Arkoulakis Plastic Surgery

Procedures

One of our top priorities is to educate our patients about Plastic Surgery, so that they can partner with the Doctor in making informed choices about their care, and actively participate in their recovery. Select the procedure that interests you from the list on this page in order to learn more about it. Dr. Arkoulakis will be happy to answer any questions that may come up at your office visit.

Our practice has a special focus on plastic surgery of the breast, which encompasses both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve appearance and self-esteem. Procedures such as breast augmentation and breast lifting fall into this category, and are not covered by health insurance.

Reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body, caused by developmental abnormalities, trauma, cancer, and other diseases. It is generally intended to improve function, but may also be done to approximate a normal appearance. Examples would include breast reconstruction after mastectomy or to correct severe congenital anomaly. This type of surgery is generally covered by health insurance plans, although levels of coverage may vary.

There are a number of gray areas in plastic surgery that sometimes require special consideration by an insurance carrier. In these cases, surgery may be considered reconstructive or cosmetic, depending on each patient's situation. For example, breast reduction can be considered for coverage under health insurance if the patient has severe symptoms of back pain that have not responded to numerous attempts at non-surgical treatment. In the absence of symptoms or for small reductions in breast size, the procedure is considered cosmetic. Male breast reduction surgery for gynecomastia is also generally a cosmetic procedure.

Aside from breast surgery, Dr. Arkoulakis performs a variety of procedures of the face and body, as well as several hundred reconstructive surgeries for skin cancer each year. You may learn about these types of plastic surgery in this section as well.