Glossary of Terms
A
Abnormalities of the Jaw
An anomaly in the formation of the upper and/or lower jaw, often addressed through maxillofacial surgery.
Acellular Dermal Matrix
Processed donor tissue used as soft tissue replacement in plastic and reconstructive surgery when there is not an adequate amount of the patient’s own tissue to support an implant.
Acne Scars
Textural irregularities in the skin caused by the acne healing process, often treated with laser skin resurfacing, dermabrasion, or chemical peels.
Anesthesia
Drug-induced general or local loss of bodily sensation and pain, used to permit surgery and limit discomfort.
Areola
The circle of darker-colored skin that surrounds the nipple.
Areola Reduction
Cosmetic breast surgery that reduces and reshapes overly large or stretched areolas.
Arm Lift
Also known as brachioplasty, a cosmetic procedure that reshapes the upper arms by removing excess fat and skin.
Autologous Fat Transfer
The use of a patient’s own fat, harvested by liposuction, to add volume elsewhere on the body. See fat transfer.
B
Blepharoplasty
Also known as eyelid surgery, blepharoplasty removes folds, sagging skin, or wrinkles around the eyes. It can also repair damage or injury to the eyelid.
Body Contouring
Reshaping of a portion of the body using implants, lifts, fat transfers, and/or the removal of excess skin and fat. Explore body procedures.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
A psychological disorder in which a person is overly concerned or obsessed with perceived defects in their appearance, even when those issues are imagined or exaggerated. Because a healthy perspective on physical appearance is important before pursuing plastic surgery, people experiencing BDD are typically not good candidates for cosmetic procedures.
Body Lift (Belt Lipectomy)
A post-weight-loss surgical procedure involving the removal, lifting, and reshaping of excess skin, typically on the arms, thighs, tummy, and back.
Boob Job
A colloquial term that usually refers to breast augmentation, but which can also describe other forms of cosmetic breast enhancement, including a breast lift or breast reduction.
Botox®
A nonsurgical cosmetic injectable used to temporarily relax facial wrinkles between and around the eyes.
BRA Day
Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day, an initiative promoting education, awareness, and access for breast cancer patients considering breast reconstruction. Launched in 2011, it occurs annually on the third Wednesday of October.
Brachioplasty
More commonly known as an arm lift, a surgical procedure used to remove excess fat and loose skin of the upper arm.
Brazilian Butt Lift
A cosmetic surgery procedure that uses fat transfer to augment the buttocks: fat deposits are removed with liposuction, purified, and re-injected into the buttocks.
Breast Asymmetry
A naturally occurring difference — or a complication of breast augmentation or reconstruction — in which the breasts are not identical in shape and/or size. Often remedied during breast revision surgery.
Breast Augmentation
A surgical procedure involving the insertion of a saline or silicone breast implant to enhance the shape and size of the breast.
Breast Cancer Surgery
Surgical excision of cancerous tumor(s) and affected surrounding tissue while conserving as much of the breast as possible; includes lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, and total mastectomy. Often followed by breast reconstruction.
Breast Implant
A silicone shell filled with saline or silicone gel, used to enhance the size and shape of the breast during augmentation or reconstruction. Learn more about breast implants.
Breast Implant Exchange
The surgical replacement of saline implants with silicone (or vice versa) during breast revision surgery to meet a patient’s specific cosmetic needs.
Breast Implant Leak
Rupture of the implant structure, which can occur with both saline and silicone implants, causing the implant to deflate. See breast surgery complications.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
A cosmetic surgical procedure designed to lift, reposition, and reshape the breast. Often performed in conjunction with breast augmentation for patients who desire larger breasts.
Breast Reconstruction
Surgery performed to restore the breast to a more natural appearance following mastectomy, lumpectomy, or radiation therapy for breast cancer.
Breast Reduction
A surgical procedure (see also mammaplasty) that reduces breast size by removing fat, skin, and/or excess glandular tissue to relieve physical discomfort and address aesthetic concerns.
Breast Revision Surgery
A secondary cosmetic breast surgery used to change the appearance of — or correct a complication from — an original breast enhancement procedure.
Breast Sensation Nerve Repair (Resensation®)
A reconstructive technique performed during breast reconstruction that reconnects nerves divided during mastectomy, with the goal of helping restore feeling to the reconstructed breast over time. Learn more about breast sensation nerve repair.
Breast Surgery Symposium
An annual educational conference sponsored by the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (SESPRS), where surgeons from around the world discuss the latest issues and techniques in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery.
Brow Lift
Also known as a forehead lift or browplasty, a cosmetic procedure that tightens and lifts the skin to reduce wrinkles, expression lines, and deep furrows in the upper brow and forehead.
C
Cannula
A long, thin tubular instrument used in liposuction to access subcutaneous fat deposits for removal.
Capsular Contracture
A breast augmentation complication in which the body forms excess scar tissue around an implant, creating an overly firm breast texture. Usually remedied with breast revision surgery.
Cheek Implants
Facial implants that enhance the shape and volume of the cheeks.
Chemical Peel
A chemical solution that removes the top layer(s) of dead, damaged skin to improve, tighten, and smooth facial skin texture.
Chin Reduction Surgery
A cosmetic facial procedure used to reduce the appearance of a prominent chin and achieve balance of the lower face; a component of maxillofacial surgery.
Cleft Lip
A congenital condition in which an infant’s lip does not fully close during development. Corrected through reconstructive surgery; often appears with a cleft palate.
Cleft Palate
A congenital division in the palate (roof of the mouth), often seen with cleft lip, that can affect speech, eating, and development if not surgically corrected.
Collagen
A structural protein that provides support and contributes to the elasticity of youthful-looking skin.
Congenital Defects
Medical conditions, deformities, or abnormalities that are present at birth.
CoolSculpting®
A nonsurgical fat reduction method that applies controlled cooling externally, causing fat cells in the treatment area to break down and be eliminated by the body.
CoolTone™
A nonsurgical body contouring treatment that uses magnetic muscle stimulation to strengthen, firm, and tone the muscles of the abdomen, buttocks, and thighs. Often paired with CoolSculpting®.
Cosmetic Surgery
A medical specialty focused on enhancing appearance and restoring form to improve patients’ confidence and self-image.
Cryolipolysis
The controlled fat-freezing process used by CoolSculpting®.
D
Deformity of the Ears
Includes absence of the ear, prominent ears, or constricted ears. These conditions, congenital or acquired, are addressed with ear surgery (otoplasty).
Dermabrasion (Microdermabrasion)
The controlled resurfacing of the skin’s top layers to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, moles, and acne scars.
Dermaplaning
Removal of the outermost layer of dead skin cells using a sterile surgical blade, leaving skin smooth and vibrant.
DIEP Flap
A breast reconstruction procedure in which fat and skin (no muscle) is harvested from the patient’s abdomen and formed into a breast.
Double Bubble
A visible line in the breast showing separation between the edge of the implant and the edge of the breast tissue; a complication addressed with revision surgery.
E
Endoscopic Brow Lift
A less invasive form of forehead or brow lift used to raise the eyebrows and restore a more youthful appearance.
F
Facelift (Rhytidectomy)
A cosmetic surgery procedure that restores a more youthful appearance by removing excess facial fat and skin, tightening underlying tissue and muscle, and redraping the skin of the face and neck.
Facial Fillers
Injectable dermal filler treatments used to replump thinned facial areas and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Products include Restylane® and Juvéderm®.
Facial Implants
A cosmetic procedure that improves the aesthetic contours of the face with silicone implants, most commonly in the cheeks, chin, and jaw.
Facial Rejuvenation
Any cosmetic treatment used to restore a more youthful facial appearance, including injectables, laser skin resurfacing, and dermabrasion. Explore face procedures.
Fat Grafting
Fat extracted from the patient (typically the tummy, thighs, or buttocks) via liposuction and re-implanted into the desired location.
Fat Injections
A minimally invasive procedure that adds volume to facial features and reduces wrinkles using the patient’s own fat. See fat transfer.
Fat Transfer
The use of liposuction to extract fat from one area of the body for re-implantation in another.
Forehead Furrows
Deep-set creases in the forehead caused by aging, environmental factors, and repeated expressions; treated with injectables or a forehead lift.
Free TRAM
A breast reconstruction procedure that harvests the patient’s own abdominal fat, muscle, and skin, which is reattached and formed into a new breast following mastectomy.
G
Gynecomastia
Overdevelopment or enlargement of the mammary glands in males, resulting in excess male breast tissue; treated with male breast reduction.
H
Hematoma
A collection of blood that forms outside a blood vessel, resulting from damage to an artery, vein, or capillary.
Hernia
The protrusion of an organ or fatty tissue into a weakened area of surrounding muscle, most commonly at an incision site where muscle has been penetrated (as in TRAM and free TRAM breast reconstruction).
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Jaw Implants
Facial implants used to enhance the jawline and restore facial balance.
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L
Laser Hair Removal
The reduction of unwanted hair using laser heat and light pulses to disable hair follicles without harming surrounding skin.
Laser Skin Resurfacing
Laser treatment used to reduce the appearance of blemishes, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Laser-Assisted Liposuction
A body reshaping technique that uses laser heat to melt unwanted fat for easier removal with a suctioning cannula.
Latisse®
A prescription treatment applied to the lash line to gradually grow longer, fuller, and darker eyelashes.
Lipectomy
A surgical procedure to remove fatty tissue.
Liposuction
A cosmetic procedure that uses suction to remove excess fat from specific areas — most commonly the tummy, buttocks, thighs, arms, neck, and back.
Love Handles
Fat deposits between the waist and hips, visible at the sides and lower back; a common area treated with liposuction.
M
Macromastia
A medical condition in which the breasts are excessively large for a person’s frame, causing physical pain or mobility restriction; remedied with breast reduction surgery.
Mammaplasty
A term encompassing breast-related plastic surgery, most commonly reduction mammaplasty — breast reduction — in which excess tissue is surgically removed to improve function and appearance.
Mammogram
Low-dose X-ray imaging used to detect abnormal growths within breast tissue. Atlanta Plastic Surgery’s surgeons recommend that all breast enhancement and reconstruction patients receive a mammogram before their procedure.
Man Boobs
A colloquial term for overly developed male breast tissue, known medically as gynecomastia; typically treated with male breast reduction.
Mastectomy
The surgical removal of all or part of a breast to treat breast cancer, usually followed by a form of breast reconstruction.
Maxillofacial Surgery
Reconstructive procedures that address function and aesthetics of the jaw, chin, face, head, and neck, including genioplasty and facial implants.
Microtia
A deformity marked by near or complete absence of the outer ear structure, remedied through otoplasty with a prosthetic or transplanted cartilage.
Mini Facelift (Partial Facelift)
A surgical lift that rejuvenates the lower face and neck with a shorter recovery period than a traditional facelift.
Mommy Makeover Surgery
A combination of cosmetic procedures performed after pregnancy to restore shape and enhance the body — typically including a tummy tuck, liposuction, and breast augmentation, lift, or reduction.
N
Nipple Reconstruction
The final stage of breast reconstruction, in which tissue is surgically added to the new breast mound to form a nipple; tattoo pigment can then mimic areola coloring.
O
Oncoplastic Surgery
A type of breast reconstruction in which cancerous tissue is removed at the same time the breasts are reshaped, often with a lift to restore symmetry.
Otoplasty (Ear Surgery)
A surgical procedure used to repair, reshape, or alter the appearance of the external ear.
P
Pedicled TRAM
A breast reconstruction method that uses the patient’s own abdominal muscle, fat, and skin, passed beneath the abdominal tissue and formed into a new breast following mastectomy.
Plastic Surgery
A branch of surgery consisting of cosmetic and reconstructive surgical procedures.
Plastic Surgery Revision
A cosmetic surgery performed to enhance the results of a previous procedure; most commonly sought for refinement of rhinoplasty or breast augmentation.
Poland’s Syndrome
A congenital condition resulting in missing portions of the pectoralis muscle. Depending on severity, breast augmentation, reconstruction, or nipple reconstruction may be recommended.
Post-Bariatric Surgery
Also known as post-weight-loss surgery, procedures that remove excess skin and tighten the remaining skin for an improved contour — including liposuction, tummy tuck, body lift, thigh lift, arm lift, and breast lift.
Post-Weight-Loss Surgery
A combination of surgical procedures that trims excess skin and fat resulting from significant weight loss.
Power-Assisted Liposuction
A body contouring technique in which unwanted fat is removed through a small incision with a powered suctioning device.
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R
Reconstructive Surgery
A medical specialty that surgically restores the form and function of areas of the body affected by trauma, congenital conditions, developmental abnormalities, infection, or disease.
Recovery Time
The length of time required to properly heal after surgery. Every plastic or reconstructive procedure has its own expected recovery timeline.
Revisionary Surgery
Cosmetic surgery performed to alter the results of a previous breast, body, or facial plastic surgery procedure.
Rhinoplasty
Cosmetic or reconstructive surgery designed to improve the appearance and function of the nose.
Rhinoplasty Recovery
Following nose surgery, a splint is generally applied to protect and maintain the new shape; dry, cold compresses are also recommended.
S
Saline Implant
A breast implant with a silicone shell filled with a sterile saline (salt water) solution.
Scarless Latissimus Breast Reconstruction
A breast reconstruction technique that uses the latissimus muscle from the back, harvested through the mastectomy incision so no additional scar is created on the back.
Scarring
The overproduction of fibrous tissue after trauma or surgery. Scars can vary in pigment and consistency; darker skin tones with more melanin are particularly susceptible to keloid (raised) scarring.
Silicone Implant
A breast implant with a silicone shell filled with a fixed amount of silicone gel, varying in shell texture, size, and shape.
Symmastia
A congenital anomaly or augmentation complication in which both breasts are connected by tissue across the sternum, creating a crowded, “kissing” appearance.
T
Thigh Lift
A post-weight-loss procedure that removes excess layers of fat and skin from the inner and outer thigh.
Thighplasty
Also known as a thigh lift, this procedure re-contours the thigh by removing sagging or dimpled skin, typically after significant weight loss or aging.
Tissue Expander
An inflatable device inserted under the skin and expanded gradually to stretch tissue in preparation for an implant, most commonly during breast reconstruction.
Tumescent Liposuction
A body sculpting technique in which tumescent fluid (a mixture of saline, anesthetic, and epinephrine) is injected to expand fat cells for easier removal.
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
A surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat and tightens the abdominal muscles for a flatter, firmer stomach.
U
Ultherapy®
A nonsurgical skin tightening treatment that uses ultrasound technology to heat the deeper dermal layers, firming skin and encouraging collagen production.
Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction
A liposuction technique that uses sound waves from a vibrating cannula to facilitate fat removal.
Uneven Pigmentation
Patches of skin that differ in color from surrounding skin, resulting from excess or insufficient melanin production, autoimmune conditions, medication reactions, genetics, or sun damage.
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Water-Assisted Liposuction
A liposuction type that uses sterilized water and tumescent fluid to loosen fat for removal and limit post-procedure bleeding and swelling; also facilitates fat harvesting for fat transfer procedures.
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