Some Popular Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

Procedure:

Flatten abdomen by removing excess fat and skin and tightening muscles of abdominal wall.

Length:

2 to 5 hours.

Anesthesia:

General, or local with sedation.

In/Outpatient:

In patient

Side Effects:

Temporary pain. Swelling, soreness, numbness of abdominal skin, bruising, tiredness for several weeks or months.

Risks:

Blood clots. Infection. Bleeding under the skin flap. Poor healing resulting in conspicuous scarring or skin loss. Need for a second operation.

Recovery:

Back to work: 2 to 4 weeks. More strenuous activity: 4 to 6 weeks or more. Fading and flattening of scars: 3 months to 2 years.

Procedure:

Enhance the size of breasts using silicone or saline implants.

Length:

1 to 2 hours.

Anesthesia:

Local with sedation, or general.

In/Outpatient:

In patient

Side Effects:

Temporary soreness, swelling, change in nipple sensation, bruising. Breast sensitive to stimulation for a few weeks.

Risks:

Lack of implant permanence -- surgical removal or replacement of the implants may be required to treat problems, including: deflation; the formation of scar tissue around the implant (capsular contracture), which may cause the breast to feel tight or hard; bleeding or infection. Increase or decrease in sensitivity of nipples or breast skin, occasionally permanent. Mammography requires a special technique. (Note: Some women have reported symptoms similar to those of immune disorders. Ask your doctor about these and other FDA concerns.)

Recovery:

Back to work: a few days. Physical contact with breasts: 3 to 4 weeks. Fading of scars: several months to a year or more.

Duration of
Results:

Variable. Implants may require removal or replacement.

Procedure:

Raise and reshape sagging breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning remaining tissue and nipples.

Length:

1 to 3 hours.

Anesthesia:

Local with sedation, or general.

In/Outpatient:

In patient

Side Effects:

Temporary bruising, swelling, discomfort, numbness, dry breast skin. Permanent scars.

Risks:

Thick, wide scars; skin loss; infection. Unevenly positioned nipples. Permanent loss of feeling in nipples or breast.

Recovery:

Back to work: 1 week or more. Strenuous activities: 1 month. Fading of scars: several months to a year.

Duration of
Results:

Variable; gravity, pregnancy, aging, and weight changes may cause new sagging. Results may last longer or be enhanced when breast implants are inserted as part of the procedure.

Procedure:

Set prominent ears back closer to the head, or reduce the size of large ears. Most often done on children between the ages of 4 and 14 years. (Occasionally covered by insurance.)

Length:

2 to 3 hours.

Anesthesia:

Young children: usually general. Older children or adults: general or local, with sedation.

In/Outpatient:

Usually out patient

Side Effects:

Temporary throbbing, aching, swelling, redness, numbness.

Risks:

Infection of cartilage. Excessive scarring. Blood clot that may need to be drained. Mismatched or artificial- looking ears. Recurrence of the protrusion, requiring repeat surgery.

Recovery:

Back to work or school: 5 to 7 days.
Strenuous activity, contact sports: 1 to 2 months.

Duration of
Results:

Usually permanent.

Procedure:

Correct drooping upper eyelids and puffy bags below the eyes by removing excess fat, skin, and muscle. (Upper-eyelid surgery may be covered by insurance if used to correct visual field defects)

Length:

1 to 3 hours.

Anesthesia:

Usually locally with sedation or general.

In/Outpatient:

Inpatient

Side Effects:

Temporary discomfort, tightness of lids, swelling, bruising. Temporary dryness, burning, itching of eyes. Excessive tearing, sensitivity to light for first few weeks.

Risks:

Temporary blurred or double vision. Infection, bleeding. Swelling at the corners of the eyelids. Dry eyes. Formation of whiteheads. Slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Difficulty in closing eyes completely (rarely permanent). Pulling down of the lower lids (may require further surgery). Blindness (extremely rare).

Recovery:

Reading: 2 or 3 days. Back to work: 7 to 10 days. Contact lenses: two weeks or more. Strenuous activities, alcohol: about 3 weeks. Bruising and swelling gone: several weeks.

Duration of
Results:

Several years. Sometimes permanent.

Procedure:

Improving sagging facial skin, jowls, and loose neck skin by removing excess fat, tightening muscles, redraping skin. Most often done on men and women over 40.

Length:

Several hours.

Anesthesia:

Local with sedation, or general.

In/Outpatient:

In patient

Side Effects:

Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin; tight feeling, dry skin. For men, permanent need to shave behind ears, where beard-growing skin is repositioned.

Risks:

Injury to the nerves that control facial muscles or feeling (usually temporary but may be permanent). Infection, bleeding. Poor healing; excessive scarring. Asymmetry or change in hairline.

Recovery:

Back to work: 10 to 14 days. More strenuous activity: 2 weeks or more. Bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Must limit exposure to sun for several months.

Duration of
Results:

Usually 5 to 10 years.

Procedure:

Change the basic shape and balance of the face using carefully shaped implants to build up a receding chin, add prominence to cheekbones, or reshape the jawline.

Length:

30 minutes to 2 hours.

Anesthesia:

Local with sedation, or general.

In/Outpatient:

Usually in patient

Side Effects:

Temporary discomfort, swelling, bruising, numbness and/or stiffness. In jaw surgery, inability to open mouth fully for several weeks.

Risks:

Shifting or imprecise positioning of implant, or infection around it, requiring a second operation or removal. Excess tightening and hardening of scar tissue around an artificial implant ("capsular contracture"), causing unnatural shape.

Recovery:

Back to work: about 1 week. Normal appearance: 2 to 4 weeks. Activity that could jar or bump face: 6 weeks or more.

Duration of
Results:

Permanent.

Procedure:

Minimize forehead creases, drooping eyebrows, hooding over eyes, furrowed forehead and frown lines by removing excess tissue, altering muscles and tightening the forehead skin. May be done using the traditional technique, with an incision across the top of the head just behind the hairline; or with the use of an endoscope, which requires 3 to 5 short incisions. Most often done on people over 40.

Length:

1 to 2 hours.

Anesthesia:

Local with sedation, or general.

In/Outpatient:

In patient.

Side Effects:

Temporary swelling, numbness, headaches, bruising. Traditional method: Possible itching and hair loss.

Risks:

Injury to facial nerve, causing loss of motion, muscle weakness, or asymmetrical look. Infection. Broad or excessive scarring.

Recovery:

Back to work: 7 to 10 days, usually sooner for endoscopic forehead lift. More strenuous activity: several weeks. Full recovery from bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Limit sun exposure for several months.

Duration of
Results:

Usually 5 to 10 years.

Procedure:

Reshape nose by reducing or increasing size, removing hump, changing shape of tip or bridge, narrowing span of nostrils, or changing angle between nose and upper lip. May also relieve some breathing problems. (May be covered by insurance.)

Length:

1 to 2 hours or more.

Anesthesia:

Local with sedation, or general.

In/Outpatient:

Usually in patient.

Side Effects:

Temporary swelling, bruising around eyes, nose and headaches. Some bleeding and stiffness.

Risks:

Infection. Small burst blood vessels resulting in tiny, permanent red spots. Incomplete improvement, requiring additional surgery.

Recovery:

Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks. More strenuous activities: 2 to 3 weeks. Avoid hitting nose or sunburn: 8 weeks. Final appearance: 1 year or more.

Duration of
Results:

Permanent.

Procedure:

Improve body shape by removing exercise-resistant fat deposits with a tube and vacuum device. Can be performed using the tumescent technique, in which targeted fat cells are infused with saline containing solution with a local anesthetic before liposuction to reduce post-operative bruising and swelling. Common locations for liposuction include chin, cheeks, neck, upper arms, above breasts, abdomen, buttocks, hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles.

For larger volumes of fat or for fibrous body areas, ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL) may be used. UAL is a new technique in which a ultrasound probe is inserted beneath the skin to "liquify" the fat before it is suctioned.

Length:

1 to 2 hours or more. UAL: 20-40 percent longer than traditional liposuction.

Anesthesia:

Local, epidural, or general.

In/Outpatient:

Inpatient.

Side Effects:

Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness, soreness, burning sensation. Tumescent: Temporary fluid drainage from incision sites. UAL: Larger incisions for cannula.

Risks:

Asymmetry. Rippling or bagginess of skin. Pigmentation changes. Skin injury. Fluid retention. Excessive fluid loss leading to shock. Infection. UAL: thermal burn injury caused by the heat from the ultrasound device.

Recovery:

Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks. More strenuous activity: 2 to 4 weeks. Full recovery from swelling and bruising: 1 to 6 months or more. Use of tumescent technique or UAL may decrease post-operative bruising and swelling.

Duration of
Results:

Permanent, with sensible diet and exercise.