This is the Ideal You Medical Dictionary. Please click on the letter below to search by alphabet or use the search function to lookup terms.

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Glossary Results:

Breast Augmentation - Breast augmentation (or enlargement) is generally performed on women with underdeveloped breasts or on women who have experienced a decrease in breast size or shape due to pregnancy or weight loss. The surgery consists of lifting the breast tissue and placing an envelope containing a soft, natural-feeling implant material underneath. Although several implants are available at the present time, the implant which is used most often for augmentation purposes, is made of a silicone shell, and filled with a saline solution. Under certain conditions, silicone gel implants can be used, but these are mostly used for revision surgery. There are a variety of implant designs, all of which have advantages and disadvantages. Your cosmetic surgeon will discuss the choice of implant, reasons for the selection, and will review with you the size changes that are possible with the procedure. How is Breast Augmentation Done? Several different methods are used for placement of the implants. An incision can be made in the crease of the lower part of the breast, along the lower half of the dark skin around the nipple or in the armpit. All of these methods are designed to result in minimal scarring so that the incisions are not easily detected. After the incision is made, the implant is carefully inserted either under the breast tissue or beneath the chest muscle. The implants are then adjusted to ideal size and symmetry before the incision is sutured closed. Information on Breast Lift Also known as mastopexy, the breast lift is performed on women who have experienced sagging or drooping of the breasts. This procedure may be done in conjunction with augmentation. Several different techniques can be used to correct this condition depending on the degree of sagging. Surgery consists of removing excess skin from around the areola and from the bottom of the breast and rearranging the skin of the breast to tighten the skin envelope. In doing so, the position of the nipple and areola can be elevated to a more natural position. The surgery is designed to minimize scarring. Some patients who seek breast enlargement actually will need a breast lift for the most desirable result. Your cosmetic surgeon is trained to help you make the proper decision. Information on Breast Reduction Large, heavy breasts can be painful due to excessive weight and often cause problems such as back pain and soreness in the shoulders from bra straps which cut into the skin. Breast reduction surgery involves removal of excess breast tissue in combination with reshaping of the breast. The incisions are similar to those used for more extensive breast lifts. Your cosmetic surgeon will discuss the varying methods of breast reduction and explain the technique that may be best suited for you. Because of the adverse symptoms (back, neck, breast and shoulder pain; limitation of activities) associated with abnormally large breasts, insurance will often cover some or all of the cost of this type of surgery. Be sure to check with your insurance provider. Keeping You Comfortable A surgical dressing is usually placed to protect the incisions. Some swelling, bruising and minor discomfort may be experienced for several days after the surgery. Discomfort can be easily controlled with pain medication. How Will I Look After? You may be required to wear a supportive bra. Your doctor will advise you as to when you may resume normal activity. After healing, your breast augmentation should add pleasing dimensions to your overall proportion and symmetry. What Are the Risks? Complications (as with any other surgical procedure) can happen in breast augmentation surgery. We recommend you read the specific complications outlined in the Food and Drug Administration pamphlet. To obtain this free pamphlet, contact the F.D.A. Consumer Information Line at 1.888.INFO.FDA (1 888.463.6332.) The Food and Drug Administration website can be found at www.fda.gov. More information on the safety of silicone breast implants can be found at www.nap.edu/catalog/9618.html These surgical procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis, in the hospital, or in an ambulatory suite under either general or local anesthesia. This brochure is only intended as an introduction to this procedure. It should not be used to determine whether you will have the procedure performed and should not be construed to guarantee the result.

Bonding (Adhesion) - Adhering tooth-colored resin materials to tooth surface to create a bond.

Bonding (Composite Resin) - Process by which enamel-like resin is bonded to a tooth's surface, sculpted to an ideal shape, hardened, and polished.

Bridge - Fixed or removable dental appliance which replaces lost teeth.

Breast Enlargement - Breast enlargement surgery is done to increase the size of the breasts and enhance the shape of the breast. You may decide to increase your breast size for many reasons including: restoring the size and shape of your breasts after significant weight loss or pregnancy. make the breasts more evenly proportioned enhancing breasts that are considered too small reconstruct breasts after surgery for breast cancer The procedure itself can increase your breast size by one or more bra cup sizes and can also reduce differences in size and shape between your breasts. Studies have shown that most women who get breast implants are very happy with the results. If you have clear and realistic expectations about the surgery, then it is likely that you will be very happy with the results. For more detailed information on this topic see the section on breast augmentation.

Breast Implants - Breast implants consist of a silicone shell filled with a saltwater solution called saline. Historically, implants were filled with silicone gel, but silicone gel was banned in 1992 due to safety issues. Saline implants are either round or teardrop shaped, and the implant surface can be smooth or textured. Textured implants were created because it was believed that they would reduce the risk of capsular contracture. Capsular contracture is a risk associated to breast augmentation that results in the hardening of the tissue surrounding the breast. To date, there has been no hard evidence to support the textured implant theory, and in fact, textured implants can increase the risk of rippling in small-breasted women.

Breast Lift - Breast lift or mastoplexy as it is also known is used to reverse the sagging process that takes place in your breasts due to things like the force of gravity, pregnancy and nursing. Sagging is due to the lost of elasticity in the tissues surrounding. A breast lift is a surgical procedure whereby the sagging breasts are raised and reshaped. Also, if your breasts are small, or have shrunk over time due to pregnancy a breast lift can be combined with a breast implant to increase both the size and firmness of your breasts.

Bariatric Surgery - Surgery on the stomach and/or intestines to help the patient with extreme obesity lose weight. Bariatric surgery is a weight-loss method used for people who have a body mass index (BMI) above 40. Surgery may also be an option for people with a BMI between 35 and 40 who have health problems like heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

Breast Reduction - Breast reduction surgery - find a plastic surgeon for reduction mammaplasty. View before and after pictures of breast reductions. Learn how liposuction can assist in breast reduction.

Botox (Botulinum Toxin) - Injected to temporarily relax facial muscles to eliminate wrinkles for three to six months

Blepharoplasty/Eyelid surgery - Surgery of the eyelids where fat and excess skin, bags, pouches, wrinkles in the eye area are removed

Brow Lift - A brow lift or forehead lift corrects drooping brows that may come with age and improves the horizontal lines and furrows that you may see on your face that can make you look angry, sad or tired. This procedure will help restore a more youthful, refreshed look to the area above your eyes by removing or altering the muscles and tissues that cause the furrowing or drooping. Your eyebrows are raised, your forehead smoothed and frown lines removed by either one of two procedures; one, where the incision is hidden just behind the hairline; or it may be performed by a camera device called an endoscope that is used to minimize incisions. Either technique will give you the same striking results: a smoother forehead and a more rejuvenated look.

Buttock liposculpture-Liposcution - During the procedure, the surgeon makes a tiny incision in the skin, typically in or near the buttock crease, and inserts a thin tube called a cannula into the fatty area. The cannula is used to break up the fat deposits and sculpt the area to the desired proportions. The unwanted fat is suctioned out with a powerful vacuum, leaving the skin, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels intact. In the super-wet technique, a saline solution containing a local anesthetic and adrenaline is injected into the area to be treated, which makes the fat deposits easier to break up and extract. This extra fluid also minimizes trauma to the surrounding tissue, reducing swelling and post-operative pain. The administration of adrenaline also decreases bleeding during surgery, further reducing risks. The tumescent technique, in which even larger amounts of liquid solution are injected, has similar benefits. A relatively new method, ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL), uses sound waves to liquefy the fat after the injection of fluids. Like the super-wet and tumescent techniques, UAL minimizes trauma, bruising and blood loss. UAL is particularly useful on fibrous areas of the body. An earlier method of liposuction, called dry liposuction because no liquefying agent was used, required general anesthesia. This technique is not in frequent use today. Your surgeon will choose the best technique for you. His/her choice will be determined by a combination of factors, including the precise area to be treated, the amount of fat to be removed, his/her training and experience, and your preferences.

Birthmark Removal - The lasers that are used in birthmark removal treatments work by lightening specific areas of the skin in order to even out skin tone and make the birthmark less noticeable. As the laser penetrates the surface of the skin, it lightens the darkened areas. In many coffee-and-cream birthmark cases, laser procedures can eliminate the mark altogether.