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Plastic surgeons perform a variety of procedures designed to enhance appearance, restore function, and improve quality of life. Whether you're interested in aesthetic enhancements or need reconstructive surgery after an injury, understanding the available plastic surgery options can empower you to make the right choices.
This guide discusses common procedures, highlighting their benefits and who they are best suited for.
What is Plastic Surgery?
Plastic surgery is a medical speciality dedicated to repairing, reconstructing, or enhancing the body. Broadly categorised into aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, plastic surgeons offer these procedures to improve appearance and functionality.
Aesthetic Procedures
Aesthetic plastic surgery refines and enhances physical appearance. These procedures focus on various areas, including the face and body, helping individuals feel better about their appearance.
Facial Aesthetic Procedures
Facial aesthetic procedures are sought after by those looking to rejuvenate their appearance or highlight natural features. For example, rhinoplasty can improve the nose's size, shape, or functionality, while facelifts reduce signs of ageing by tightening the skin and deeper tissues.
Eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, eliminates excess skin and fat around the eyes for a youthful appearance. Plastic surgeons also provide chin and cheek augmentations to enhance facial symmetry and balance.
Body Contouring Procedures
Body contouring procedures sculpt and reshape areas of the body. Liposuction is a common choice for removing stubborn fat deposits, while tummy tucks tighten abdominal muscles and remove excess skin.
Procedures like thigh and arm lifts help contour and firm specific areas, and mummy makeovers combine treatments such as tummy tucks and breast lifts for postpartum rejuvenation.
Breast Enhancement Procedures
Breast-related procedures cater to a wide range of goals, from enhancing size and shape with breast augmentation to elevating and reshaping sagging breasts through breast lifts. For those who are uncomfortable with overly large breasts, plastic surgeons can do reduction surgery to provide relief while improving proportions.
Non-Surgical Aesthetic Options
For individuals seeking subtle cosmetic improvements with minimal downtime, non-surgical options such as Botox, dermal fillers, and chemical peels are excellent solutions. Botox smooths wrinkles by relaxing facial muscles, while fillers restore volume in the cheeks, lips, and under-eye hollows.
Chemical peels rejuvenate the skin's texture and tone by exfoliating damaged layers, and laser treatments address flaws such as age spots, acne scars, and unwanted hair.
Male Aesthetic Procedures
Plastic surgery is not limited to women; many men also benefit from aesthetic procedures tailored to their needs. Gynecomastia surgery removes excess breast tissue, hair transplants restore growth in balding areas, and jawline contouring creates a stronger, more defined profile.
Men also commonly opt for eyelid surgery to rejuvenate tired or aged eyes.
Reconstructive Procedures
Reconstructive plastic surgery focuses on addressing abnormalities caused by trauma, illness, or congenital disabilities. Plastic surgeons offer these procedures to restore normal function while improving appearance.
Breast Reconstruction
Breast reconstruction is often performed after mastectomy due to breast cancer. Patients can choose between implant-based reconstruction and autologous reconstruction, which utilises the patient's tissue to create a natural look.
Facial Reconstructive Surgery
Facial reconstructive surgery addresses issues such as trauma, congenital disabilities, or facial paralysis. Procedures include cleft lip and palate repair for children, facial reanimation surgery to restore movement and symmetry, and maxillofacial reconstruction to repair facial fractures or skeletal abnormalities.
Lymphedema Surgery
Lymphedema surgery offers great relief for patients with chronic swelling caused by lymphatic system blockages. Techniques such as lymphatic venous bypass connect lymphatic vessels to veins for improved drainage, and vascularised lymph nodes transfer transplanted healthy lymph nodes to the affected area.
Burns and Scar Management
Reconstructive surgery for burns and scars helps patients recover both function and confidence. Plastic surgeons can perform skin grafts to cover large wounds or burns with healthy skin from another area, while scar revision techniques improve the appearance of scars and restore movement in affected regions.
Extensive Reconstruction Procedures
Extensive injuries or defects in critical areas often require advanced reconstruction. Head and neck reconstruction addresses issues resulting from cancer or trauma, extremity reconstruction repairs injuries in the arms and legs, and trunk reconstruction rebuilds the chest or abdomen after major surgery or trauma.
Why Choose Polaris for Plastic Surgery?
Plastic surgery offers incredible possibilities for enhancing beauty and restoring function. Whether you are considering a cosmetic procedure to boost your confidence or need reconstructive surgery to recover from an injury or illness, the options are vast and continually developing.
