(Tummy Tuck)

Procedure: Flatten abdomen by removing excess fat and skin and tightening muscles of abdominal wall. 
Length: 2 to 5 hours. 
Anesthesia: General, or local with sedation. 
In/Outpatient: Either depending on individual circumstances and extent of surgery. 
Side Effects: Temporary pain. Swelling, soreness, numbness of abdominal skin, bruising, tiredness for several weeks or months. 
Risks: Blood clots. Infection. Bleeding under the skin flap. Poor healing resulting in conspicuous scarring or skin loss. Need for a second operation. 
Recovery: Back to work: 2 to 4 weeks. More strenuous activity: 4 to 6 weeks or more. Fading and flattening of scars: 3 months to 2 years.

(Augmentation Mammaplasty)

Procedure: Enhance the size of breasts using inflatable implants filled with saline. 
Length: 1 to 2 hours. 
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. 
Side Effects: Temporary soreness, swelling, change in nipple sensation, bruising. Breast sensitive to stimulation for a few weeks. 
Risks: Lack of implant permanence -- surgical removal or replacement of the implants may be required to treat problems, including: deflation; the formation of scar tissue around the implant (capsular contracture), which may cause the breast to feel tight or hard; bleeding or infection. Increase or decrease in sensitivity of nipples or breast skin, occasionally permanent. Mammagraphy requires a special technique. (Note: Some women have reported symptoms similar to those of immune disorders. Ask your doctor about these and other FDA concerns.) 
Recovery: Back to work: a few days. Physical contact with breasts: 3 to 4 weeks. Fading of scars: several months to a year or more.
Duration of Results: Variable. Implants may require removal or replacement.

(Mastopexy)

Procedure: Raise and reshape sagging breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning remaining tissue and nipples.
Length: 1 to 3 hours. 
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general. 
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. Sometimes inpatient. 
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, discomfort, numbness, dry breast skin. Permanent scars. 
Risks: Thick, wide scars; skin loss; infection. Unevenly positioned nipples. Permanent loss of feeling in nipples or breast. 
Recovery:  Back to work: 1 week or more. Strenuous activities: 1 month. Fading of scars: several months to a year. 
Duration of Results: Variable; gravity, pregnancy, aging, and weight changes may cause new sagging. Results may last longer or be enhanced when breast implants are inserted as part of the procedure.

Procedure: Reduce enlarged breast using liposuction and/or cutting out excess glandular tissue. (Sometimes covered by medical insurance.)
Length: 1 hour or more.
Anesthesia: General or local.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness, soreness, burning sensation.
Risks: Infection. Fluid accumulation. Injury to the skin. Rippling or bagginess of skin. Asymmetry. Pigmentation changes (may become permanent if exposed to sun). Excessive scarring if tissue was cut away. Need for second procedure to remove additional tissue.
Recovery: Back to work: 3 to 7 days. More strenuous activity: 2 to 3 weeks. Swelling and bruising: 3 to 6 months.
Duration of Results: permanent

(Phenol and trichloroacetic acid [TCA])

Procedure: Restore wrinkled, blemished, unevenly pigmented, or sun-damaged facial skin, using a chemical solution to peel away skin's top layers. Works best on fair, thin skin with superficial wrinkles. 
Length: 1 to 2 hours for full face. 
Anesthesia: None; sedation & EKG monitoring may be used. 
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. Full-face phenol peel may require admission for 1 to 2 days. 
Side Effects: Both: Temporary throbbing, tingling, swelling, redness; acute sensitivity to sun. Phenol: Permanent lightening of treated skin; permanent loss of ability to tan. 
Risks: Both: Tiny whiteheads (temporary); infection; scarring; flare-up of skin allergies, fever blisters, cold sores. Phenol: Abnormal color changes (permanent); heart irregularities (rare). 
Recovery: Phenol: Formation of new skin: 7 to 21 days. Normal activities: 2 to 4 weeks. Full healing and fading of redness: 3 to 6 months TCA: New skin within 5 to 10 days. 
Duration of Results: Phenol: permanent, although new wrinkles may form as skin ages. TCA: variable (temporary).

Procedure: Plump up creased, furrowed, or sunken facial skin; add fullness to lips and backs of hands. Works best on thin, dry, light-colored skin. 
Length: 15 minutes to 1 hour per session. 
Anesthesia: Collagen: usually none; local may be included with the injection. Fat: local. 
In/Outpatient: Outpatient. 
Side Effects: Temporary stinging, throbbing, or burning sensation. Faint redness, swelling, excess fullness. 
Risks: Collagen: allergic reaction including rash, hives, swelling, or flu-like symptoms; possible triggering of connective-tissue or autoimmune diseases. (A skin test is required before collagen treatment to determine whether an allergy exists.) Both: Contour irregularities, infection. 
Duration of Results: Variable; a few months to 1 year.

Procedure: Mechanical scraping of the top layers of skin using a high-speed rotary wheel. Softens sharp edges of surface irregularities, including acne and other scars and fine wrinkles, especially around the mouth. 
Length: A few minutes to 1 hour. May require more than 1 session. 
Anesthesia: Local, numbing spray, or general. 
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. 
Side Effects: Temporary tingling, burning, itching, swelling, redness. Lightening of treated skin. Acute sensitivity to sun; loss of ability to make pigment (tan). 
Risks: Abnormal color changes (permanent). Tiny whiteheads (temporary); infection; scarring; flare-up of skin allergies, fever blisters, cold sores. 
Recovery: Back to work: 2 weeks. More strenuous activities: 4 to 6 weeks. Fading of redness: about 3 months. Return of pigmentation/sun exposure: 6 to 12 months. 
Duration of Results: Permanent, although new wrinkles may form as skin ages. 

(Otoplasty)

Procedure: Set prominent ears back closer to the head, or reduce the size of large ears. Most often done on children between the ages of 4 and 14 years. (Occasionally covered by insurance.) 
Length: 2 to 3 hours. 
Anesthesia: Young children: usually general. Older children or adults: general or local, with sedation. 
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. 
Side Effects: Temporary throbbing, aching, swelling, redness, numbness. 
Risks: Infection of cartilage. Excessive scarring. Blood clot that may need to be drained. Mismatched or artificial-looking ears. Recurrence of the protrusion, requiring repeat surgery. 
Recovery: Back to work or school: 5 to 7 days.  Strenuous activity, contact sports: 1 to 2 months. 
Duration of Results: Usually permanent.

(Blepharoplasty)

Procedure: Correct drooping upper eyelids and puffy bags below the eyes by removing excess fat, skin, and muscle. (Upper-eyelid surgery may be covered by insurance if used to correct visual field defects) 
Length: 1 to 3 hours. 
Anesthesia: Usually locally with sedation or general. 
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. 
Side Effects: Temporary discomfort, tightness of lids, swelling, bruising. Temporary dryness, burning, itching of eyes. Excessive tearing, sensitivity to light for first few weeks. 
Risks: Temporary blurred or double vision. Infection, bleeding. Swelling at the corners of the eyelids. Dry eyes. Formation of whiteheads. Slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Difficulty in closing eyes completely (rarely permanent). Pulling down of the lower lids (may require further surgery). Blindness (extremely rare). 
Recovery: Reading: 2 or 3 days. Back to work: 7 to 10 days. Contact lenses: two weeks or more. Strenuous activities, alcohol: about 3 weeks. Bruising and swelling gone: several weeks. 
Duration of Results: Several years. Sometimes permanent.

(Rhytidectomy)

Procedure: Improving sagging facial skin, jowls, and loose neck skin by removing excess fat, tightening muscles, redraping skin. Most often done on men and women over 40. 
Length: Several hours.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. Some patients may require short inpatient stay.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin; tight feeling, dry skin. For men, permanent need to shave behind ears, where beard-growing skin is repositioned.
Risks:  Injury to the nerves that control facial muscles or feeling (usually temporary but may be permanent). Infection, bleeding. Poor healing; excessive scarring. Asymmetry or change in hairline.
Recovery: Back to work: 10 to 14 days. More strenuous activity: 2 weeks or more. Bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Must limit exposure to sun for several months. Duration of Results: Usually 5 to 10 years.

(Suction-Assisted Lipectomy)

Procedure: Improve body shape by removing exercise-resistant fat deposits with a tube and vacuum device. Can be performed using the tumescent technique, in which targeted fat cells are infused with saline containing solution with a local anesthetic before liposuction to reduce post-operative bruising and swelling. Common locations for liposuction include chin, cheeks, neck, upper arms, above breasts, abdomen, buttocks, hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles.  For larger volumes of fat or for fibrous body areas, ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty (UAL) may be used. UAL is a new technique in which a ultrasound probe is inserted beneath the skin to "liquify" the fat before it is suctioned.
Length: 1 to 2 hours or more. UAL: 20-40 percent longer than traditional liposuction.
Anesthesia: Local, epidural, or general.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. Extensive procedures may require short inpatient stay.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness, soreness, burning sensation. Tumescent: Temporary fluid drainage from incision sites. UAL: Larger incisions for cannula.
Risks: Asymmetry. Rippling or bagginess of skin. Pigmentation changes. Skin injury. Fluid retention. Excessive fluid loss leading to shock. Infection. UAL: thermal burn injury caused by the heat from the ultrasound device.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks. More strenuous activity: 2 to 4 weeks. Full recovery from swelling and bruising: 1 to 6 months or more. Use of tumescent technique or UAL may decrease post-operative bruising and swelling.
Duration of Results: Permanent, with sensible diet and exercise.