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.

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.

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.

Procedure:Reshape nose by reducing or increasing size, removing humps, changing shape of tip or bridge, narrowing span of nostrils, or changing angle between nose and upper lip. May also relieve some breathing problems.
Length:1 to 2 hours.

Anesthesia:Local, with sedation, or general .

In/Outpatient:Usually outpatient.

Side Effects:Temporary swelling, bruising around eyes, nose, and headaches. Some bleeding and stiffness.

Risks:Infection. Some burst blood vessels resulting in tiny, permanent red spots. Incomplete improvement, requiring additional surgery.

Recovery:Back to work in 1 to 2 weeks. More strenuous activities in 2 to 3 weeks. Avoid hitting nose or sun burn for 8 weeks.