Aesthetic surgery for women: get the facts

It is perfectly normal for a woman to want to improve her body, especially after a pregnancy and birth or a surgery. The way we feel about our body and appearance is of major importance, key to the boost of self-confidence and good mood. There are solutions with which you can correct any kind of imperfection questioning the femininity of a woman, and achieve the desired appearance.

Nowadays aesthetic plastic surgery is more affordable. The new techniques and knowledge gained allow the minimization of recovery time, the limitation of hospitalization cost and quick return to everyday life. Furthermore, new medical materials and devices helped plastic surgery become simpler, more secure and available to larger groups of the population. SO, you can offer to yourself the option of an effective solution to improve your image and feel strong towards life and time.

Although Aesthetic Plastic medicine deals with the entire body, the most common surgeries related to women whose body has been affected by pregnancy, breast-feeding and weight cycling are Mammoplasty, Abdominoplasty and Liposuction.

Mammoplasty

Breast is the symbol and projection of female sexuality. Body and breast change in size and shape over the years, mainly due to normal weight gains and losses, pregnancies, menopause, but also due to the physical effect of gravity. Aesthetic plastic surgery intervenes and restores the physical damage to the breast, in order either to form its natural shape again and make it look younger or adjust its size and symmetry.

The most common breast surgeries are the following:

• Breast implant or augmentation
• Breast lift
• Breast reduction
• Correction of breast asymmetry
• Breast reconstruction

In breast reconstruction and lift surgeries, implants, saline and silicone gel prosthetics are used, available in a wide range of sizes and shapes to suit every female body type. The above implants are safe, and epidemiological studies show that are not implicated in increased risk of rejection, skin inflammation or infection or even neoplasia. On the contrary, they are used for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy since they do not develop metastases or local relapses and in addition, they help boost the negative mood state and achieve smooth reintegration back to life.

Breast plastic surgery does not affect breastfeeding or does not interfere with mammography or other examinations, while the new form is maintained even after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Apart from breast lift and breast augmentation surgeries, plastic surgery can address cases where breast presents congenital malformations, most common being size asymmetry, nipple abnormalities, such as aplasia, agenesia, supernumerary or hypertrophic nipples as well as retracted nipples. Lastly, there is also breast reduction surgery, which is applied in cases where the large size and weight of the breast causes functional problems, such as pain in the back and deformity of the spine. It is a reconstruction surgery that markedly improves the quality of life and achieves a high degree of satisfaction.

In any case you need to discuss with the Plastic Surgeon of the Department to inform you about all the options and help you make the right choice.

Abdominoplasty

The loose belly is often the result of a pregnancy or a large and rapid weight loss. Abdominoplasty is not a method to lose weight, but a surgery for fixing the marks or deformities caused by the normal cycle of life.

Abdominoplasty can restore the appearance of the abdomen, fix the malformations such as stretch marks, localized fat deposits or loose skin. Pregnancy stretch marks in particular can be slightly improved by non-surgical methods and plastic surgery is the most effective option. Furthermore, abdominoplasty can be combined with concurrent gynecological surgical procedures, such as vaginal hysterectomy, diagnostic laparotomy or hernia repair of the abdominal wall.

In the Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Department of GENESIS, the qualified medical personnel, after an examination, can suggest the technical approach that will best suit your needs, desires and way of life. The morphology of the region, the amount of excess fat, the state of the skin and abdominal muscles are some of the criteria that must be taken into account in order to restore the shape of the abdomen.

For more information about the surgical procedure and pre-operative instructions, schedule an advising appointment without charge with a Doctor of the Department.

Liposuction

Liposuction is the most common surgery in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, which can be applied to all body areas with a tendency to localized fat accumulation. It is accumulated fat that cannot be reduced by diet or exercise. Localized fat is most often located around the buttocks, abdomen, inner surface of the knee, but also in the arms or buttocks.With the new technique of Power Assisted Liposuction (PAL), the aesthetic outcome after surgery is significantly better because it allows the skin to retain its natural texture without being loose or saggy after removal of localized fat.

Localized fat, especially in the girth, is often observed after the first pregnancy, as well as after menopause. Liposuction improves body line and the result is immediately visible. However, it should be noted again that this is not a method to lose weight, but an aesthetic procedure used when exercise and diet are not enough to improve body image.
 
In any case the final decision will be taken together with the Plastic Surgeon of the Department when all your questions have been answered and all details have been explained, such as anesthesia, preoperative assessment and surgical techniques.

Other surgical procedures related to the specialty of Plastic - Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery are:

• Eyelid Surgery - Restoration of the drooping (sagging) of eyelids as the distance between the lower eyelid and the cheek is increased with herniation of the periorbital fat and weakness of the eye muscle.
• Rhinoplasty - Reconstruction of the nose, nasal turbinates and nasal septum, in order to restore malformations or malfunctions in breathing, resulting in a beautiful, natural and functional nose, in harmony with the face. It is often combined with genioplasty.
• Otoplasty - Plastic surgery of ears' cartilaginous auricles with most common restoration being the correction of congenital protrusion of the ears, known as prominent (protruding) ears. 
• Facelift-Forehead lift - Treatment of sagging of the forehead skin, which leads to the development of wrinkles and to partial drooping of the upper eyelid that affects the look of the face.
• Necklift - The natural aging mechanism of the skin and platysma muscles causes sagging in the region of the neck and intense wrinkles.
• Lip augmentation - It is a common aesthetic plastic surgery performed either by a hyaluronic acid filler or a permanent lip filler.
• Arm and thigh lift - Treats sagging and drooping of the skin combining local liposuction and skin lifting.
• Buttock augmentation - An aesthetic surgical procedure for improving the contour and size of the buttocks.
• Aesthetic genital surgery - This category includes vaginal surgery, labia surgery, liposuction in the pubic area, surgical procedures by which any aesthetic or functional malformation are corrected effectively. 
• Removal of hypertrophic scars - keloids - These are raised scars on the skin, either red or darker in color, within the boundaries of a wound or incision that can extend beyond these boundaries. These unaesthetic scars are scar tissue deposits, caused by the body's overreaction of the healing mechanism.
• Removal of benign or malignant lesions of the skin - Plastic surgery also includes reconstructive surgery of the skin, skin nevus (mole) removal or other benign lesions such as hyperkeratosis, as well as treatment of malignant lesions, basal or squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer).
• Botox - For the restoration of wrinkles on forehead, eyes (crow's feet) as well as other applications, such as the treatment of annoying excessive sweating.
• Hyaluronic acid - Material used as a wrinkle filler.
• Hair transplant - A surgical procedure that treats alopecia and hair loss in women.