Esthetic Eyelid Surgery

What is esthetic eyelid surgery (Blepharoplasty)?
Aging and gravity lead to skin loosening and sagging in the eyebrows, upper and lower eyelids, as well as herniation and pouching of fatty tissue. This results not only in an unpleasant appearance in esthetic terms, but also reduced vision due to the sagging of the upper eyelid. Esthetic eyelid surgery removes the excessive skin, strengthens the membrane in front of the herniated fatty tissue, and / or takes out the excessive fatty tissue. As such, one achieves a pleasant appearance as well as more comfortable vision. 

The operation leaves a trace along the upper eyelid; however, this trace will be shaped along the natural curve of the eyelid so as to be visible only at a very close distance. As for the lower eyelid, a trace appears just below the eyelashes, but it seems like the continuation of the adjacent natural line on the skin. The eyelid is a part of our body where the lightest of traces will be left after an operation.

Who are eligible for this operation?
Potential candidates are individuals above 30 years of age, who have sagging and pouching in their upper or lower eyelids, and do not have other health issues.

Surgery
The surgery is performed in an hospital’s operating room, under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. Local anesthesia and intravenous sedation are opted for. Depending on the complaints of the patient, surgery may be applied to only the upper lid, lower lid, or both of them at the same time. The operation takes 1-1.5 hours on average, and patients may go home the same day.

After the surgery
The aftermath of the surgery is usually quite comfortable, although there may appear some swelling and bruising around the eyes, as well as dryness, a burning sensation, and blurred vision. Tears may increase, eyes may become sensitive to light for a while. The patients may not be able to fully close their eyes in the first days; however, these are normally expected symptoms that will go away within the first week. The stitches are removed after 3 to 5 days.

Return to normal life
The operation yields positive results; a revision (a second surgical intervention) may be necessary only in very rare cases. Individuals may resume work after three days, and restart using their contact lenses, if any, in one week. Since the new shape of the eyelids will be affected by gravity, it may last a number of years or throughout their lifetime, depending on patients’ constitution.

Facelift, Facial Rejuvenation

What is a facelift or facial rejuvenation surgery?
Facelift (rhytidectomy) is a surgical method that removes facial sagging and wrinkles by means of stretching and suspension. However, in recent years, all anti-aging operations on the face have started being categorized as facial rejuvenation.

As individuals get older, as a result of sun rays, daily stress, and other factors (smoking, alcohol, unhealthy eating), the facial skin may sag and wrinkle, and scars and irregularities may appear. An aged face is marked by prominent forehead lines, lower eyebrows, sagging eyelids, pouching and lines under the eyes, deep creases around the mouth and nose, sagging cheeks, invisible chin contours, a fatty neck, and saggy skin. The skin loses its lustre, becomes thin, wrinkly, and spotted with sun scars and other types of moles.

A plastic and esthetic surgery procedure, the facelift operation is also known as rhytidectomy. Facelift and facial rejuvenation operations remove the sagging and irregularities on the forehead, face and neck skin, take away the excess fatty tissue on the cheeks and neck, pull and suspend the facial fascias and fatty tissue on their anatomically correct location, strengthen facial tissues, correct eyelids and perform other complementary interventions (skin exfoliation-peeling, dermal filler, botox, etc.)

Facial rejuvenation operations
– Forehead lift
– Brow lift
– Cheek (central face) lift
– Neck lift
– Liposuction
– Esthetic eyelid surgery (Blepharoplasty)
– Esthetic nose surgery
– Other corrective surgery (removal of skin lesions, dermabrasion etc.)

Facial rejuvenation esthetics
– Dermal fillers
– Fat injection: For lips, cheeks and facial contours
– Synthetic filler material injections: Wrinkles, lips and small irregularities
– Peeling, chemical peeling, mechanical peeling = dermabrasion, laser peeling (laserbrasion)
– Botox: For wrinkles on the skin
– Cosmetic product applications
– Peeling with cream at home, lightening skin tone, activation of skin renewal

Rhinoplasty

Esthetic nose surgery (rhinoplasty) or the nose reconstruction operation is the most common esthetic surgery procedure. An esthetic nose operation may diminish or enlarge your nose, change the shape of your nose or its tip, reduce the width of your nostrils, or change the angle between your nose and upper lip. At the same time, it may correct a congenital or injury-induced deformity or eliminate problems related to breathing.

Esthetic nose surgery can enhance your physical appearance and increase your self-confidence. However, this does not mean that surgery will change your facial appearance into exactly what you had imagined, or that other people will treat you differently after the surgery. Before deciding on a surgery, you need to ask yourself why you want to have an operation and what you expect from the surgery, think about it at length, and discuss all of your questions with your surgeon. The most suitable patients for esthetic nose surgery are those not looking for perfection, but expecting a more pleasant appearance and an improvement.

Complications (unwanted consequences) are rare and often negligible when the esthetic nose surgery is performed by an experienced plastic surgeon. Despite everything, there is always a possibility of complication, such infection, nasal bleeding or reaction against anesthesia. If the open technique is used or if large nostrils need to be reduced, there may remain very small and thin marks on the nasal floor, which are almost invisible.

Breast Lift Surgery

What is an esthetic breast lift operation? Who are eligible for this operation? Breasts may start to sag for different reasons. The ligaments holding the breast tissue in place may start to loosen in time. Due to weight change, breastfeeding or gravity, there may appear a disharmony between the breast tissue and the surrounding skin membrane. The problem may arise from the breast tissue, skin or both. The result can be a sagging breast that appears almost empty.

Breast Reduction Surgery

What is breast reduction surgery? Who are eligible for this kind of an operation? Although it is generally thought of as a cosmetic operation for enhancing a women’s external appearance, in fact, the esthetic breast reduction operation is reconstructive, and not esthetic surgery. 

Large and saggy breasts may cause neck and back pain as well as incorrect posture in women. The brassiere may place pressure on arm nerves and lead to numbness. Difficulty in breathing is another possible symptom. The friction between the breast skin and the chest skin may lead to rash and scars below the breasts. Day-to-day physical activity may become hampered.

Furthermore, large breasts may cause problems in choice of clothing, and a woman may experience social and psychological issues when she is not pleased with her appearance. A breast reduction operation gives a natural appearance to the breasts, eliminates the aforementioned problems, and makes life easier for women. Breasts may be large for a variety of reasons. 

Genetic factors, hormonal change or certain disease may result in large breasts that are not in harmony with a woman’s overall physical appearance. Weight changes, breastfeeding and gravity may further aggravate the problem. Young girls may also experience an augmentation of breast tissue and end up with large breasts as a result.

Breast Augmentation Surgery

What is Breast Augmentation Surgery?
For centuries, the breasts have been considered a symbol of feminine beauty. Breast volume is of importance in esthetic measurements such as shoulder or chest width, and waist and hip circumference… Breasts may be small for various structural reasons. Alternatively, one breast may be smaller than the other, resulting in an asymmetrical appearance. Some individuals may genetically lack one breast. The most widespread contemporary method for rendering the two breasts equal or for enhancing their volume is a silicone implant. 

There were attempts to perform breast augmentation operations with an individual’s own tissue, yet these yielded limited results. For instance, it is possible to obtain some fat tissue from an individual, and then to partially augment the breasts by means of hyaluronic acid or stem cell methods. However, fat filling is not a permanent method. The main substance of a breast implant is the silicone or saline solution, which forms the outer layer of the implant. New generation non-liquid silicone (cohesive gel) has become the most popular implant in our day. Each type of implant presents various advantages and disadvantages. It is necessary for the patient and physician to discuss this issue at length prior to surgery and reach a joint decision as to which product should be employed.

What is a Silicone Breast Implant?
Silicone products are used for various purposes in the cosmetics industry and medical science. A breast implant is a shell shaped like a breast. There exist round implants, as well as anatomic ones shaped like a teardrop. The shell is filled with silicone and the implant has an uneven surface so as to adapt to body tissue. The shell may include different types of filler material. 

The following breast implants are used today:
a. A silicone gel-filled shell covered again with a silicone outer surface. These are manufactured as ready-to-use products in different sizes. In the USA, the Food and Drug Administration has given its approval to these products in November 2006.
b. An empty shell, which may then be either gel-filled or saline-filled: During the operation, the shell is filled with saline solution until it reaches the desired volume. In recent years, ready-to-use shells have also been manufactured.
c. PVP: In this type, the silicone shell is filled with a chemical substance called PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone povidone). It is gel-like and ready for use. The manufacturing company has withdrawn this product from the market.
d. Soybean Oil: These are ready-to-use implants, where the silicon shell is filled with soybean oil. They have started being used at a recent date and there is no information on their long-term effects.

Brow Lift

There are two methods to lift your forehead and eyebrow areas:
- Classic lift
- Endoscopic lift

The classic lift involves one continuous cut beginning at the level of your ears and going up around your hair line. Depending on where your hair line is, the surgeon will work to avoid a visible scar.

For the endoscopic lift, the surgeon makes a few shorter cuts in your scalp. They will insert a scope -- a small camera on the end of a thin tube -- into one of the cuts and use another device inserted in another cut to make the necessary changes.

In the endoscopic lift, the surgeon uses small anchors to secure the tissue. Because the cuts are smaller, this procedure is less invasive than the classic lift. You will have minimal scarring and a shorter recovery time.

Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)

Otoplasty – also known as cosmetic ear surgery – is a procedure to change the shape, position or size of the ears.

You might choose to have an otoplasty if you’re bothered by how far your ears stick out from your head.

Otoplasty can be done at any age after the ears have reached their full size — usually after age 5 — through adulthood. In some cases, the surgery is done as early as age 3.

The Surgery

The shape of the ears may be corrected in a number of ways. Otoplasty, as mentioned above, aims to ‘pin back’ the ears closer to the side of the head. Other procedures include ear lobe reduction, correction of ear defects present at birth or those caused by injury. On the day of your procedure, you will arrive at the hospital fasting. Before the surgery you will meet with your surgeon again and he will mark the surgical site. Correction of prominent ears is usually performed under general anesthesia supplemented with a local anesthetic to the area around the ear.

The most common surgical technique is that the cartilage is exposed and abraded from behind and then divided along the proposed new internal fold. In this way the surgeon avoids making an incision on the front of the ear. The cut makes the cartilage of the ear fold backwards which will bring the ear closer to the head. After the incision is sutured a dressing is applied to the new shape of the ear. Following the surgery you will be closely monitored while you begin your recovery and the effects of the anesthetic wear off.

Neck Lift (Lower Rhytidectomy)

A neck lift is perhaps the most compelling cosmetic surgery procedure that will truly make the right candidate look and feel ten years younger! A neck lift may be performed on its own, however, it is usually performed in conjunction with a facelift, creating a more uniform and younger-looking face overall. A brow lift and upper or lower blepharoplasty may also be required to rejuvenate the entire face.

One of the first places that you can see the signs of ageing is on the neck. It is common for the skin to become loose as it loses its natural elasticity and muscles weaken. Indeed, this leads to the wrinkles and lines that people associate with older age. In addition, if you have lost a lot of weight, this can often make the skin on the neck loose, which can be mistaken for older age too.

The purpose of a neck lift is to address sagging skin and wrinkles that have formed on the neck to improve the appearance of the skin and encourage a more youthful look. Surgery will tighten the muscles and skin, diminishing vertical bands and loose skin permanently.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A NECK LIFT?

Doctors recommend that the skin is prepared six weeks prior to surgery with the topical use of vitamin A and glycolic acid for the best results.

A neck lift involves tightening the platysma muscles as well as re-draping or removing excess skin of the neck. In patients who carry a lot of weight in this area, some liposuction may be recommended. It is extremely important not to remove too much fat with liposuction as this can make the platysma muscles and submandibular (salivary) gland more prominent, creating a gaunt look. Younger patients who only have excess fat in the neck area may only require liposuction with or without chin augmentation (genioplasty).

RECOVERY & RESULTS

Neck lift surgery is usually performed as a day surgery, however patients can choose to stay in hospital overnight. All patients will need to wear a compression garment for up to six weeks to prevent excess swelling and haematoma formation. The garment will also help ensure that there is uniformity in terms of skin tightening. Most patients can resume work within seven to ten days, but strenuous exercise should be avoided for up to three weeks. The final results of your neck lift will only be obvious several months after surgery once all swelling has subsided and the neck has healed completely. Even though the neck will still be prone to the natural ageing process, the results of a neck lift can last up to 15 years.

Rhinoplasty (Nose Surgery)

What is Rhinoplasty/Nose Reshaping?

Virtual consultations availableAs the central feature of the face, the nose can determine your overall look.

A Rhinoplasty, also known as Nose Reshaping, or a 'nose job', is a surgical procedure that can address several of the most common nose related concerns including:

• Reduction in size
• Reduction in length
• Removing or reducing a bridge/ hump
• Adjusting nostril size and shape
• Amending asymmetry
• Reshaping the tip of the nose
• Improving or alleviating breathing difficulties

The Consultation

At your consultation your surgeon will give a comprehensive assessment which includes an evaluation of the inside and outside of your nose. This will allow your surgeon to assess which techniques would be suitable for your nose. 

It is also your chance to discuss what you wish to achieve from surgery as well as going through any questions you may have about the procedure and talk through any concerns.

Your plastic surgeon will also go through what rhinoplasty surgery involves, the risks associated with rhinoplasty surgery and what aftercare and downtime you would require post-surgery. You will also be provided with a Rhinoplasty Patient Guide which will have all the information you need to know about the procedure. You will leave your consultation feeling well informed about the procedure to be able to make a decision about if to go ahead with surgery or not.

Facial Implants (Facial Balancing and Enhancing)

Facial Implants for Better Balance & Proportion

Like faces, facial implants come in all shapes and sizes. Your surgeon can use them to augment the physical structure of your face and enhance your features. 

Facial implants are made of solid, specially formulated materials that are “biocompatible,” meaning that your body accepts them when they are implanted. 

Chin implants – Designed to increase the size and correct the projection of a chin that does not “stick out” in proportion to the forehead and mid-face. A chin implant can also correct a recessed chin that seems to disappear into the neck of an individual of normal weight, rather than appearing as a distinct facial feature.

Cheek implants – Designed to increase the projection of the cheekbones. Cheek implants increase volume to areas, which may be recessed.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Facial Implant Surgery?

• Generally healthy.
• Have no major medical issues (i.e. diabetes, haemophilia).
• Do not smoke.
• Have facial bones that have reached physical maturity.
• Are bothered by a small chin, weak jaw or lack of facial contour.
• Have clear goals, a positive outlook, and a realistic understanding of what the results of their procedure may be.