What is Plastic surgery?
Plastic surgery is a specialized branch of surgery that is concerned with the correction of deformities as well as the uplifting of those parts that a person is not satisfied with or wants to improve upon. There mainly exist two types of plastic surgery - cosmetic surgery and reconstruction surgery.
What is the difference between cosmetic/aesthetic plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery?
That sub-branch of plastic surgery, which deals with the correction of defects on various parts of the body, that are either visible to the naked eye or otherwise is called reconstruction surgery.
The other sub-branch of plastic surgery which is concerned with the uplifting and aesthetic betterment of one or more parts like the nose, lips, breasts, etc is known as cosmetic/aesthetic plastic surgery.
Also Read: Best Plastic Surgeons in the United States
What parts of the body can cosmetic/plastic surgery be performed on?
Plastic surgery can be performed on the head and face area, breast, chest, skin, abdomen and trunk area, arms and hands, butt, one-line, and groin as well as the thighs and legs.
What are the most common cosmetic/plastic surgery procedures for men and women? (brief one line description about each)
The most common kinds of plastic/cosmetic surgery done are:
Liposuction: Liposuction, lipoplasty is a trimming down measure. It is carried out by removing fat that does not conform to the body image by inserting needles and vacuuming out the excess fat.
Rhinoplasty: A popular kind of surgery among men and women alike, rhinoplasty involves the reshaping of the nose to increase or decrease its size, change the span of the nostrils, and so on.
Eyelid surgery: More popular among women, eyelid surgery is done to remove pockets of fat under the eyelids and do away with baggy eyes. It is also called blepharoplasty.
Breast implants: Also called mastopexy, it is used to raise the breasts by doing away with excess skin giving them a good shape and keeping them firm. A relatively costly procedure, it is used to do away with sagging breasts as one grows old.
Hair transplantation: A very popular procedure among those struck with baldness, it is used to transfer hair-bearing grafts to those portions of the exposed scalp over 15-18 months.
Ear Surgery: A lot of kids are born with large ears that stick from the head and make them look different. To correct this, otoplasty or ear surgery is done to bring the ear closer to the head. Otoplasty is performed more among girl children as per statistics.
Lip Augmentation: Very often, we see people in the limelight appearing with a different look. It could be attributed to their augmented luscious lips that are formed by removing a hollow portion of the lip and inserting an implant.
Breast Reduction: Some men may develop large breasts like women. This is usually due to excess fat or glandular tissue. In this surgery, called gynecomastia, the excess fat is done away with.
Botoxâ„¢ -Botox injections are taken to smoothen out crease lines and wrinkles across the face. But it paralyzes the muscles in the forehead which will ultimately reduce the movement of these muscles.
Who is a good candidate for cosmetic/plastic surgery?
Plastic surgery, on the whole, is performed on those who need to undergo aesthetic betterment or need to overcome a defect of any organ of the body. Any person who feels that his appearance can be uplifted for a better look can undergo cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery, on the other hand, is performed on those who have congenital defects on the body like large ears, cleft lips, large scars, and burns to name a few.
Which doctors perform cosmetic/plastic surgeries?
Plastic surgery is performed by surgeons specializing in the field, by the name of plastic surgeons. A branch of surgeons who deal in oral and maxillofacial surgery is usually considered the specialist in cosmetic surgery.
What are the preparations for cosmetic/plastic surgery?
Before deciding to undergo an uplifting or reconstructive surgery, one must be fully confident of why they are going to undergo this surgery. It is advisable to schedule the surgery at a time of general well-being. Nutritional intake must not be compromised at any cost.
- It is advisable to drink a lot of fluids and stay well-hydrated before the surgery.
- Smoking and drinking may be best avoided 5-6 days before the day of the surgery.
- Blood coagulants like aspirin are best stayed away from before the course of the surgery.
- Sleep early and follow a regular sleeping pattern.
- Have a support system in the form of family/friends to help you out after the surgery.
Is there any visible scarring in cosmetic/plastic surgery?
Some patients delay or put off surgery altogether for fear of scars. Since not all patients heal the same way, some patients may have scars as a result of the incision depending on their age, smoking habits, drinking habits, etc. But these are not indelible because newer technology like silicone sheeting and gels combined with daily sunscreen is the best way for them to heal.
How long do the effects of cosmetic/plastic surgery last?
Many plastic surgeries last for a lifetime. For example, octoplasty if done once need not be done again. But then other types of plastic surgeries last on an average of 2 to 10 years.
What are the possible risks of cosmetic/plastic surgery?
The risks of plastic surgery include:
- The arrival of some scars which may take a long time to heal.
- Infection is possible but rarely occurs because of the face's abundant blood supply.
- Healing is usually uneventful but if a patient is a smoker it may take more time than normal.
- Nerve damage may also occur but is usually temporary.
- Mostly, the incidence of these risks is closely linked to the expertise of the surgeon.
What is the recovery time after cosmetic/plastic surgery?
This depends on the nature of the procedure and mostly lasts up to a week. Experts say that it would take a month or two and a maximum of six for the swelling to quell down and a few more months for the scars to heal. Patience is a virtue in such cases.
How much does cosmetic/plastic surgery cost?
The cost of cosmetic/ plastic surgery can vary to a great extent. It may be as cost effective as 45,000 rupees or can be as much as 5, 00,000 rupees or even more.
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