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National Institutes of Health
Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
Also called: Cosmetic surgery
Surgeons can reshape the appearance of body parts through cosmetic surgery. Some of the most common body parts people want to improve through surgery include
- Breasts: Increase or reduce the size of breasts or reshape sagging breasts
- Ears: Reduce the size of large ears or set protruding ears back closer to the head
- Eyes: Correct drooping upper eyelids or remove puffy bags below the eyes
- Face: Remove facial wrinkles, creases or acne scars
- Hair: Fill in balding areas with one's own hair
- Nose: Change the shape of the nose
- Tummy: Flatten the abdomen
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
, and
For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Cosmetic Surgery: What to Know Beforehand(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Latest News
- Implants May Delay Breast Cancer Detection, Raise Death Risk(05/01/2013, HealthDay)
- Cosmetic Procedures for Arms on the Rise(04/29/2013, HealthDay)
- Study Examines Combo Chin, Nose Plastic Surgery(03/15/2013, HealthDay)
- Cosmetic Procedures Surge among Men(03/01/2013, American Academy of Dermatology)
- 5 Things to Know About Breast Implants(02/20/2013, Food and Drug Administration)
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Specific Conditions
- Abdominoplasty - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Blepharoplasty(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Blepharoplasty - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Body Contouring After Major Weight Loss(American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
- Breast augmentation - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast Implants(Food and Drug Administration)
- Breast lift (mastopexy) - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast reduction (mammoplasty) - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast Reduction Surgery(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Chemical Peel(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Chin augmentation - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Craniofacial reconstruction - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Dermabrasion(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Dermabrasion (Dermaplaning)(American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
- Ear Plastic Surgery (Otoplasty)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
- Face-Lift(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Facelift - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Fillers(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Forehead lift - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- General Dermatologic Surgery Information(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
- Laser Hair Removal(Logical Images)
- Laser Therapy(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
- Laser Vascular Lesion Treatment(Logical Images)
- Lip Augmentation Offers Something to Smile About(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Liposuction(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Nose surgery - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Otoplasty (Cosmetic Ear Surgery)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Rhinoplasty(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Skin smoothing surgery - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Skinny on Liposuction(Food and Drug Administration)
- Surgery of the Chin(American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)
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Related Issues
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Botox and Facial Fillers(American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) - PDF
- Patient Safety: Guide to Safe Plastic Surgery(American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
- Plastic Surgery for Ethnic Patients(American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
- Removing Hair Safely(Food and Drug Administration)
- Safety Tips for Patients Considering Cosmetic / Dermatologic Laser and Light Based Device Procedures(American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery)
- Tissue Expansion: Growing Extra Skin for Reconstruction(American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
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Pictures & Photographs
- Before and After: Procedure Example Photos(American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)
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Videos
- Breast lift - Encyclopedia
- Also available in Spanish
- Liposuction - Encyclopedia
- Also available in Spanish
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Implants(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Reconstructive Surgical Procedures(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Surgery, Plastic(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Implants
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Abstracts of the 58th Annual Meeting of the Plastic Surgery...
- Article: Discussion: Program director opinions of core competencies in hand surgery...
- Article: Program director opinions of core competencies in hand surgery training:...
- Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery -- see more articles
- Facelift (Rhytidoplasty) -- see more articles
- Liposuction (Lipectomy) -- see more articles
- Plastic surgery on the eyelid (Blepharoplasty) -- see more articles
- Plastic surgery on the nose (Rhinoplasty) -- see more articles
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Directories
- Find a Dermatologic Surgeon(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
- Find a Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon(American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)
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Organizations
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Teenagers
- Plastic Surgery(Nemours Foundation)
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Men
- Breast Reduction for Men (Gynecomastia)(American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
- Penis-Enlargement Products: Do They Work?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Women
- Breast Lift (Mastopexy)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Patient Handouts
- Abdominal wall surgery
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast lift
- Also available in Spanish
- Chin augmentation
- Also available in Spanish
- Cosmetic breast surgery
- Also available in Spanish
- Cosmetic breast surgery - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Cosmetic ear surgery
- Also available in Spanish
- Dermabrasion
- Also available in Spanish
- Eyelid lift
- Also available in Spanish
- Facelift
- Also available in Spanish
- Forehead lift
- Also available in Spanish
- Head and face reconstruction
- Also available in Spanish
- Liposuction
- Also available in Spanish
- Rhinoplasty
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
- Abdominal wall surgery
- Abdominoplasty - slideshow
- Blepharoplasty - slideshow
- Breast augmentation - slideshow
- Breast lift
- Breast lift
- Breast lift (mastopexy) - slideshow
- Breast reduction
- Breast reduction (mammoplasty) - slideshow
- Chin augmentation
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Chin augmentation - slideshow
Cosmetic breast surgery
Cosmetic breast surgery - discharge
Cosmetic ear surgery
Craniofacial reconstruction - slideshow
Dermabrasion
Ear surgery - slideshow
Eyelid lift
Facelift
Facelift - slideshow
Forehead lift
Forehead lift - slideshow
Head and face reconstruction
Liposuction
Liposuction
Liposuction - slideshow
Nose surgery - slideshow
Rhinoplasty
Skin smoothing surgery - slideshow
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Chin augmentation - slideshow
