UCHealth Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic - Steamboat Springs

• Cheek and chin implants.
• Cleft lip, palate, nose.
• Ear surgery and repair.
• Eyelid surgery.
• Facelift.
• Forehead lift.
• Lip augmentation.
• Nose surgery.
• Trauma and congenital reconstruction.

• Abdominoplasty.
• Breast surgery.
• Breast implants.
• Breast lift.
• Breast reconstruction.
• Breast reduction.
• Burns and burn scar reconstruction.
• Grafts and flaps for tissue deficit coverage.
• Liposuction.
• Recontouring with fat grafts.
• Removal of moles, cysts, lipomas.
• Resection melanoma and sentinel node identification and biopsy.
• Scar revision.
• Skin cancer ablation and reconstruction.
• Tattoo removal.
• Trauma and congenital reconstruction.

Cosmetic surgery changes your appearance by altering parts of your body that function normally but don’t look the way you want. Before you proceed with cosmetic surgery, consider:

Your expectations. Anticipate improvement, not perfection. If you expect cosmetic surgery to turn you into a movie star, you’re bound to be disappointed. Don’t count on surgery to save a rocky relationship, gain a promotion or improve your social life.

Expense. Cosmetic surgery isn’t covered by most health insurance plans. The cost varies depending on the procedure, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Also consider the cost of any follow-up care or additional corrective procedures.

Risks. Dissatisfaction is possible after any type of cosmetic surgery. Surgical complications are possible, too — including excessive bleeding or infection at the surgical site.

Recovery. After cosmetic surgery, you may need days, weeks or even months to recover. Understand the physical effects that may be part of your recovery, as well as how the surgery may affect aspects of your personal and professional life.

Psychological changes. Your self-esteem might improve after cosmetic surgery, but cosmetic surgery isn’t likely to relieve depression or other mental health conditions.

Meeting your surgeon

When you’ve narrowed your choice of surgeons, schedule a consultation. The surgeon will evaluate the part of your body that you want treated, and you’ll share your medical history, list any medications you’re taking, and discuss your desires and expectations.

During the initial consultation, ask the surgeon:

• Am I a good candidate for this procedure? Why or why not?
• Are there treatments other than surgery that might work just as well or better for me?
• How many times have you done this procedure? What were the results?
• Can you share photos or diagrams to help me understand the procedure and the expected results?
• Can the desired effect be accomplished in one procedure, or do you anticipate multiple procedures?
• What are the specific surgical options? What are the pros and cons for each?
• What type of anesthetic will be used? How will it affect me?
• Will I be hospitalized? If so, for how long?
• What are the possible complications?
• How will my progress be monitored after surgery? What follow-up care will I receive?
• How much will the procedure cost?
• How often is “touch-up” surgery needed? Is it covered in the cost estimate?

The closer you work with your surgeon to establish specific, measurable and achievable goals before surgery, the more likely you are to be satisfied with the results. Remember, though, even if you’ve done your homework and found a surgeon you like — at a price you can afford — the decision to pursue cosmetic surgery is yours and yours alone. Make sure you’re absolutely comfortable with the surgeon and committed to your treatment choices.

Reconstructive surgery is a type of plastic surgery. It is performed to reshape abnormal structures of the body to improve function and appearance. Reconstructive surgery is a different kind of plastic surgery than cosmetic surgery, which is performed to reshape normal structures of the body to improve a patient’s appearance and self-esteem.

Purpose

The goals of reconstructive surgery are to reshape abnormal structures of the body, to improve function, and/or to allow a person to have a more normal appearance.

Abnormal structures of the body that are corrected during reconstructive surgery may be the result of birth defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma or injury, infection, tumors or disease. The three most commonly performed reconstructive surgeries in the United States are tumor ablation (removal) and reconstruction, hand surgery and breast reconstruction.

Precautions

Reconstructive surgery should not be performed on patients who are not healthy enough to withstand a surgical procedure performed under general anesthetic.

• People with severe diabetes, an autoimmune disorder such as AIDS, or a suppressed immune system should not undergo reconstructive surgery.
• This type of surgery is also contraindicated in patients with a history of excessive smoking, obesity, poor wound healing, abnormal scarring and/or a bleeding disorder.
• Women who are pregnant should not undergo reconstructive surgeries.
• Patients who have received recent irradiation treatments (generally within the last three to six months) should not undergo surgical procedures involving these tissues. Recently irradiated tissue is highly prone to infection and has poorer wound healing.

Microsurgical procedures are performed on parts of the body that are best visualized under a microscope. Examples of such structures are small blood vessels, nerves and tubes. Microsurgery uses techniques that have been performed by surgeons since the early twentieth century, such as blood vessel repair and organ transplantation, but under conditions that make traditional vascular surgery difficult or impossible.