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Plastic Surgery guides
20 plain-English, evidence-linked guides in Plastic Surgery, with clinical review status shown on each page.
Basal cell carcinoma surgery (Surgical excision of basal cell carcinoma)Surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma (the most common skin cancer) with a margin of healthy skin so the whole tumour is taken away.Burns reconstruction (Reconstructive surgery for burn injuries and scarring)Surgery to improve the function, comfort and appearance of areas affected by burn injury and scarring, for example by releasing tight scars and resurfacing skin.Cleft lip and palate repair (Surgical repair of cleft lip and/or palate (cheiloplasty and palatoplasty), within the NHS cleft pathway)A series of operations, beginning in infancy, to repair a gap in a baby's lip and/or the roof of the mouth, as part of a long-term NHS multidisciplinary cleft care pathway.Dupuytren's contracture surgery (Surgery for Dupuytren's disease (fasciectomy / fasciotomy))Treatment to straighten one or more fingers that have been pulled towards the palm by Dupuytren's disease, using surgery or a less invasive needle or injection technique.Facial reconstruction (Reconstructive surgery of the face (following skin cancer removal, trauma or congenital difference))Surgery to rebuild the face after a tumour is removed, after injury, or to correct a congenital difference, aiming to restore both appearance and function such as eyelid, lip or nose movement.Free flap reconstruction (Free tissue transfer (microvascular free flap))A major operation that moves a block of the body's own tissue, with its blood vessels, to rebuild an area, reconnecting the vessels under a microscope.Ganglion removal (Ganglion cyst excision)Removing a fluid-filled lump (a ganglion cyst) from the wrist, hand or finger when it causes pain, restricts movement or will not settle on its own.Hand surgery (Surgery of the hand and wrist)A broad term for operations on the hand and wrist to treat injuries, nerve and tendon problems, arthritis, lumps and other conditions, aiming to restore movement, strength and use.Keloid scar treatment (Treatment of keloid (and hypertrophic) scars)Treatments to flatten, soften, shrink or settle a raised, overgrown scar (a keloid), and to reduce itching, pain and the chance of it growing back.Local flap reconstruction (Local (skin) flap reconstruction)A way of closing a wound by moving nearby skin, which keeps its own blood supply, to fill the gap — often used on the face after skin cancer removal.Lymphoedema surgery (Surgery for lymphoedema (lymphaticovenous anastomosis, vascularised lymph node transfer, and debulking/liposuction))Specialist surgery that can help manage long-term limb swelling caused by a faulty lymph drainage system, used alongside — not instead of — compression and decongestive therapy.Melanoma surgery (wide local excision) (Wide local excision of melanoma)Surgery to remove a melanoma along with a margin of healthy skin around it, to reduce the chance of it coming back where it started.Mole or skin lesion removal (Excision or biopsy of a skin mole or lesion)A small procedure to remove or sample a mole or skin lesion, usually under local anaesthetic, so it can be looked at under a microscope or removed for comfort or appearance.Nerve repair (Surgical repair or reconstruction of a peripheral nerve (neurorrhaphy))An operation to reconnect or reconstruct a nerve that has been cut or damaged, aiming to recover feeling and movement in the area the nerve supplies.Pressure sore reconstruction (Flap reconstruction of a pressure ulcer (decubitus ulcer))An operation to clean out and close a deep pressure ulcer (a wound caused by prolonged pressure on the skin) using nearby tissue, alongside treating the causes so it does not come back.Scar revision (Scar revision surgery and scar treatment)Surgery or other treatments to improve the look, feel or function of a scar — though a scar can be improved, it can never be completely removed.Skin cancer removal (surgery) (Surgical excision of skin cancer)An operation to cut out a skin cancer with a margin of surrounding skin, so it can be examined under a microscope and, where possible, fully removed.Skin graft (Skin grafting (split-thickness or full-thickness))A procedure that moves a piece of healthy skin from one part of the body to cover a wound that cannot heal or be stitched on its own.Tendon repair (Surgical repair of a divided tendon (tenorrhaphy))An operation to stitch back together a tendon that has been cut or torn, usually in the hand, wrist or forearm, so a finger, thumb or joint can move again.Trigger finger release (Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) release)A small operation to free a finger or thumb that catches, clicks or locks when you bend it, by releasing the tight tunnel the tendon runs through.
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