Plastic surgery includes two broad fields, namely cosmetic (or aesthetic) and reconstructive surgery. Cosmetic surgery is performed to enhance the appearance of a person, who finds his/her body parts, though otherwise fully functional, to be unattractive. Thus cosmetic surgery is performed with a purely aesthetic intent. On the other hand, reconstructive surgery focuses on concealing the destructive effects of trauma, disease or accident. That is, it strives to improve function and impart a standard look so the patient may lead a normal life. Reconstructive surgery is a way of veiling defects by using skin implants and tissue flaps. Either local tissue is used or tissue is transferred from another part to the problem area. Reconstructive tissue flaps comprise of skin, muscle, fat, bone or a combination of these elements. The most common reconstructive surgery is to cover the defects of burn survivors and other accident victims. Another common reconstructive surgery is breast reconstruction for women who have had mastectomy – surgical removal of one or both breasts, either partially or completely. Mastectomy is performed to combat breast cancer, or to circumvent the disease if a woman is at a high risk of acquiring it. Rhinoplasty may also be considered as a reconstructive procedure if the extent of damage to the nose cartilage and bone is rather grave. In such a case, tissue is moved from another body part and grafted in the damaged area. One of the most prevalent uses of reconstructive surgery can be found in the field of professional contact sports. Players are likely to suffer injuries during vigorous contact sports, and such injuries can only be treated by reconstructive surgery. Though rare, sexual reassignment surgery is another example of reconstructive surgery. There is a certain gray area between cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, and distinguishing one from another can be confusing at times. But in a gist, reconstructive surgery is usually performed to correct an abnormality, and not to enhance an otherwise normal appearance.
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Making the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery can be an overwhelming and life-changing decision. However, the question of choosing the right surgeon for the job can leave you equally perplexed. There is no dearth of cosmetic surgeons, but it is imperative that you chose a surgeon with loads of experience in the field of cosmetic surgery. You may find an expert surgeon in your vicinity, or you might have to travel a few hundred miles in your quest for the best. But the initial botheration will surely yield fruitful results. To expedite your search for an expert cosmetic surgeon, it is crucial that you crosscheck their credentials prior to undergoing surgery. Check if they are certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or some other prominent cosmetic surgery board. You could crosscheck your state’s medical board to verify the surgeon’s credentials. Having narrowed down on one or two superlative surgeons it is time for an elaborate consultation. The most common aspects that you may focus on during an initial consultation are as follows:- – You may inquire about the cosmetic surgeon’s area of expertise. – Ensure that the surgeon has performed a substantial number of cosmetic surgery procedures. – Make sure that the surgeon wields the best technological equipment available. – If price is a factor, check if the expenses incurred meet your budget. – Ask the surgeon for pictures of his/her earlier patients, depicting both pre and post-surgery images. – Cosmetic surgery, like any other surgical procedure, involves risks and complications. The surgeon must not dismiss the risks of surgery, and should be willing to discuss any possible complication of cosmetic surgery. – Most importantly, ensure that the surgeon will be actively involved in post-operative care. – And finally, shun away any sales gimmicks or unrealistic bargains. On the whole, an excellent result largely depends on the expertise of the cosmetic surgeon. Hence, choose a surgeon with discretion, since a successful cosmetic surgery could give you a huge boost.
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If you thought cosmetic surgery was reserved for Hollywood stars, you’re out of sync with the times. Nowadays it’s become a surprisingly affordable lifestyle choice for people from all walks of life. Here’s a look at some of the more common cosmetic procedures to help you decide if cosmetic surgery is for you.
Essentially, cosmetic surgery is a surgical procedure carried out to improve a person’s appearance. As such, it can be applied to any part of your body. But the most common are the various regions of the face, the breasts and the waist. Let’s look at each in turn.
The most famous facial surgery procedure is the facelift (rhytidectomy). The objective is to tighten up skin and smooth out the lines and wrinkles that time etches on your face. The end result is a more youthful appearance.
The second most common is the nose job (rhinoplasty). This works to bring balance to the face by changing the shape of your nose, by making it wider or narrower, for example. It’s also used to remove bumps in the nose.
Then there’s eye enhancement. This procedure centres on removing unsightly bags under the eyes.
Lesser known is ear surgery. This is for people who feel their ears are too prominent. The operation adjusts the shape of the ear cartilage so that the ear lies closer to the head.
Next is breast surgery which involves altering the size and/or position of the female breast. The most sought after procedure is breast enlargement which is achieved through implants. Another popular procedure is the uplift which corrects sagging breasts. Finally there’s breast reduction for women who suffer from back or shoulder pain due to excessive breast weight.
Finally, body surgery involves ways to improve the shape of the body, particularly the waist. The two most popular procedures here are tummy tucks and liposuction. The tummy tuck involves removing folds of overhanging skin and fatty tissue from around the midriff to give that smooth, tight, youthful look. For moderate weight reduction, liposuction is available. This involves the selective removal of fat cells by vacuum suction through a small metal tube inserted into the affected areas.
These are the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures. But in addition to the above, there are also more specialized procedures such as weight loss surgery, cosmetic surgery for men and anti-aging cosmetic surgery. Your surgeon can give you details of these.
In deciding whether to go ahead with cosmetic surgery, the first step is to consult a surgeon to determine whether you are a suitable candidate. The surgeon will take many factors into account such as your age, state of health, skin texture, bone structure and healing ability. Though most cosmetic surgery procedures are safe and carried out under local anaesthetic, there are risks involved and your surgeon will make you aware of them.
Another key factor is how realistic your expectations are about the results of your surgery. If you’re expecting to be transformed into a clone of Julia Roberts, you’re probably setting yourself up for disappointment. Results tend to be subtle rather than transformational and it’s important to remember this. However, they can be life changing too.
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If you are considering surgery to change your appearance, you should know about plastic surgery from both a historical and current point of view. Overview of Plastic Surgery As an elective surgery, plastic surgery often doesn’t get the objective coverage it should. Proponents crow about the positive effects while critics argue the opposite. Rarely does either group actually quote any undisputables about plastic surgery. Well, we do in this article. Plastic surgery has a long history. Susrutha, an Indian surgeon, is the first known plastic surgeon, providing nose reconstruction services in the 8th century BC. The Romans were known to perform plastic surgery procedures to alter the appearance of ears. John P. Mettauer is generally agreed to be the first plastic surgeon in the United States, practicing in the 1820s. Plastikos is the base word for plastic surgery, meaning to mold something in Greek. In more modern times, plastic surgery has come on strong as a method for changing appearances. The most common procedures with most popular first are liposuction, breast surgery, nose reshaping, eyelid lifts, tummy tucks and facelifts. In the last ten years, the number of plastic surgery procedures has quadrupled as the specialty has gained greater acceptance and publicity on television shows. When one thinks about plastic surgery, most assume it is women having their appearances modified. In general, this is true. Roughly 80 percent of all plastic surgery patients are women, but the demographic is starting to change. While 20 percent of patients are now men, the figure is growing. Like women, men seek liposuction, nose reshaping, tummy tucks, and lifts. No, they don’t go in for breast enlargements, although breast reductions are growing in popularity. Somewhat controversial, teenagers are getting plastic surgery in growing numbers. Individuals under 18 most often focus on procedures related to the skin, with skin peels and microdermabrasion procedures accounting for more than half of all procedures. Historically, plastic surgery was a relatively uncommon procedure. As this overview reveals, media exposure and lower prices mean that is simply no longer the case.
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Considering getting traditional liposuction? Well, if you are, you might want to reconsider because with the amount of pain and downtime you go through, traditional liposuction isn’t worth it. You see, if you go through traditional liposuction, you’re not going to be back on your feet and to work for up to two weeks and two weeks is a long time to be out of commission. And most activities considered strenuous are off limits for up to a month. A month! That’s a huge chunk of time that you’ve been unable to work, move around, and even work out! And that’s more than just a hassle when you consider everything you’d be able to do in that time, and all that you’ll be missing out. But what can you do? If you want the quick and impressive results that traditional liposuction gives you, you have to take the good and the bad and the bad, in this case, being a month or more of restricted living. But now, there’s another option one that puts much less of a strain on your life. SmartLipo is a new process using a system of lasers to give the same results of traditional liposuction, but with less side effects, and a much faster recovery. How much faster, you ask? Well, the recovery process of SmartLipo is much easier and starts right away. Directly after the procedure, the patient is taken to a recovery room. There isn’t the nauseating, disorienting feeling that many get after traditional liposuction, because SmartLipo only needs to numb the specific area, not put you to sleep entirely. Most patients are able to go home within an hour of completing their procedure, and are sometimes given a prescription for a light pain medication, along with compression bandages. The compression bandages encourages blood flow while preventing clots, and are key to a speedy recovery. Several visits to the office afterwards are needed, of course, to ensure that the patient is healing properly and while it’s almost natural to push these appointments to the side, these are vital to having healthy, scar free results. And it’s about that simple during the first few hours of leaving, you’ll experience very minor bruising, and numbness to the area which you had the surgery to. That will go away within hours, leaving you with a bit of swelling. Within a week, your swelling should be completely gone. And you’re done! SafeLipo has been proven not only to be incredibly safer, as it reduces the risk of scaring and infection, but extremely faster. You can cut nearly all of the recovery time of traditional liposuction, and experience the same results if not better! Safer, faster, and easier and chances are, you can get it done in your area. Why would you ever want to deal with traditional liposuction?
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The sun, stress and pollution can all contribute to imperfections in your skin. Fortunately, peel procedures can remove these imperfections and turn back the years. Peel Away Those Damaged Outer Layers of Skin As much as we like to believe otherwise, our daily lives show up on our body in one obvious place – the face. For men, the slightly weathered look can be an attractive option as can well groomed gray hair. For women, facial blemishes, wrinkles and uneven pigmentation can give rise to unhappiness on a big scale. Peels offer one option to counter the impact. A facial peel is designed to restore the youthful look of your skin. It is not a form of facelift nor a surgery per se. Instead, it is a technique where the outer layer of your skin is literally peeled off to reveal new skin below. The technique can produce dynamite results when the goal is to resolve wrinkles and blemishes. It can also be used to addressed skin weathered from excessive exposure to the sun or which has developed uneven pigmentation. Importantly, a peel is not designed nor will it accomplish any kind of a lift for parts of the face that have developed a droop including eyelids. Such restorations require facelift surgery. Unlike a surgical procedure, a peel is not for everyone. This is because the peel is only best for certain skin types and pigments. You should consult with a medical professional to find out if you are a candidate for the procedure. In general, however, individuals with fair skin and light damage gain the best benefits. In general, a peel takes roughly one to two hours for the entire face. Some candidates require less extensive peels and less time is required as a result. You are not sedated unless there is reason specific to your situation. Following the procedure, you are going to have some unique sensations. New skin is being exposed to air for the first time, so throbbing, tingling and so on can be common. Your medical professional can fill you on the impact based upon your specific skin condition and procedure. Peels are a very common procedure. They can make a marked difference in appearance without the necessity of invasive surgery.