A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size or shape of a woman’s breast. Some women use breast implants to feel more comfortable in their bodies, whereas others choose breast reconstruction to recreate a natural-looking breast after a mastectomy. A surgeon performs a mastectomy to remove breast cancer tumors. The two most popular and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved breast implants (defined by their filler material) are the saline solution and the silicone gel. The saline implant uses a silicone shell filled with a sterile saline solution during surgery, while the silicone implant uses a silicone shell prefilled with viscous silicone gel.

A team of over 100 medical professionals at New York University (NYU) Langone in New York City performed the transplant. Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez — the Helen L. Kimmel professor of reconstructive plastic surgery and chair of the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone — led the surgical team. The patient’s name is Cameron Underwood. He is a 26-year-old man who lost most of his lower jaw, teeth, and nose as a result of a self-inflicted accidental gunshot. The man had also damaged his maxillary and palate as a result of the accident. Dr. Rodriguez and his team performed the transplant surgery on January 5, 2018. The procedure lasted 25 hours and ended the following morning. Since then, the NYU Langone specialists have performed several follow-up procedures, and they now report on their achievement and the techniques they used.

Liposuction, also called lipoplasty, liposculpture suction, lipectomy, or lipo, is a type of cosmetic surgery that breaks up and “sucks” fat from the body.

The fat is removed through a hollow instrument, known as a cannula. This is inserted under the skin. A powerful, high-pressure vacuum is applied to the cannula. Liposuction is the most common cosmetic operation in the United States. More than 300,000 procedures are carried out in the United States each year with costs ranging from roughly $2,000-3,500. Fast facts on liposuction Here are some key points about liposuction. More detail is in the main article. The operation is normally carried out under general anesthesia. Liposuction is not a weight-loss tool but a cosmetic procedure with subtle effects. Risks include infection and scarring Liposuction can be used to treat some medical conditions.