Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

postoperative procedures 275
MOST COMMON RECONSTRUCTIVE OPERATIONS
BREAST reconstruction
laceration repair
SCAR revision
CONGENITAL ANOMALY reconstruction
operations on the hands and fingers
tumor removal
Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery alters appearance for aesthetic
reasons and can have profound psychological and
emotional benefits. US plastic surgeons perform
more than nine million cosmetic surgery procedures
a year, with Americans spending more than
$8 billion to have them performed. Surveys suggest
people who undergo cosmetic surgery are
generally satisfied with the results, perceiving
improvements in self-image and social interactions.
Realistic expectations are especially important
when making cosmetic surgery decisions.
Some cosmetic operations, such as RHYTIDOPLASTY
(facelift), have long-lasting though not permanent
effects because the SKIN and connective tissues
continue to undergo natural changes with aging.
MOST COMMON COSMETIC OPERATIONS
abdominoplasty
augmentation mammoplasty
BLEPHAROPLASTY
body contouring after significant
liposuction
weight loss
RHYTIDOPLASTY
Plastic Surgery Benefits and Risks
The benefits of plastic surgery often encompass
improved function, appearance, and self-image or
self-esteem. Specific benefits vary with the operation
and often are not entirely apparent for weeks
to months after the operation when HEALING is
complete. As with all operations, plastic surgery
operations entail risk. General risks include excessive
bleeding during or after surgery, postoperative
wound INFECTION, PNEUMONIA (a complication of
general ANESTHESIA), unpredictable SCAR formation,
and unsatisfactory or unexpected results. Death
during or as a complication of plastic surgery is
very rare though can occur. Cigarette smoking,
DIABETES, and PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE (PVD) can
limit peripheral BLOOD circulation, slowing healing
and increasing the risk for complications.
It is not possible for the surgeon to guarantee
the outcome of a plastic surgery operation. People
sometimes have unrealistic expectations for what
the operation can achieve, leading to dissatisfaction
with the results. It is crucial to thoroughly
understand what the operation can and cannot
accomplish and the full spectrum of potential
complications and risks; it is equally important to
select a qualified (board-certified) plastic surgeon
who is experienced in performing the desired
operation and who performs surgeries in an
appropriately credentialed and licensed facility.
PLASTIC SURGERY OPERATIONS
abdominoplasty
augmentation mammoplasty
BIRTHMARK removal or
BLEPHAROPLASTY
reduction
body contouring
brachioplasty
BREAST reconstruction
brow lift
cervicoplasty
facial implants
HAIR transplantation
laceration repair
LASER SKIN RESURFACING
lip augmentation
lipoplasty
liposuction
mastopexy
mentoplasty
OTOPLASTY
panniculectomy
platysmaplasty
POLYDACTYLY correction and reduction mammoplasty
reconstruction
RHINOPLASTY
RHYTIDOPLASTY
SCAR revision
sclerotherapy
SKIN graft
SYNDACTYLY release
tissue flap surgery
See also BARIATRIC SURGERY; BOTULINUM THERAPY;
CHEMICAL PEEL; DERMABRASION; HAIR TRANSPLANTATION;
LASER SURGERY; SMOKING CESSATION; SURGERY BENEFIT
AND RISK ASSESSMENT; WOUND CARE.
postoperative procedures The events that take
place to guide a person’s safe and comfortable
recovery from ANESTHESIA and to initiate effective
PAIN relief after a surgical OPERATION. When the
operation is over the person goes to a postanesthesia
care unit (PACU) where staff monitor vital
signs (HEART RATE, BREATHING rate, BLOOD PRESSURE,
and body temperature) and emergence from anesthesia.
A person who has had regional or general
anesthesia may remain in the PACU for two to
four hours, until he or she regains the ability to
use the anesthetized region of the body or regains
CONSCIOUSNESS.
It is common and normal to feel disoriented
when first coming out of anesthesia. Many people
who have had general anesthesia do not realize
the operation is over. It is also normal to feel