Plastic Surgery Glossary

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Abdominoplasty: A surgical procedure, also known as tummy tuck, to correct the apron of excess skin hanging over your abdomen.
Anaesthesia: lack of a sensation brought on by an anaesthetic drug.
Asymmetry: Lacking symmetry; parts of the body are unequal in shape or size.
Augmentation mammaplasty: Breast enlargement by surgery.
Autologous tissue breast reconstruction: The use of the patient's own tissues to reconstruct a new breast mound. Common techniques include the TRAM (skin, fat and muscle from the abdomen), DIEP (skin and fat from the abdomen), GAP (Skin and fat from the buttock) and Latissimus dorsi (skin, muscle and fat from the back).

Bilateral gynecomastia: A condition of over-developed or enlarged breasts affecting both breasts in men.
Blepharoplasty: Eyelid surgery to improve the appearance of upper eyelids, lower eyelids or both.
Botulinum toxin: a purified bacterial protein that can partially and temporarily relax muscles. It can be used to reduce wrinkles in the face and spasm in children with cerebral palsy).
Brachioplasty: A surgical procedure, also known as arm lift, to correct sagging of the upper arms.
Breast augmentation (also called augmentation mammaplasty): A procedure to reshape the breast in order to make it larger using an implant.
Brow lift: A surgical procedure to correct a low-positioned or sagging brow. Smoothes furrows across the forehead and between the brows.

Capsular contracture: The most common complication of breast augmentation surgery; occurs if the scar or capsule around the implant begins to tighten.
Chemical peel: Use of a chemical solution in order to improve the skin's appearance. It can reduce fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth, correct uneven skin pigmentation, possibly remove pre-cancerous skin growths, and soften acne or treat the scars caused by acne.
Circumferential thigh lift: A surgical procedure to correct sagging of the outer and mid-thigh.
Collagen: A natural protein used as an injectable filler for soft tissue augmentation.
Computed axial tomography (also called a CT or CAT scan): A diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices). A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays.
Congenital: Present at birth.
Congenital anomaly: A health problem present at birth (not necessarily genetic).
Contractures: Tension across a concavity or joint caused by or a loss of the normal flexibility of the tissues or skin.
Cosmetic plastic surgery (also called aesthetic plastic surgery): That part of plastic surgery that is concerned with the restoration, improvement or enhancement in the appearance of the face and body.

Dermis: The thicker supporting layer of the skin, covered by the epidermis.
Dermabrasion: A procedure that uses a high-speed rotating brush or sandpaper to remove the top layer of skin. It can improve some wrinkles and some scars, but has largely been replaced by laser except in certain circumstances.
Dermatome: An instrument that has an oscillating blade that moves back and forth to evenly shave off a thickness of skin that can then be used as a skin graft.
Dermal fillers: Synthetic materials used to correct wrinkles, depressions in the skin, and/or scarring.

Ectropion: Turning outward the lower eyelid.
Endoscope: A small, flexible fibreoptic cable with a light and a lens on the end used to look inside an organ or cavity such as the oesophagus, stomach, duodenum, colon, or rectum.
Endoscopy: A procedure in which a lighted viewing instrument (endoscope) is used to look inside a body cavity or organ to diagnose or treat disorders.
Expander implant breast reconstruction: The use of an expander to create a breast mound, which may be later replaced with a permanently filled breast implant.

Face lift: A cosmetic surgical procedure to correct the effect of ageing and gravity on the face by repositioning the tissues of the face creating more youthful contours.
Facial implant: Cosmetic plastic surgery to enhance the shape of the chin, cheek, or jaw. This procedure is typically done to enhance certain facial features, or to bring a certain aspect of the face into proportion with the rest of the facial structures.
Flap surgery: The use of a piece of tissue with its own blood supply to reconstruct areas deficient in tissue.
Forehead lift: The surgical correction of sagging brows. It is often done in conjunction with a facelift in order to create a smoother facial appearance overall.

General anaesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.
Gynecomastia: A condition in which the males develop visible breast tissue.

Human fat: Harvested from your own body and used as an injectable filler for soft tissue augmentation.
Haematoma: A collection of blood.

Injectable fillers: Substances used to restore volume and your youthful appearance.
Intravenous sedation: Sedatives are administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.
Implant: A surgical device that is placed permanently in the human body, often to change the shape of an area (e.g. breast implant).

Lipoplasty: Another term for liposuction.
Liposuction: Also called lipoplasty or suction lipectomy, this procedure vacuums out fat from beneath the skin’s surface to reduce fullness.
Local anaesthesia: A drug is injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.
Lower body lift: Surgical procedure to correct sagging of the abdomen, buttocks, groin, and outer thighs.

Mastectomy: The removal of a breast, typically to rid the body cancer.
Maxillofacial: Pertaining to the jaws and face.
Medial thigh lift: A surgical procedure to correct sagging of the inner thigh.
Mini abdominoplasty: A "mini tummy tuck." This procedure is ideal for individuals who have fat deposits limited to the area below the navel.
MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging; a painless test to view tissue similar to an x-ray.

Nasal: Relating to the nose.
Nasolabial fold: Deep creases between the nose and mouth.

Otoplasty (also called prominent ear surgery): A type of cosmetic plastic surgery procedure aimed at setting prominent ears closer to the head.

Plastic surgery: The surgical specialty or procedure concerned with the restoration, construction, reconstruction, or improvement in the form, function, and appearance of body structures that are missing, defective, damaged, or misshapen. Encompasses both reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.

Reduction mammaplasty: The surgical removal of breast tissue to reduce the size of breasts.
Reconstructive plastic surgery: That part of plastic surgery that is concerned with the restoration, construction, reconstruction, or improvement in the form, function, and appearance of body structures that are missing, defective, damaged, or misshapen.
Rhinoplasty: The surgical correction of the appearance and function (primarily breathing) of the nose. Often combined with septoplasty.
Rhytidectomy: A surgical procedure, also known as facelift, to reduce sagging of the mid-face, jowls and neck.

Saline implants: Breast implants filled with a salt water solution.
Scar: The result of the body's natural way of healing and replacing lost or damaged tissue. The way a person scars is usually unique for an individual, but plastic surgery techniques may often hide or minimise visible scars.
Septoplasty: The surgical correction of and deformities of the nasal septum, the partition between the two sides of two nasal airways. Often combined with rhinoplasty and often performed to improve breathing.
Silicone implants: Breast implants filled with an elastic gel solution.
Skin grafts: Anything from a shaving of skin (slit thickness skin graft) all the way to a full thickness piece of skin (full thickness skin graft) used to replace skin where it has been lost. Often used for skin loss in burns, or when removing skin cancers on the face or legs. Donor sites (places where the skin graft comes from) vary. The thigh is often used for split thickness grafts and the skin in front of or behind the ear is often used for full thickness skin grafts.
Skin resurfacing: Treatment to improve the texture, clarity and overall appearance of your skin.
Soft tissue augmentation: The use of injectable fillers to restore volume and your youthful appearance.
Suction lipectomy: Another term for liposuction.
Sutures: Stitches used by surgeons to hold skin and tissue together.

Tissue expansion: A surgical procedure that involves inserting a balloon-like device (called an expander) under the skin. The expander is then slowly inflated to stretch and expand the skin overlying it. This extra skin created is used to repair nearby lost or damaged skin.
Tumescent or super-wet liposuction: Requires an infusion of saline solution with adrenaline and possibly anaesthetic prior to removal of excess fat.
Tummy tuck: A surgical procedure to correct the apron of excess skin hanging over your abdomen.

Unilateral gynecomastia: A condition of over-developed or enlarged breasts affecting just one breast in men.
Ultrasound: A diagnostic procedure that projects high-frequency sound waves into the body and changes the echoes into pictures.
Ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty: Uses ultrasonic energy to liquefy excess fat prior to surgical suctioning.

(This information is courtesy of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons)

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