Most of my apronectomy (panniculectomy) patients stay 1 night in hospital, spend the first 2 weeks in a structured follow-up program with me and my nurse, and return to light activities from around 4 weeks. Swelling continues to settle over 3 to 6 months, and the scar keeps maturing for
Pregnancy stretches the abdominal skin and can separate the abdominal muscles down the midline. It can also change the position and shape of the belly button (umbilicus). These are normal changes after having children, and many women settle back close to how they were before. In others, some of the
A fair number of the post weight loss patients I see for an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) also turn out to have a hernia in the abdominal wall. Sometimes they already know about it. Often it is picked up when I examine them, or on a scan, while we are planning
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) is major surgery. I want that clear from the start, because the way an operation is described tends to shape how seriously it is weighed up, and this is one that deserves careful thought. Pregnancy changes the abdominal wall. The skin stretches, and in most women the
Diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation) is one of the most common changes I see in women after pregnancy. It is a normal response to carrying a baby, not a sign that something has gone wrong. There is a common belief that the muscles have “torn”. They have not. During pregnancy
The mons pubis is the soft pad of tissue that sits over the pubic bone, below the lower abdomen and above the genital area. Its job is to cushion the pubic bone. It is a normal part of the anatomy, and it varies a great deal between women. Pregnancy and
A bra line lipectomy, also called an upper back lipectomy or bra line back lift, removes loose skin and excess fatty tissue from the upper back after significant weight loss. The incision runs across the back at the level of the bra line, so the resulting scar can sit beneath
Apronectomy, also called panniculectomy, is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat hanging over the lower abdomen, the fold patients call the apron. The medical name for this apron is the pannus. The operation is a wedge excision of the lower abdominal overhang, performed with minimal undermining of
A gluteal lipectomy (buttock lift) is an operation that removes excess skin and soft tissue from the lower back and upper buttocks. I perform it most often for patients who have lost a significant amount of weight and are left with loose skin over the back of the lower body
Brachioplasty (arm lift, or upper arm lift) is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the upper arm, typically between the elbow and the armpit (axilla). After significant weight loss, it is one of the most commonly requested body contouring procedures I see in my practice, and