Steps in Cosmetic Surgery: Closure
September 17th, 2012
13.8 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States in 2011, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). There are four universal steps to follow for all cosmetic procedure involving surgery. As I have previously discussed so far, step one is incision, followed by dissection and sculpting. This brings us to discussion of the final step, which is wound closure.
In elective cosmetic surgery cases, taking extra time to do an aesthetic closure is possible. The first phase in wound closure is suturing (sewing) the skin and deeper tissues back together, also known as tissue approximation. How well this is done will determine the physical appearance of the scar.
Steps in Cosmetic Surgery: Sculpting
September 7th, 2012
Some say the work of a cosmetic plastic surgeon is artistry and although I am flattered by the comparison, I do agree that an understanding of classical artistic proportion is essential in obtaining natural results. Let’s continue with the discussion of the universal steps for all cosmetic surgery. Following the incision and dissection, the underlying tissues are revealed. This allows the next step to be performed, called the sculpting. Sculpting is a delicate step and it requires aesthetic skill. It is performed according to a custom surgical plan that is designed especially to achieve the desired changes. I firmly believe that obtaining consistently natural results, can only be achieved through an aesthetic or a kind of artistic understanding of human form and proportion, such as the work of Leonardo da Vinci.
Unnatural results are usually related to a surgeon’s objective for a stylized or unnatural aesthetic. This distorted look has become the frequent topic of our pop culture and the Hollywood media. Surgical before and after photos are an excellent way to judge a surgeon’s aesthetic eye and the likelihood of a particular result following cosmetic surgery.
Please check back next time for more of this series.
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