| A |
|
| abdominoplasty |
removing excess fatty tissue from the abdomen, also referred to as "tummy tuck" |
| anterior |
the general term applied to the front part of the body or any structure |
| aplasia |
underdeveloped breasts, flat chested |
| areola |
the darkened ring surrounding the nipple of the breast |
| asymmetry |
irregularity of the breasts, usually referring to their differing in size |
| augmentation |
enlargement |
| augmentation mammoplasty |
breast enlargement |
| autoclave |
to sterilize via a combination of heat and moisture in a vacuum |
| axillary approach |
accessing the implant position via an incision in the armpit, along the chest wall |
| B |
|
| base size |
the diameter of a prosthesis measured at its base when placed on a flat surface |
| bi-lateral |
pertaining to both sides |
| blepharoplasty |
surgery of the eyelids |
| blunt dissection |
separation of tissue layers with blunt instruments or fingers |
| C |
|
| capsule |
a natural reaction of the body to surround a foreign object with a fibrous sheath |
| centimetre (cm) |
2.5cm = 1" (inch) |
| closed capsulotomy |
a technique to relieve the tension of a firm capsule by applying external pressure to the breast with the heels of the hands; often called the "squeeze" technique |
| cohesive gel |
silicone gel that has a high viscosity (very slow flow rate) and tends to adhere to itself as a mass |
| contra-lateral |
on the opposite side |
| Cooper's ligaments |
suspensory ligaments of the breast |
| D |
|
| dermabrasion |
the operative procedure used to remove acne, scars, severe sun spots or skin discoloration; may be performed using paper, wire, brushes or other abrasive materials |
| E |
|
| expander |
a device to be filled with sterile saline solution to expand and stretch the tissue covering the expander and prepare the area for an implant
|
|
F
|
| fibre-optic retractor |
n instrument for drawing back the edges of a wound with a light source provided by a fibre optic cable |
| firm (or hard) capsule |
a condition whereby the fibrous tissue continues to contract around an object until it is firm to the touch |
|
G
|
| gel migration |
silicone molecules which are picked up and transported to other areas of the body by the lymphatic system |
| general anaesthesia |
various combinations of agents used to induce a total loss of consciousness and sensitivity to pain; administered and maintained during surgery by an anaesthesiologist or anaesthetist |
| H |
|
| hematoma |
a tumor or swelling which contains blood |
| hemostasis |
arrest of bleeding or of circulation |
| hypertrophy |
an increase in size or bulk |
| hypoplasia |
defective development of tissue |
| I |
|
| inferior |
below in relation to other parts of the body or of a structure |
| inframammary approach |
accessing the implant position via an incision mid-point in the inframammary fold |
| K |
|
|
|
| L |
|
| lateral |
toward the side, opposite of median |
| lipectomy |
body contouring surgery by removing fat cells
|
| local anaesthesia |
general sedation of a patient followed by a localized full block of the area of surgery
|
| M |
|
| mammary |
pertaining to the mammary glands, the breast |
| mastectomy |
removal of the breast |
| mastopexy |
breast-lift surgery |
| medial |
towards the middle |
| modified radical mastectomy |
removal of the breast, some surrounding lymph nodes, but sparing the majority of the pectoralis muscle |
| N |
|
|
necrosis
|
Death of areas of tissue surrounded by healthy parts |
normal saline solution
|
a balanced 0.9% solution used for filling inflatables, bi-luminous and gel-saline implants |
| O |
|
| open capsulotomy |
a surgical procedure where the breast pocket is reopened and the fibrous tissue of a firm capsule is severed or removed |
| P |
|
| palpate |
to determine by feel |
| pectoralis muscle |
the large muscle underlying the breast |
| percutaneous |
insertion of a needle or instrument through the skin |
| peri-areolar approach |
accessing the implant position via an incision around a portion of the outer boundary of the areola |
| pocket |
an area to contain the breast prosthesis created by separating the fatty tissue of the breast and the underlying pectoralis muscle |
| posterior |
the general term applied to the back part of the body or any structure |
| projection |
the outward thrust of the breast created or enhanced by the insertion of implants |
| ptosis |
sagging or hanging breast or breast tissue |
| Q |
|
|
|
| R |
|
| radical mastectomy |
removal of the breast, underlying muscle and surrounding lymph nodes |
| rhinoplasty |
surgery of the nose |
| rhytidectomy |
surgery of the face, facelift |
| S |
|
| semi-permeable membrane |
a membrane which will allow the passage of some molecules |
| silicone |
a synthetic polymer |
| sharp dissection |
a separation of tissue layers with a scalpel or knife |
| subcutaneous mastectomy |
the removal of the majority of the breast tissue, leaving the skin and a thin layer of tissue for reconstruction purposes |
| sub-mammary approach |
same as inframammary approach |
| sub-pectoral placement |
placing the implant under the pectoralis muscle |
| superior |
above in relation to other parts of the body or of a structure |
| T |
|
| tear strength |
the amount of pressure needed to tear a sample of silicone sheeting after a slight cut has been made in it |
| tensile strength |
the amount of pressure needed to stretch a sample of silicone sheeting until it breaks |
| U |
|
| undermine |
to separate layers of tissue |
| uni-lateral |
pertaining to one side |
| V |
|
| valve |
a mechanism through which additional material is added to a saline implant or expander |
| Z |
|
|
|
