About Aesthetic Surgery

Aesthetic Plastic Surgery refers to surgical procedures that represent a blend of art and science. The word aesthetic has been defined as "the appreciation of beauty or good taste". The word plastic is derived from the Greek word plastikos, meaning to mold or shape. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery refers to procedures that are designed to reshape normal structures of the body so that one's appearance and self esteem will be improved. Typically, all Plastic Surgery procedures including reconstructive procedures have an aesthetic component as restoring form and function are best accomplished when the surgeon has a true sense of what is beautiful and therefore aesthetically pleasing. There are three main categories of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Procedures and these categories can be subdivided as follows:

A. Aesthetic Plastic Surgical Procedures of the face

a. Browlift
b. Blepharoplasty (Eyelid rejuvenation)
c. Rhinoplasty (Nasal cosmetic procedure)
d. Facelift and Necklift
e. Midface Lift (Rejuvenation of the lower lid/cheek junction)
f. Otoplasty (Procedures to reposition protruding ears)
g. Alloplastic augmentation (facial implants designed to enhance facial volume)
h. Fat grafting (techniques to add volume by removal and injection of a patient's fat)
i. Other soft tissue fillers (Examples: Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, Hylaform, Cosmederm, Cosmeplast, Artefill, Radiesse, Sculptra)*

*The listing of these products on the ISAPS website is not an endorsement.

B. Aesthetic Plastic Surgical Procedures of the breast

a. Augmentation Mammoplasty (Breast enlargement)
b. Mastopexy (Breast lift often combined with Breast Augmentation)
c. Reduction Mammoplasty (Reduce the size of the breast often for functional as well as aesthetic improvement)

C. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Procedures for Body Contouring

a. Liposuction (removal of deposits of fat by traditional suction techniques or the adjunctive use of ultrasonic energy to aid in fat removal)
b. Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck / modified or full depending upon the degree of laxity of the abdominal wall)
c. Thigh lift (lifting the inside and / or outside of the thighs for improved shape)
d. Belt lipectomy (typically performed after significant weight loss)
e. Lower body lift (typically performed after significant weight loss)
f. Brachioplasty (reduction of size of the arms from the axilla to the elbow)
g. Implant augmentation of the chest muscles, buttocks, and calves (may include silastic implants or fat grafting)