The range of Asian cosmetic plastic surgery operations offered in the United States is more limited than in much of East Asia.

As in every country of East and Southeast Asia, the most common "Asian operation" (surgery intended specifically for the Asian anatomy) performed in the United States is double eyelid surgery designed to create or enhance a crease in the upper eyelid. In second place comes augmentation rhinoplasty intended, in most cases, to build up the nasal bridge, spine, and/or tip.

Other distinctly "Asian" operations are rarely if ever offered in the United States because of either inexperience or low demand (although one seems to be connected with the other). In some cases, an operation may not be offered because it is considered as too new, questionably conceived, too risky in the long or short term, and/or lacking an acceptable safety profile.

In the first category, for instance, fall many of the maxillofacial operations (cheek, jaw, mouth, and chin operations) and the more exotic procedures (love band operation, forehead augmentation, etc). In the second category, for instance, fall operations such as surgical calf reduction, cosmetic leg lengthening, and phonoplastic surgery.

While South Korean cosmetic surgeons are known as boldly innovative and adventuresome, American surgeons more resemble their Japanese colleagues in relying on the tried-and-true, the less invasive, and the less destructive.

Some Korean plastic surgeons point out that their American counterparts are losing (or at the very least not honing) their surgical skills by spending a great deal of time performing simple procedures that are non-surgical, offer little in the way of structural change or long term improvement, and seem more appropriate to the dermatology practice. Examples in the realm of Asian plastic surgery include, for instance, injecting BOTOX into the cheek and calf muscles and commercial fillers into the forehead, temple, and even nose in lieu of actual surgery.

Related: Finding a Top Asian Plastic Surgeon