A facelift can reduce sagging skin on the face and neck, helping these areas to appear firmer and fresher. Your bone structure, heredity and skin texture all play a role in how many "years" a facelift can "remove" and, to some extent, influence how long will it last.

The surgeon performs a facelift operation one side at a time, working through incisions that are placed in the hairline, in front of or partially within the ears as well as behind the ears. The incisions are designed to keep the resultant scars as inconspicuous as possible. When necessary, removal of fatty deposits beneath the skin and tightening of sagging muscles is performed. The slack in the skin itself is then redraped and excess removed. Most of your scars will be hidden within the hairline or within the normal lines and creases around the ears. The scars can usually be concealed by the hair with the makeup.

Patients who do not have a significant amount of excess skin sometimes may be candidates for an endoscopic facelift. Using an endoscope, the plastic surgeon can smooth the skin and tighten the muscles through very small incisions that are easily concealed. Depending on which areas of the face and neck require correction, incisions may be placed in the lower eyelid, upper gum line, beneath the chin or behind the ears.

After facelift surgery, you will experience temporary skin discoloration and some tightness or numbness in the face and the neck. Healing is gradual, so expect to wait several months for optimal results. Since your skin will remain somewhat sensitive for a few months, protection from the sun, including daily use of a sun block, is essential. You can wear cosmetics shortly after surgery.

Augmentation Mammaplasty
Augmentation Mammaplasty is typically performed to enlarge small breasts or breasts that have decreased in size after a woman has had children. It is accomplished by surgically inserting an implant behind each breast.

Usually an incision is made either under the breast, around the areola (the pigmented skin surrounding the nipple), or in the armpit. A pocket is created for the implant either behind the breast tissue or behind the muscle between the breast and the chest wall.

Following surgery, you will wear a gauze dressing or surgical bra. Some swelling or discoloration will occur but will disappear shortly after surgery. Vigorous activities, especially arm movement, may be restricted for two to three weeks following surgery.

The most common of the known risks associated with breast implants is capsular contracture, a tightening of scar tissue around the implant, which results in varying degrees of breast firmness and may cause pain or changes in the breast's appearance. Other known risks include implant rupture (deflation of a saline-filled implant) and temporary or permanent changes in nipple or breast sensation.

Considering all scientific research, it appears that breast implants are neither associated with any large risk of connective tissue disease nor with any increased risk of developing breast cancer. The presence of breast implants requires special mammographic techniques and may compromise the effectiveness of mammography for early cancer detection. Your surgeon will discuss with you these and other possible risks that you should consider carefully.

Mastopexy
The breast lift operation raises and recontours loose, sagging breasts. Frequently, a woman elects this surgery after losing a considerable amount of weight, or losing volume and tone in her breasts after having children.

In a breast lift, the surgeon relocates the nipple and areola (the pigment skin surrounding the nipple) to a higher position, repositions the breast tissue to a higher level, repositions the breast tissue to a higher level, removes excess skin from the lower portion of the breast and then reshapes the remaining breast skin. If you have your breasts enlarged as well as lifted, an implant may be placed behind your breast tissue or chest muscle.

The illustrations on this page show a commonly performed breast lift technique, resulting in scars around the areola, extending vertically down the breast and horizontally along the crease underneath the breast. In some cases, variations in the placement of incisions may be recommended.

The breasts will be wrapped in a gauze dressing or placed in a surgical bra immediately after surgery. A supportive bra may be recommended for several weeks following the surgery. Swelling and discoloration will occur around your incisions and subside gradually. You may experience decreased sensation, which is usually temporary, in your nipples or breast skin. Mastopexy scars are permanent but will fade to some extent over time.