.
In autologous breast reconstruction, tissue containing skin, fat, and blood vessels (and sometimes muscle) is taken from other body parts and used to rebuild the breast. The surgeon then connects this new tissue to a pair of arteries and veins that penetrate the abdominal muscles, creating a flap.
The patient then chooses a breast implant—structured saline or silicone—that fits inside this pocket. Saline implants are filled with sterile saline, while silicone implants have an outer shell of a solid gel. The implant can be placed above or under the chest muscle, depending on many factors, including patient anatomy and surgeon preference.
Nose
Rhinoplasty (nose surgery) can change the size and shape of your nose. It can also help balance your face and improve your breathing. It can address problems with the nostrils and septum, including a deviated septum. It can correct nasal injuries and congenital disabilities.
A rhinoplasty can be either elective or cosmetic. Cosmetic rhinoplasty is done for beauty purposes, while medical rhinoplasty is often done to treat a nasal deformity such as a hump or crooked nose.
Most rhinoplasty procedures are closed, meaning all incisions are made inside the nose. There are also open techniques that involve a small incision in the area between the nostrils. This can create a mild scar, but it heals well and is hidden from view. If additional cartilage is needed to augment the nose, it can be grafted from your ear or ribs or obtained from an approved cadaver. After your surgery, you may have absorbent dressings or plastic splints in your nose to protect and support the new structure.
