Dr. Alexandra Turner Plastic Surgeon MBBS BSc FRACS

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Body Contouring Surgery following Weight Loss

Men and women who have achieved significant weight loss are increasingly choosing to undertake body contouring surgery to remove and smooth excessive folds of skin. Whether the weight loss is achieved through weight loss surgery (i.e. bariatric surgery, including gastric bands, gastric sleeves or gastric bypasses), dieting and exercise, childbirth, or as a result of aging, the surplus skin will not recede without surgical treatment.

Problems with Excess Skin

Carrying excess skin on the body as a result of weight loss can be uncomfortable and arduous. It can lead to difficulty in walking and exercising, soreness in the back and shoulders, poor posture, persistent rashes and infections in the folds, and the inability to adequately manage personal hygiene through being unable to clean certain areas. It is common for self-esteem to be greatly lowered as a result. Body contouring surgery assists patients with their self-esteem by, providing an improved appearance, being able to wear a standard clothing size, making it easier to do physical activity, and by improving hygiene and personal comfort.

Body Contouring Surgical Procedures

This surgery involves a range of aesthetic procedures that are intended to cosmetically transform the size and/or shape of the body, thereby improving its appearance and providing a solution to the common problems associated with excess skin. To improve skin tone and definition, the surgical methods employed may vary from the removal of fat and excess skin, to performing surgical implants and lifts. Please note that body contouring surgical procedures should only be performed by qualified Specialist Plastic Surgeons.

Body contouring procedures may include Liposuction for the removal of fat and to address contour defects, whilst excess skin is removed through procedures such as a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), arm reduction or arm lift surgery (brachioplasty), a thigh lift (thighplasty), a body lift, or breast lift Surgery (mastopexy). Implants can also be used to improve the body shape and appearance, with the most common procedure being breast augmentation (breast implants). These body contouring procedures generally aim to shape the waist, abdomen, upper torso, upper arms, thighs and buttocks.

Highly Personalised

Your requirements for body contouring surgery after weight loss will be unique to your situation and your weight loss experience. Each procedure is highly personalised and may not be suitable for everyone. When you meet with our surgical team, we will support you in making decisions about body contouring and the surgery that will yield the optimal outcome for you. We will assess your current weight and health goals and evaluate your general health and wellbeing, then plan the treatment that is best suited to your body.

Body Contouring Preparation

A general anaesthetic is usually necessary for all body contouring procedures. It is important that you talk with your surgeon and anaesthetist about any medications you are taking or have taken, and any allergies that affect you. Our specialists will consult you on any potential risks and complications of body contouring surgery, and advise on any details or issues you need to consider before and after surgery.

Our Specialist Plastic Surgeons

Any invasive surgery results in inevitable scarring. Our surgeons will place incisions along inconspicuous sites such as in natural skin lines and creases, which minimises scarring and helps any marks to fade over time. Revisional or additional body contouring surgery may sometimes be required to help you to achieve your desired result or to correct minor irregularities, depending on the extent of the procedure.

As a specialist plastic surgeon, Dr Turner has extensive expertise and experience in body contouring surgery and associated procedures, holding specialist consultant positions and operating at hospitals, and medical centres around Adelaide. Dr Turner and her team welcome you to make an appointment to talk through the range of body contouring surgical procedures that are available to you.

 

Read further information about body contouring surgery on the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons' website here