plastic surgery procedures

plastic surgery procedures

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the most common cosmetic procedures (invasive and minimally-invasive) are listed here by their common or descriptive names. The medical term for the procedure is in parentheses:

Breast augmentation or enlargement (augmentation mammoplasty):

Breast augmentation refers to procedures which increase the size or change the shape of the breasts. When the size of the breast is increased, the procedure may also be called ‘breast implant surgery’. Breast augmentation is not the same as breast lifts or breast reduction, which are actually different types of procedures.

Breast lift (mastopexy) with or without the placement of an implant:

Mastopexy, or a breast lift, involves removing skin and glandular tissue to make the breasts smaller and rearranging the remaining tissue to make the breast appear lifted.

Depending on how much volume a patient has lost or desires, mastopexy can be combined with an implant. While it is similar to a breast reduction, which removes a much greater amount of tissue, mastopexy is not usually covered by major insurance carriers as it is not deemed medically necessary.

Male breast reduction treats gynecomastia, an enlargement of the mammary tissue in men. It may be done by liposuction or with various scar pattes, often hidden around the nipple and areola.