Plastic surgery

Plastic surgery is a general term for operative manual and instrumental treatment which is performed for functional or aesthetic reasons. The word "plastic" derives from the Greek plastikos meaning to mould or to shape; its use here is not connected with modern plastics.

Cosmetic surgery

Cosmetic surgery is a very popular avenue for personal enhancement, as demonstrated by the 11.9 million cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. alone in 2004. Although some may harbor a dim view of cosmetic surgery, seeing it as frivolous, the upsurge in number of procedures performed annually shows that cosmetic surgery has become acceptable to the mainstream American household.

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However, it should be noted that elective procedures involve risk like any operation, and should therefore not be undertaken lightly. Within the US, critics of plastic surgery have noted that it is legal for any doctor (regardless of speciality) to perform plastic surgery; a practice which may lead to a suboptimal result. It is best to check a physician's credentials, looking for those MD's most commonly trained in cosmetic techniques (such as Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, Otolaryngologists, and Opthalmologists).

Related Topics:
US - Doctor

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The most prevalent are listed below. Most of these types of surgery are more commonly known by their "common names." These are also listed when pertinent.

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• Abdominoplasty (or "tummy tuck"): reshaping and firming of the abdomen
• Blepharoplasty (or "eyelid surgery"): Reshaping of the eyelids or the application of permanent eyeliner, including Asian blepharoplasty
• Augmentation Mammaplasty (or "breast enlargement" or "boob job"): Augmentation of the breasts
• Muscle sculpting: Removal of the fat layer that is on top of chosen muscle to reveal a more appealing look after surgery (ie: six pack abs revealed through muscle sculpting)
• Chemical peel: Removal of acne scars and sagging skin—not technically surgery and can be performed by a cosmetologist
• Mastopexy (or "breast lift"): Raising of sagging breasts
• Rhinoplasty (or "nose job"): Reshaping of the nose
• Otoplasty (or ear surgery): Reshaping of the ear
• Rhytidectomy (or "face lift"): Removal of wrinkles and signs of aging from the face
• Suction-Assisted Lipectomy (or liposuction): Removal of fat from the body
• Circumcision: Removal of the foreskin of the penis, esp. without any diagnosis
• Chin augmentation: Augmentation of the chin with an implant (e.g. silicone) or by sliding genioplasty of the jawbone.
• Cheek augmentation
• Collagen injections

In addition, there is increasing concern about cosmetic surgeries not done in the United States, especially liposuctions performed at the Dominican Republic: while that type of surgery there is considerably cheaper, six women were reported in 2004 to have returned to the United States from the Dominican Republic with an infection after having liposuctions there, and, in 2001, a Puerto Rican woman died, in a very widely publicized case by Puerto Rican newspapers.

Related Topics:
Dominican Republic - 2004 - 2001 - Puerto Rican

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