SURGICAL PROCEDURES There are a variety of procedures in plastic surgery. Most of these can be performed on an outpatient basis. Listed below are a series of surgeries divided into categories. Click on the procedure name to view more specific information about the surgery. A camera icon appears with procedures which include before/after photos. Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck): This procedure is designed to tighten lax muscles of the abdomen which have been stretched from either pregnancy, weight gain, or previous abdominal surgery. In addition extraneous fat and skin are trimmed with incisions contained as much as possible within the bikini area. Top of Page Augmentation/Mammoplasty: Augmentation of breasts is particularly done in those patients who have had breasts that have shrunk following pregnancy and particularly in those cases of extended nursing. Augmentation is also utilized in those cases of breasts that have been small in women all their lives or in cases of where one breast is inordinately smaller that the opposing breast. Top of Page Blepharoplasty: This procedure removes extensive fat and skin from both upper and lower eyelids. The procedure can be done for the lower eyelids thru a small incision on the inner eyelid, thus obviating the need of a scar on the outside. The operation is particularly done in some cases for the upper eyelids when vision is impaired because of the excessive skin. Top of Page Botox Injections: Injections of Botulinum Toxin which temporarily paralyzes the muscles are used for overly active muscles at the bridge of the nose and forehead and in the crows feet area of the eyes. These injections albeit lasting only up to 3 to 4 months effectively soften the appearance of the face and eyes and is recommended as a temporary procedure to bypass more effective procedures such as a forehead lift and eyelid surgery which would on a permanent basis eradicate many of these deformities. Top of Page Breast Lift (Mastopexy): This procedure is done for women who have sagging breasts and who do not necessarily require augmentation of missing breast tissue but need a tuck of the extraneous breast tissue and repositioning of the nipple for a more esthetic contour. Breast Reduction: Decreasing and/or reshaping of breasts is often times necessary in patients who have had an inordinate amount of weight gain or subsequent weight loss yielding unshapely and heavy breasts. This procedure is particularly indicated for those patients with large heavy breasts who have difficulties with neck ad upper back pain, chafing of the bra straps and rash underneath the breasts. Top of Page Chemical Peel: Using dilute acidic solutions in various forms one can freshen the skin, remove age spots and alleviate much in the way of heavy wrinkling without more extensive procedures. Chin Augmentation (Mentoplasty): Insertion of a silicone implant or advancement of the lower jaw bone in order to correct for a retrusive or diminutive lower jaw in order to improve facial contour. Top of Page Dermabrasion: Reducing the affects of scarring or wrinkles with sanding techniques performed under surgical control. Facelift (Rhytidectomy): The removal of excess skin in the cheeks, jowl and neck, giving a fresher appearance along with uplift of the muscles of the face. Top of Page Fat Injections: Fat harvested from the body is placed with a small cannula into the wrinkles of the lips as well as into the muscle so as to improve lip wrinkling and plump the lips in casses of excessive thinning of the lips as seen with aging. Forehead Lift: An incision from the temporal to frontal scalp so as to allow resection of portions of spastic forehead and nasal bridge muscles causing excessive wrinkling, as well as the uplift of the forehead skin to relieve heavy eyebrow positioning. The procedure can also be done through much more limited incisions with an Endoscope and achieve similar results as with the open technique. Top of Page Laser Peel: Use of the Co2 laser for purposes of removing excessive facial wrinkles as well as tightening the deep layers of the skin can be performed in certain selected patients with the proper skin type. Liposuction: This involves the use of a liposuction cannula with tumescent solution injected into areas of the body for purposes of removing excessive fat. The areas most frequently treated include the abdomen, medial and lateral thighs and buttock, but also can include the knees, legs and ankles, arms and neck. In some cases injections of harvested fat can be returned to portions of the body that are deficient in fat, such as the cheeks and the hollow areas beneath them, the lips and their wrinkles around same, as well as the wrinkles in the nasolabial folds and forehead. Top of Page Rhinoplasty: This is a procedure designed to alter the exterior appearance of the nose to correct deformities which are congenital or traumatic. Some patients have distortion and asymetry of the nose owing to a cleft lip. Others have a prominent inherited nasal hump or nasal tip. Traumatic injuries (such as nasal fractures) can change the appearance of a nose, causing curving of the cartilage as well as distortion of the bones at the bridge. Top of Page Reconstructive Surgery Breast Reconstruction: This involves either the immediate or delayed reconstruction of a deformity on the chest wall following a mastectomy for either benign or in most cases malignant disease. This involves the use of straight forward implants such as used for a breast augmentation and/or the use of tissue expanders to stretch existing tissue and subsequent placement of a permanent implant. Breast reconstuction may entail the use of tissue from elsewhere in the body forming flaps to recreate a breast. This would include the tummy tuck procedure or tram flap utilized to reconstruct one or both breasts, and/or the latissumus muscle flap used from the back to do similar such reconstruction. Top of Page Skin Cancer: A variety of skin cancers inclusive of basal and squamous cell carcinoma as well as melanoma are treated by plastic surgeons. This is particularly the case when wide excisions are required and other tissue such as skin grafts or flaps are needed for reconstruction. Similarly, extensive dissection using lymph node dissection with the new sentinel lymph node technique would again come under the care of a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Top of Page Hand Surgical Techniques Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: This surgery relieves, in most cases, the numbing and discomfort involving the wrists and hands from overuse or from the effects of arthritis. Top of Page Trigger Finger: A simple release of a locking finger that can be done surgically and at other times can be relieved with a simple cortisone injection. Top of Page Dupuytren's Contractures: Many surgical techniques are now available to relieve the discomfort and decreased agility caused by scar tissue build up in the palm and fingers the involves pulling the fingers into the palm. Top of Page Tumors: Surgical removal of a variety of tumors of the hand including ganglion cysts and skin cancers. Top of Page
					Top of Page