Cosmetic surgery is based on the techniques of plastic and restoration surgery. The consultant in plastic surgery has many years training in general surgery as well as in plastic and restoration surgery, including the reconstruction of burn injuries and the rehabilitation of the victims of serious accidents. Specialisation in cosmetic surgery comes later over the years. A cosmetic operation must not be confused with a visit to a beauty salon. Cosmetic operations require a period of healing.
The result is never immediately visible after the operation but only after healing has taken place. In most cases side-effects, such as swelling, or, depending on the operation, local bruising of the skin (e.g. following blepharoplasty) or slight dysaesthesia in the cheeks following a face lift, which require several weeks to subside, must be expected.
Modern cosmetic surgery is a precision skill, which is gentle on the tissues, but with some operations there are sutures, which need time to disappear. One week after blepharoplasty and 10 days after a facelift, sutures that are still visible should be covered with make-up. Do not expect the scars to disappear completely after just a few days.
Each operation has a residual risk, which has to be discussed in detail. Anaesthetic techniques are so gentle these days that there is no longer any need to fear them and in fact a pleasant anaesthetic will make the cosmetic operation into a positive experience. Small operations can be carried out in the outpatients’ department under local anaesthetic. Larger operations are carried out under general anaesthetic in the clinic involving a short-stay of one to two nights.
