Number of procedures in 2011: 149,410
An abdominoplasty is a procedure that removes excess or sagging abdominal skin. Generally, a horizontal incision is made above the pubic area or above the belly button, depending where the loose skin resides. To tighten the abdominal wall, the surgeon brings loose underlying tissue and muscle together with sutures. Risks include bleeding, infection, tissue loss along the incision or fluid buildup under the skin.
Is there much pain involved with plastic surgery procedures?
Every plastic surgery procedure carries a different level of pain and/or discomfort, and will require different methods of anesthetizing. The patient’s preferences for safety and comfort, as well as personal pain threshold, can help determine what type of anesthesia will be used, in most situations. Very minor, non-invasive surgeries might involve a topical anesthetic, while minor invasive surgeries may call for local anesthetic or local combined with sedation. General anesthesia is usually used for more involved surgeries.
Where is plastic surgery performed?
Where your actual surgery is performed depends from surgeon to surgeon. Most plastic surgeons are affiliated with a local hospitals and can arrange operating room times as needed. Many carry out a similar procedure at surgical centers. Some surgeons even have private surgery suites in their own office space. You’ll find that many plastic surgeons fit into all or most of these categories, and offer options to each patient. They would then help you choose your surgery location based on comfort, safety, scheduling issues, and sometimes geography issues (which surgery location is closest to home, etc.).
Is plastic surgery covered by insurance?
One question we receive nearly 100% of the time when meeting with new clients is “will my insurance cover this procedure?” The short answer to that question is both yes AND no. Cosmetic procedures are a no, reconstructive procedures are a yes.
When the plastic surgery procedure is being performed for cosmetic reasons, insurance will not be involved. However, when the surgery is necessary for reconstructive purposes, insurance may partially or fully cover the procedure. Plastic surgery procedures that may be covered by insurance often include breast reconstructive (after a masectomy), tummy tuck surgery (for gastric bypass patients) and eyelid surgery (to correct vision problems).
Is there a “right” age to pursue plastic surgery?
There isn’t any dead set rule as to when the right age for plastic surgery is. In actuality, when looking to get procedure done it should be determined more on a case by case basis because every person’s body is unique and so is its aging process. There are, of course, age tendencies for certain types of plastic surgery procedures. Facelifts, for exampls, are generally not performed on patients on 40. A mini-lift or laser procedure might be suggested instead, but this is not a set rule either. Otoplasty (ear surgery), on the other hand, is appropriate for adults or patients as young as 5 years old.
