Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

At Lahey Clinic, we understand the emotional impact of facial irregularities or disfigurement, whether caused by genetic circumstance, cancer, accident or other trauma. Our physicians perform hundreds of facial plastic and reconstructive procedures in the head and neck area every year, vastly improving the lives and self-image of those we treat.

Facial Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery

Facial plastic surgery is an art by which physical deformities, either present at birth or the result of injuries, burns, disease or aging, are corrected. The word "plastic" is derived from the Greek word "plastikos," which means to mold. It does not refer to the use of plastic materials, although facial implants are sometimes used.

At Lahey Clinic, our facial plastic and cosmetic surgeons employ a wide variety of techniques to treat facial deformities and irregularities. Our focus and expertise are specifically in the head and neck region, and our surgeons, Robert Dolan, MD, FACS, and James C. Alex, MD, FACS, are not only double board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, but are also Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. Both have published and lectured extensively and are recognized nationally and internationally for their contributions to the field of facial plastic surgery.

The essence of plastic surgery technique is tissue repositioning. Tissue can be removed or transferred either locally or from a remote part of the body to another location where it can substitute for damaged, deformed or lost tissue.

The most common facial procedures fall into three overlapping categories:

• Surgery that refines facial features
• Surgery for the aging face
• Surgery that treats skin imperfections

Specific areas of surgical expertise include, but are not limited to, the following:

Nasal reshaping (rhinoplasty) Brow lift Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) Face lift Neck lift Chin augmentation Cheek augmentation Prominent ear surgery (otoplasty)

Scar revision Treatment of fine lines and wrinkles   - Collagen   - Radiance   - Restylane Botox Coblation Skin resurfacing

Facial Reconstructive and Microvascular Surgery

The Facial Plastic Surgery Section of Lahey Clinic's Department of Otolaryngology has extensive experience in facial reconstructive surgery, including microvascular techniques, providing state-of-the-art reconstructive services for patients with oncologic, congenital and trauma-related defects in the head and neck area.

Our preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative teams are experienced and dedicated to the treatment of patients desiring to improve their appearance. One of our main goals is maximizing patients' postoperative functional and cosmetic outcomes following radical procedures involving the jaw, face, tongue, cheeks, soft palate, hard palate and esophagus. Various reconstructive services are offered, including prosthetics, rehabilitative services and expertise in the transfer of tissue-including soft tissue and bone-to the head and neck. Our dedicated physicians, nursing and ancillary staff make every step of the process as smooth and informative as possible.

For patients undergoing extensive head and neck cancer surgery, we have an OR team with a dedicated microvascular component, allowing simultaneous treatment and reconstruction of the affected area. During the same operative session, the patient will have his or her cancer resected and the surgical defect reconstructed. This approach results in quicker recovery, an improved cosmetic and functional outcome, and more successful rehabilitation.

How to Reach Us

Lahey's section of Facial and Plastic Reconstructive Surgery is located on floor 5 Central of Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., within the Otolaryngology Department. For questions, please call Barbara Gomes at 781-744-3237.