The ABC's of Plastic Surgery A Glossary (A-C) (11-2002)
~A~
abdominoplasty
(Also called "tummy tuck.") a procedure that minimizes the abdominal area. In abdominoplasty, the surgeon makes a long incision from one side of the hipbone to the other. Excess fat and skin are surgically removed from the middle and lower abdomen and the muscles of the abdomen wall are tightened.
anesthesia
- lack of a normal sensation brought on by an anesthetic drug.
anomaly
a health problem or feature not normally present in a healthy individual; a deviation from the normal.
Apert syndrome
A craniofacial abnormality characterized by an abnormal head shape, small upper jaw, and fusion of the fingers and toes.
areola
dark area of skin that surrounds the nipple of the breast.
asymmetry
lacking symmetry; parts of the body are unequal in shape or size.
autologous tissue breast reconstruction
the use of the patient's own tissues to reconstruct a new breast mound. The common technique is the TRAM (transverse rectus abdominous muscle) flap. A TRAM flap involves removing an area of fat, skin, and muscle from the abdomen and stitching it in place to the mastectomy wound.
~B~
blepharoplasty (Also called eyelid lift)
a procedure in which the physician surgically removes excess fat, muscle, and skin from both the upper and lower eyelids to redefine the shape of the eye
breast augmentation (also called augmentation mammaplasty)
a procedure to reshape the breast in order to make it larger. The procedure can also be performed to reconstruct the breast following breast surgery.
~C~
capsular contracture
the most common complication of breast reconstruction surgery; occurs if the scar or capsule around the implant begins to tighten.
Carpenter syndrome
A birth defect that typically includes traits such as abnormally short fingers, webbed toes, extra toes, underdeveloped jaw, highly arched palate, widely spaced eyes, and/or lowset, deformed ears. Half of patients with Carpenter syndrome also have heart defects.
chemical peeling
uses a chemical solution in order to improve the skin's appearance. It can reduce or eliminate fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth, correct uneven skin pigmentation, remove precancerous skin growths, and soften acne or treat the scars caused by acne.
cleft lip
an abnormality in which the lip does not completely form. The degree of the cleft lip can vary greatly, from mild (notching of the lip) to severe (large opening from the lip up through the nose).
cleft palate
occurs when the roof of the mouth does not completely close, leaving an opening that can extend into the nasal cavity. The cleft may involve either side of the palate. It can extend from the front of the mouth (hard palate) to the throat (soft palate). The cleft may also include the lip.
collagen/fat injectable fillers (also called softtissue augmentation.)
a plastic surgery technique used to correct wrinkles, depressions in the skin, and/or scarring.
computed tomography scan (also called a CT or CAT scan.)
a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of xrays and computer technology to produce crosssectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general xrays.
congenital
present at birth.
congenital anomaly
a health problem present at birth (not necessarily genetic).
contractures
an abnormal condition of a joint caused by a loss of muscle fibers or a loss of the normal flexibility of the skin.
coronal suture
the joining line (suture) between the frontal and parietal bones of the skull that crosses the top of the skull from temple to temple.
cosmetic plastic surgery
(also called aesthetic plastic surgery.) one type of plastic surgery performed to repair or reshape otherwise normal structures of the body, primarily to improve the patient's appearance and selfesteem.
craniofacial
pertaining to the head (skull) and face.
craniosynostosis
a condition in which the sutures (soft spots) in the skull of an infant close too early, causing problems with normal brain and skull growth. Premature closure of the sutures may also cause the pressure inside of the head to increase and the skull or facial bones to change from a normal, symmetrical appearance.
Crouzon's syndrome
A birth defect characterized by abnormalities in the skull and facial bones, this syndrome often causes the skull to be short in the front and the back. Flat cheek bones and a flat nose are also typical of this disorder.
. . . glossary will be continued next month.
abdominoplasty
(Also called "tummy tuck.") a procedure that minimizes the abdominal area. In abdominoplasty, the surgeon makes a long incision from one side of the hipbone to the other. Excess fat and skin are surgically removed from the middle and lower abdomen and the muscles of the abdomen wall are tightened.
anesthesia
- lack of a normal sensation brought on by an anesthetic drug.
anomaly
a health problem or feature not normally present in a healthy individual; a deviation from the normal.
Apert syndrome
A craniofacial abnormality characterized by an abnormal head shape, small upper jaw, and fusion of the fingers and toes.
areola
dark area of skin that surrounds the nipple of the breast.
asymmetry
lacking symmetry; parts of the body are unequal in shape or size.
autologous tissue breast reconstruction
the use of the patient's own tissues to reconstruct a new breast mound. The common technique is the TRAM (transverse rectus abdominous muscle) flap. A TRAM flap involves removing an area of fat, skin, and muscle from the abdomen and stitching it in place to the mastectomy wound.
~B~
blepharoplasty (Also called eyelid lift)
a procedure in which the physician surgically removes excess fat, muscle, and skin from both the upper and lower eyelids to redefine the shape of the eye
breast augmentation (also called augmentation mammaplasty)
a procedure to reshape the breast in order to make it larger. The procedure can also be performed to reconstruct the breast following breast surgery.
~C~
capsular contracture
the most common complication of breast reconstruction surgery; occurs if the scar or capsule around the implant begins to tighten.
Carpenter syndrome
A birth defect that typically includes traits such as abnormally short fingers, webbed toes, extra toes, underdeveloped jaw, highly arched palate, widely spaced eyes, and/or lowset, deformed ears. Half of patients with Carpenter syndrome also have heart defects.
chemical peeling
uses a chemical solution in order to improve the skin's appearance. It can reduce or eliminate fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth, correct uneven skin pigmentation, remove precancerous skin growths, and soften acne or treat the scars caused by acne.
cleft lip
an abnormality in which the lip does not completely form. The degree of the cleft lip can vary greatly, from mild (notching of the lip) to severe (large opening from the lip up through the nose).
cleft palate
occurs when the roof of the mouth does not completely close, leaving an opening that can extend into the nasal cavity. The cleft may involve either side of the palate. It can extend from the front of the mouth (hard palate) to the throat (soft palate). The cleft may also include the lip.
collagen/fat injectable fillers (also called softtissue augmentation.)
a plastic surgery technique used to correct wrinkles, depressions in the skin, and/or scarring.
computed tomography scan (also called a CT or CAT scan.)
a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of xrays and computer technology to produce crosssectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general xrays.
congenital
present at birth.
congenital anomaly
a health problem present at birth (not necessarily genetic).
contractures
an abnormal condition of a joint caused by a loss of muscle fibers or a loss of the normal flexibility of the skin.
coronal suture
the joining line (suture) between the frontal and parietal bones of the skull that crosses the top of the skull from temple to temple.
cosmetic plastic surgery
(also called aesthetic plastic surgery.) one type of plastic surgery performed to repair or reshape otherwise normal structures of the body, primarily to improve the patient's appearance and selfesteem.
craniofacial
pertaining to the head (skull) and face.
craniosynostosis
a condition in which the sutures (soft spots) in the skull of an infant close too early, causing problems with normal brain and skull growth. Premature closure of the sutures may also cause the pressure inside of the head to increase and the skull or facial bones to change from a normal, symmetrical appearance.
Crouzon's syndrome
A birth defect characterized by abnormalities in the skull and facial bones, this syndrome often causes the skull to be short in the front and the back. Flat cheek bones and a flat nose are also typical of this disorder.
. . . glossary will be continued next month.
