• Video
  • Common Facial Plastic Surgery Terms
{{ showTranscript ? 'HIDE' : 'SHOW' }} TRANSCRIPT
As with any other industry, facial plastic surgeons have their own vernacular. Often though, patients need to understand terms that are used in order to appreciate what procedures are being performed. So, let's go through a few of the common procedures that are undertaken in facial plastic surgery.

First is the blepharoplasty. Blepharoplasty refers to any cosmetic or reconstructive surgery around the eyes. Most common of blepharoplasty will refer to either an upper eye lid blepharoplasty, where excess skin is removed from the upper eye lids, or a lower eye lid blepharoplasty, where excess skin and/or fat is removed from the lower eye lids. A canthoplasty or a canthopexy procedure may be performed where the lower eye lid is actually tightened by taking the tarsal plate and the canthus, the lateral canthus, and attaching it higher on the edge of the bone. This pulls the eye lid up and prevents it from drooping. The next common procedure performed is rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty refers to any re-shaping of the nose. Rhino being nose and plasty being to shape. A rhinoplasty surgery may be functional or cosmetic. A cosmetic rhinoplasty simply tries to change the look of the nose while a functional rhinoplasty improves the function of the nose or the ability to breathe through the nose. Rhinoplasty may be cosmetic, functional, or a combination of the two. In cases where rhinoplasty is functional, it may be eligible for insurance reimbursement purposes.

Next, is a mentoplasty. A mentoplasty procedure is a procedure which changes the look of the chin. Now, a mentoplasty may be to reduce the size of the chin or may be to augment the chin either through a procedure that breaks the bone and pulls the bone forward or a procedure that adds a chin implant to the area. In either event, it is a mentoplasty procedure. Next is liposuction. Liposuction is removing the fat. And in the face, this can be done, sometimes, in the jowl area or the sub-mental area, the area underneath the chin, or basically the neck area. Next is an otoplasty procedure. An otoplasty is an ear re-shaping procedure. It is basically to pin the ears back. Now it may be to recreate the anti-helical fold, this fold in the ear here, or take out some of the conchal bowl cartilage and actually pull the ear closer to the side of the skull. In either event, an otoplasty is a cosmetic procedure simply to change the look of the ear.

Common Facial Plastic Surgery Terms

Dr. DJ Verret discusses common facial plastic surgery vocabulary including rhinoplasty and nasal reshaping.