Cosmetic Surgery Overview

Reconstructive surgery is done as a medical procedure to improve function of a body part. Cosmetic surgery is on the other hand, an optional procedure that is performed on normal parts of the body. The purpose of cosmetic surgery is for improving a person’s appearance and/or to remove the signs of aging. Millions of cosmetic surgeries are performed in the United States and many more around the world. While becoming more common, there are still precautions to take as with any other form of surgery. Even though the number of cosmetic procedures performed in the United States has increased over fifty percent since the start of the century, there are still precautions to take.

Click the links below for a cosmetic surgery overview of the five most common forms of surgeries listed below:

Breast augmentation

Liposuction

Nasal surgery

Eyelid surgery

Abdominoplasty

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery looks at the statistics for thirty-four different cosmetic procedures. Nineteen of the procedures are considered to be surgical. Surgical procedures include rhinoplasty, also known more commonly as facelift. The nonsurgical procedures included in the list of cosmetic surgeries include Botox and laser hair removal. Surveys reveal that many of the cosmetic procedures performed are of a surgical nature.

Allograft versus Autograft

The last few posts offered information on autotransplantation, or the transplantation of tissue from one part of the body to another in the same individual as a means of reconstruction. Tissue transplanted by autologous procedure is referred to as an autograft or autotransplant. In this post, the allotransplantation will now be discussed.

Allotransplantation is transfer of tissue from another individual to the recipient. Allotransplantation is most effective when from a recipient from a genetically non-identical donor of the same species. The transplant itself is called an allograft, allogeneic transplant, or homograft. Most human tissue transplants are allografts.

Homografts may be called “homostatic” if biologically inert when transplanted, such as cartilage.

An immune response against an allograft is referred to as a rejection. An allogenic transplant can result in an immune attack, called Graft-versus-host disease. If you have additional questions or concerns regarding this topic, please call our staff today at 702.410.9800 for more information.

Flap Surgery Procedure: Part II

Regional and distant flaps are two more forms of flap surgery offered in reconstruction. While different from previously mentioned flap surgeries, there are some similarities as well.

Regional flaps

Regional or interpolation flaps are not immediately adjacent to the defect. Instead, the freed tissue “island” is moved over or underneath normal tissue to reach the defect to be filled, with the blood supply still connected to the donor site via a pedicle. This pedicle can be removed later on after new blood supply has formed.

Distant flaps

Distant flaps are used when the donor site is far from the defect. These are the most complex class of flap. Direct or tubed flaps involve having the flap connected to both the donor and recipient sites simultaneously, forming a bridge. This allows blood to be supplied by the donor site while a new blood supply from the recipient site is formed. Once this happens, the “bridge” can be disconnected from the donor site if necessary, completing the transfer. A free flap has the blood supply cut and then reattached micro-surgically to a new blood supply at the recipient site. For more information or to schedule a consultation call 702.410.9800.