One area where America's Asian cosmetic specialists excel is in performing complex revision surgery.

Medical tourism from East Asia to the United States does exist, but very often it is not for first-time surgery but rather for the purpose of revising unsatisfactory results after primary surgery or failed revision surgery performed locally.

Many plastic surgeons in Asia are "generalists" who perform the full gamut of cosmetic operations head to toe. Most have heavier operative loads than American surgeons and are simply not as able to devote as much time to analyzing, planning, and then performing the tedious and exacting surgery required in cases of complex revision.

Plastic surgery tends to be a more specialized discipline in the United States, where many surgeons choose to devote their practices to one area, such as nose surgery, eyelid surgery, or craniofacial surgery. More specialized training and focused experience allow such super-specialists to develop the expertise needed to treat problems that are beyond the capability of most generalists.

The most common distinctly Asian revision surgery occurs on the highly visible face. Just as eyelid and nose surgery are the most popular first-time cosmetic Asian operations, so too are they the areas most in need of advanced revision surgical services.

Related: Finding a Top Asian Plastic Surgeon