Body procedures
Bernard is specialised in performing recontouring procedures, including abdominoplasty and liposuction, to help you achieve your desired body.
Recontouring
Recontouring is an increasingly popular area of plastic surgery. This is a direct consequence of increasing focus on health with patients losing weight either through diet and exercise or following bariatric surgery.
There are many procedures possible in body recontouring, which range from arm reduction, breast lift procedures, skin reduction around the chest wall, flanks and abdomen (abdominoplasty) and medial thigh reduction.
Often, these procedures can be combined but usually, when 2 or 3 procedures are required, a staged approach over 3 to 6 months with a number of procedures is advised.
Most procedures attract a Medicare and health fund rebate. If a consultation is required, referral from a general practitioner or bariatric surgeon is required and sometimes it is helpful to have a review from a dietician to maximise health before surgery.
Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, is a procedure where excess skin is removed from the lower abdomen and the subsequent remaining skin is tightened to restore abdominal shape. Going hand-in-hand with this, any separation of the rectus muscles (the six pack muscles) as a result of pregnancy can be corrected at the same time.
Following significant weight loss, or if other procedures are required at the same time, such as hernia repair or significant scar revision, parts of the costs of the procedure can be claimed through Medicare and health funds.
Occasionally it is combined with other procedures, such as removal of lateral flank or upper buttock skin or possibly liposuction, to improve abdominal contour. If seeking a consultation for these procedures, a referral letter from your general practitioner is useful for background health information and facilitation of any claim through a health fund.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a commonly performed procedure to improve the contour of the body. Common areas addressed are the neck and submental area of the face, abdomen, flanks, hips and thighs. It is a well-tolerated procedure and can commonly be performed as day surgery.
Patients usually require a minimum of 2 preoperative appointments to address health concerns, expectations of surgery and an understanding of outcomes. Generally, patients are delighted with the results of this surgery.
When viewed as body sculpting as opposed to a weight loss procedure, it improves patients’ self-confidence and they are able to wear clothing and present themselves to the world in a more confident manner. It usually requires 1 to 2 weeks off work, with very little downtime and normal activities, including the gym, can resume after 6 weeks.
