A lot of people are unhappy with their skin, whether it is their wrinkles, nose, or any other feature. Some people even wish to change their face. While topical treatments can definitely help somewhat, to improve those fine wrinkles and your skin texture, with so many products already on the market for you to buy, there is another way too. Plastic surgery allows you to achieve a much more rapid and dramatic transformation, greatly improving your features.
Plastic surgery may sound perfect, but hold up and do not rush to schedule your plastic surgery just yet. If you didn't already know, plastic surgery won't always go perfectly and improve your features, and there are definetely some instances where plastic surgery went wrong. So, before you decide whether or not to have plastic surgery, you should check out some examples of plastic surgery gone badly.
Facts about plastic surgery
With plastic surgery, more is not necessarily better because for instance, too tight or too frequent facelifts may create a distorted, unnatural look. The result may be worse than having no plastic surgery.
You need to find a board-certified surgeon with a vast experience in plastic surgery; search thoroughly, compare different surgeons, and talk to their former patients. This is the only way to choose the right one. It is somewhat more risky to have plastic surgery in a surgeon’s office than in a hospital, so if you are having an in-office surgery, make sure that the facility is accredited by AAAASF - the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities.
You should be aware that plastic surgery does not slow down the aging of the skin but may actually accelerate it. Therefore, plastic surgery is not a substitute for skin rejuvenation. Actually, after you have undergone a plastic surgery you should be even more diligent in preserving your skin’s youth. Before going for plastic surgery, try topical skin rejuvenation treatments for a few months. The results may be dramatic enough to change your mind about having plastic surgery.
Avoiding bad plastic surgery
When considering a body contouring procedure, such as lipo, tummy tuck, or breast surgery, you want a plastic surgeon that is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). If you are contemplating facial plastic surgery only, you can consider an ABPS board-certified plastic surgeon, or an Otolaryngologist. These are also known as ENT - Ear Nose & Throat specialist, certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. They are only qualified enough to perform cosmetic procedures of the face. Please do not allow an ENT- or any non-ABPS-certified doctor to perform any procedure below the neck, because it might lead to bad surgery. Do not let anyone tell you the doctor just moved from another state, so he or she is waiting for transfer of certification. Keep in mind that certification is a federal exam and is valid in any state. As with any type of surgical procedure, there are plastic surgery risks associated with procedures, no matter how good the surgeon is. However, plastic surgery risks are very small when procedures are performed by a Board-certified plastic surgeon.
Even with the highest level of expertise and care, every surgery carries risks and benefits that you should discuss thoroughly with your chosen surgeon prior to the procedure.
Risks of plastic surgery
Plastic surgery risks often have to do with the patient’s health and emotional well-being; if a person is not physically healthy, or has a history of illness that might increase plastic surgery risks, they should be advised against having plastic surgery at all. Certain types of drugs and supplements may also increase surgery risks. Therefore, it is important to discuss these issues prior to any form of plastic surgery. Smoking and alcohol consumption can also increase the risks. If you smoke, try to quit before the surgery, as your plastic surgeon probably recommended. Smoking can lengthen the recovery time and may make scarring even worse. As with all surgical procedures, there are risks due to anesthesia complications, since many types of plastic surgery are done under a general anesthesia. There are many different risks associated with anesthesia - abnormal heart rhythm, blood clots, airway obstruction, brain damage, heart attack, stroke, temporary paralysis, and even death. It is important to keep in mind that these outcomes are rare and there are a number of things, which a good anesthesiologist can do to mitigate these risks.
Plastic surgery risks can increase for patients undergoing multiple procedures at the same time. This is because a patient is under general anesthetic for longer periods, and there are more traumas associated with multiple procedures. Increased operating time can increase the risks of developing blood clots and other serious complications due to plastic surgery. The risks also involve complications in the outcome of the surgery where in some cases surgical errors can result in subsequent problems in the results. Plastic surgery risks can include asymmetries in the surgical area, irregularities, dimples, puckers, and divots in some cases. Other more serious plastic surgery risks are long-term or permanent loss of sensation, or tingling in the affected area caused by damage done to the nerve during plastic surgery. Seroma development can also occur as fluid collects under the skin after some types of surgery. Skin death can also occur if infection or bleeding occurs at the end of the procedure.
Overall, plastic surgery risks are relatively small, with the risk of serious complications less than a half percent. Mortality plastic surgery risks affect only one of 57,000 patients, where risks are the lowest when the procedure is performed in an appropriate environment. Those are hospital or surgery medical office, with a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Side effects and complications of some specific plastic surgeries
Ear surgery side effects and risks are the unwanted but mild and temporary effects of a usually successful procedure. Examples might include feeling sick after the general anesthetic or painkillers. However, medicines are available to help avoid this. In addition, there are some even more common side effects of ear surgery. The ears are likely to ache for the first few days, and will probably be tender for several weeks. The ears may feel a little numb after the operation but this usually settles within a few weeks after the surgery. The procedure will leave a scar behind the ear that should fade over time.
Complications are unexpected problems that can occur during and after plastic surgery although most people are not affected. The primary complications of any surgery are bleeding during or soon after the procedure. Furthermore, you might experience an abnormal reaction to the anesthetic or develop a blood clot, usually in a vein in the leg called deep vein thrombosis. Further treatment may be required, such as further surgery to stop the bleeding, or antibiotics to deal with the infection. Specific complications of ear surgery are uncommon but can include an infection in the wound that may make the ear swollen and weepy. This is normally treated with antibiotics and regular dressing changes, but in rare cases, further surgery may be needed to drain the infected area. A blood clot in the skin of the ear may dissolve naturally or may need to be drawn out with a needle.
Some loss of skin from the area, which may need a later skin graft, is very rare. The development of unusually red or raised scars that some people have a genetic tendency to is a common side effect. Asymmetrical ear position occurs in some cases; a further surgery may be necessary to readjust the ears.
The chance of complications after plastic surgery depends on the exact type of procedure that you wish to perform. It also depends on some other factors, such as the patient’s general health. The surgeon will be able to explain how the risks apply in each individual case after the surgery.
Side effects of breast augmentation as a common plastic surgery complication
The most common side effect of breast implant surgery is capsular contracture. The scar (or capsule) around the implant begins to tighten and squeezes down on the soft implant, causing the breast to feel hard. Your surgeon may treat capsular contracture with additional surgery to remove the scar tissue. Occasionally, patients with capsular contracture may have to have the implant removed and replaced with a new one in a second procedure. However, recent studies show that the likelihood of capsular contracture can be reduced if implants are treated with antibacterial agents during surgery.
Other possible side effects of breast implants include calcium deposits in the breast tissue around the implant, infection around the implant, and hematoma or seroma (blood or fluid trapped in the wound).