What Is Plastic Surgery?

Contrary to what people may think, plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery are not one and the same, though they are very closely related. Both involve altering and enhancing the body. However, plastic surgery is not mainly done for aesthetics alone. Apart from improving the body’s physical appearance, it also focuses on correcting or reconstructing dysfunctional body parts or congenital defects.

There are numerous plastic surgery services in Singapore, the most common are:

For the Head, Face, Eyes

• Blepharoplasty – This procedure involves removing excess eyelid skin, muscle and fat from droopy eyelids that already impair vision, cause dryness or affect tear production. Blepharoplasty may be done on the upper eyelid, lower eyelid, or both.
• Rhytidectomy – More commonly known as a facelift, a rhytidectomy is the procedure to remove and tighten saggy skin on the cheek, jaw and neck. It helps address signs of aging like wrinkles and results in a tighter, more youthful skin.
• Craniosynostosis Surgery – This type of plastic surgery involves reshaping the head to address cranial defects and irregularities. It is typically performed on small children to give more space for the brain to grow and develop. 

For the Breasts

• Breast augmentation – Also called breast augmentation mammoplasty or a boob job, this procedure improves the size, shape and symmetry of the breasts using implants or fats. A plastic surgeon may also recommend this as an option for those who want to restore or reconstruct their breasts after major surgery like a mastectomy.
• Breast reduction – Medically termed reduction mammoplasty, this procedure seeks to improve the proportion of the breasts to the body, and alleviate the discomforts that come with too large breasts (macromastia) by removing excess breast fat, tissue and skin.

For the Abdomen

• Liposuction – The procedure involves the removal of excess fats that are too stubborn to remove via conservative ways like diet and exercise. It is performed by inserting and moving a cannula back and forth in the targeted site to break down the fats, which are then gently suctioned out the body.
• Abdominoplasty – Commonly called a tummy tuck, an abdominoplasty is the procedure to remove excess fats and tighten the skin around the abdomen, resulting in a flatter belly and slimmer figure. 

For the Skin

• Skin Rejuvenation – This is an umbrella term for treatments that address skin problems and signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, sun damage and discoloration, resulting in a more youthful glow. The most popular skin rejuvenation treatments include Botox injections, dermal fillers, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and IPL laser therapy.
• Tissue Expansion – This reconstructive procedure is performed to promote the growth of healthy supplementary skin to replace damaged skin. Tissue expansion is an option for almost any area of the body, and allows a plastic surgeon to repair skin damage caused by congenital and acquired defects.

For the Hair

• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) – In this procedure, several inches of scalp skin are removed from the back of the head. This incised scalp will be further divided into smaller sections, which are then transplanted into the target site in groups.
• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) – In this procedure, follicular hair units are painstakingly retrieved from the donor site and subsequently transplanted to the target site one at a time.

Two Types of Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery can be classified into two branches:

• Reconstructive plastic surgery – This branch focuses on the correction of physical deformities and irregularities to regain the body part’s normal functions.
• Cosmetic plastic surgery – This branch focuses on elective procedures for body enhancement or beautification purposes.

Plastic Surgery Complications

Any surgical procedure, whether done for medical or cosmetic reasons, has its risks. Similarly, plastic surgery comes with its own set of risks, ranging from a feeling of regret or death. While the occurrence is rare, complications of surgery include infections, allergic reactions to anaesthesia, blood clotting, scarring and nerve damage. However, under the skillful hands of reputable plastic surgeon, these risks become virtually non-existent.