NEWCASTLE BODY SURGEON
Sculpt your tummy, torso, arms or legs. Refine curves and be the shape you want.
A tummy tuck does not just remove excess tummy skin. It also repairs and tightens abdominal muscles, sculpts the torso and reshapes the belly button. Benefits of this procedure include looking good and feeling confident in the clothes you love, moving and exercising more freely, eliminating those unpleasant rashes and infections in abdominal skin creases and potentially solving back pain and incontinence due to abdominal wall weakness.
The best candidates for a tummy tuck are those who have lost weight and are left with stubborn redundant skin folds, or women whose abdominal muscles and skin have been stretched by pregnancy. If you are a little above your ideal weight you may still be a candidate, with additional sculpting techniques or liposuction used to achieve the best possible result. The term ‘Mummy Makeover’ is often applied to the combination of tummy tuck and breast surgery for women after pregnancy. Whether you are a mother or not, any concerns regarding face, breasts, body or limbs will all be assessed together and a comprehensive, tailored solution offered.
It is important to note that the federal government has placed strict limitations on who can have abdominoplasty surgery partially funded by Medicare and the private health funds. The relevant MBS item number is 30177. In order to access this number, a patient must have:
· Recurrent inflammation from skin-to-skin friction in creases, and
· Redundant skin and fat that interferes with the activities of daily living, and
· Have lost at least five BMI points and been at a stable weight for at least six months
Please note that for weight loss following pregnancy, the baby and placenta cannot be included in the calculated weight loss.
Unfortunately this means that patients are not automatically eligible for the item number due to pregnancy alone. If you are unsure whether you qualify, please check your fund coverage of the above number and come in for a personalised consultation. Fees for an abdominoplasty vary depending on your exact needs and the required operating time. As for all procedures I offer, I aim to keep tummy tuck costs as low as possible, maintaining accessibility while never compromising on quality of care.
The Procedure
I perform all Tummy Tuck surgery under general anaesthetic in fully accredited private hospitals. A four to five night stay is required.
Most commonly scars are placed across the tummy – hidden low down in the underwear – and around the belly button. In some cases after significant weight loss additional scar patterns known as a Fleur-de-lis or Corset Abdominoplasty may be more appropriate. These techniques result in additional fine-line scars on the torso, but remove greater amounts of excess skin to achieve the ideal shape in those who require it. Conversely, if you have very little excess skin but suffer from a lower abdominal bulge, a mini-tummy tuck with a short low scar may be preferred.
The Recovery
An elastic garment is worn around the abdomen for six weeks after surgery. Two weeks is required off work, driving and exercise. No heavy lifting or physically demanding activity is recommended for six weeks. The vast majority of swelling and bruising has resolved by two weeks, but the result may continue to improve for up to three months.
After significant weight loss, it is common to have sagging folds of loose skin. This is particularly common around the tummy, back, buttocks and upper thighs. These folds can become irritated and infected, interfere with exercise and prevent you looking good in the clothes you’ve dreamed of wearing. It can be devastating to work so hard for so long, achieve so much and yet still not have the body you want.
A Body Lift procedure removes the excess skin, tightens the abdominal muscles and sculpts the torso, buttocks and upper thighs. The transformation is dramatic and is often the final step on a long journey of personal improvement.
The Procedure
I perform Body Lifts in fully accredited private hospitals under general anaesthetic. A five night stay is required. A fine, circumferential scar is created low around the waist, in order to remove excess skin from both the lower abdomen and the back. Through this the abdominal muscles are tightened, resulting in a flat tummy. Excess skin rolls are eliminated and a smooth contour shaped from the upper trunk down though the waist, hips and thighs. The buttocks are lifted and depending on your preference may also be augmented using your own excess tissues.
The Recovery
A Body Lift is a major makeover procedure and you must allow yourself time to heal properly afterwards. A compression garment is worn for six weeks. During this time physically demanding work or exercise must be avoided. Light exercise, driving and non-physical work may resume after two to four weeks.
There are several offensive phrases often used to describe excess skin of the upper arms. As much as I hate to use them, most people immediately understand what is meant by ‘bingo wings’ or ‘tuckshop lady arms’. Even worse, a Google search of these terms will immediately return a series of videos and articles on exercises to make them go away.
Unfortunately, loose skin hanging from the upper arms is not caused by a lack of muscle tone, and no amount of exercise will correct the problem. The problem is caused by excess skin remaining after weight loss, or sagging brought about age and gravity.
An arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a procedure to reshape the upper arms. I perform this using a combination of liposuction for shaping and then remove excess skin as needed. The important nerves, blood vessels and lymphatic channels just under the skin are protected using these techniques. When planning your surgery, I will take into account your overall body shape, your weight loss goals, the types of clothes you like to wear and whether you may be considering other associated body contouring procedures, such as for your back or breasts. To discuss what is possible, please get in touch via email, or book a consultation.
The Procedure
I perform brachioplasty under general anaesthetic, in fully accredited private hospitals. I recommend a one to two night stay, though it can be done as a day only procedure if adequate support is available at home.
The Recovery
Two weeks off work, driving and heavy exercise. Scars are usually slightly pink for a few weeks and faded after a few months. Scar management is included in your follow up. The majority of swelling and bruising fades by two weeks, but there is ongoing improvement for up to three months.
Excess sagging skin of the thighs may result after significant weight loss, or due to the effects of age and gravity. The result can include poorly fitting clothes, difficulty with exercise, chafing thighs, skin irritation or infections. Unfortunately no amount of exercise and hard work will tighten that skin once stretched and damaged.
Thigh lift surgery reduces the excess skin and improves the contour of the upper leg. This may be only a small reduction, with short scars virtually invisible within the groin creases. More dramatic transformations require longer scars placed down the inside of the thigh, slimming the legs and smoothing the skin throughout.
I usually perform thigh lift surgery using a combination of liposuction and skin removal. The important nerves, blood vessels and lymphatics are protected using these techniques. A thigh lift may be performed alone, or in combination with other body contouring procedures.
The Procedure
I perform thigh lift surgery under general anaesthetic, in fully accredited private hospitals. I usually recommend a two night stay, though this may be varied depending on the support available at home.
The Recovery
Two weeks off work, driving and heavy exercise. Scars are usually slightly pink for a few weeks and faded after a few months. Scar management is included in your follow up. The majority of swelling and bruising fades by two weeks, but there is ongoing improvement in the shape for up to three months.
Many people have fat deposits that won’t go away, no matter how hard they work in the gym or how disciplined their diet is. Liposuction breaks down and removes unwanted fat though tiny incisions of only a few millimeters.
The best candidate for liposuction is fit and healthy, with good elastic skin tone and specific problem areas they wish to target. I also use liposuction in combination with other procedures, such as breast reductions or tummy tucks, in order to refine the result and achieve the best possible shape.
It is also worth considering using removed fat for fat grafting. Harvested fat is rich in stem cells and other beneficial components capable of smoothing wrinkles, rejuvenating the skin and creating attractive curves. This can be used to rejuvenate the face or hands, or contribute to breast augmentation.
The Procedure
Liposuction is performed in fully accredited private hospitals as a day only procedure. Depending on the extent, light sedation or a general anaesthetic may be required.
The Recovery
Following liposuction a compression garment is worn over the relevant area for six weeks. One week off work is recommended. The vast majority of swelling and bruising will have resolved by two weeks, but it can take up to three months for the final result to fully reveal itself.
Losing a significant amount of weight takes dedication and hard work. Whether this has been achieved through diet and exercise alone, or with the help of bariatric surgery, there is no denying the incredible will power required.
Unfortunately, after months to years of hard work, one significant negative often remains in the form of excess loose skin. This can leave your face with a sagging, aged appearance, loose folds of skin on the arms or thighs, sagging empty breasts or loose folds of skin around the abdomen. This may result in skin irritation, poor fitting clothes and feeling self-conscious in your new, improved body. After making such a positive change in your life, to be left with these reminders of the old you can be very frustrating.
Body contouring surgery is a broad term describing many potential procedures. These may include arm and thigh lifts, a tummy tuck, breast lift or facial rejuvenation. There is no set list or order of procedures. These are determined by your priorities, the exact problems you’re experiencing and the safest and most effective way of correcting them. The changes made can be very subtle and target one small area that bothers you – such as a small abdominal bulge or some stubborn fat on your hips – or may be a carefully planned makeover, addressing multiple areas.
After all the hard work you’ve done and all that you’ve achieved, I would love to help you finish the journey and become the very best version of yourself.
The Procedure
There are a wide variety of procedures that may apply after massive weight loss. These include, but are not limited to:
· Tummy tuck
· Body lift
· Arm lift
· Thigh lift
· Breast lift
· Breast volume augmentation with implants or fat grafting
· Facelift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, facial volume augmentation with fat grafting or implants
These procedures are modified to meet the specific needs of patients who have lost significant weight and may be combined in various ways to achieve the look you desire. Multiple areas may be targeted in a single procedure, though a complete course of body contouring will often require several stages. I perform all of these procedures in fully accredited private hospitals. Most require a general anaesthetic.
The Recovery
This will depend on the procedures required. A complete body lift with or without other procedures will require up to seven days in hospital and four to six weeks off work, depending on the demands of your job. Multiple or staged procedures are combined in such a way as to minimize your recovery time. Smaller procedures, such as a breast lift alone, will allow you to be back at work within two weeks. For a personalised consultation on what would be most appropriate for you and the recovery that could be achieved, please get in touch via email or phone.