Body
Repair of muscle separation
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
Thigh lift
Brachioplasty (arm lift)
Liposuction
Effects of pregnancy and breastfeeding
During pregnancy the abdominal and breast skin stretches, breast ligaments stretch, the rectus muscles often separate and the pelvic floor is weakened. It is recommended that you see a physiotherapist for six months to optimise your chance of recovering without surgery. However, often muscle separation does not fully recover. Surgical repair of the muscle separation can be very beneficial, this is usually combined with an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) to remove the excess skin. Abdominoplasty with repair of muscle separation has been shown to improve core strength, lessen back pain and urinary continence.
Weight loss
Whether losing lots of weight through diet and exercise, or with the help of medication or bariatric surgery, you are likely to have stretched excess skin. This is mostly affects the abdomen, breasts, upper arms and thighs but can also be evident in the face. It can be uncomfortable and cause rashes and excoriation and can cause problems with exercise. The excess skin can be removed to improve symptoms, restore body shape and improve quality of life.
Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
There are various types of abdominoplasty and the one that would be the most suitable for you depends upon how much excess skin you have, the quality of your skin, and medical history. The most standard technique involves elevating the skin and underlying fatty tissue from your abdominal muscles, redistributing it and excising the excess. The umbilicus (belly button) is not removed but is reinserted through the skin. This leaves a scar across the lower tummy which is usually hidden by underwear. If you have a large amount of excess skin, you may also need to have skin in the centre removed to improve body proportion and shape.
An abdominoplasty can be combined with repair of muscle separation (rectus divarication), liposuction or a breast procedure.
Repair of muscle separation (rectus divarication repair)
.
Arm lift (brachioplasty)
Excess skin that hangs from the upper arms is usually the result of weight loss but there are other causes too. Excess skin can be uncomfortable and finding fitting clothing can be difficult. The excess skin can be excised to improve comfort and contour. Surgical planning is very important to make sure the correct amount of skin is being removed, and to ensure no limitation on shoulder movement, especially when the skin excess continues onto the sides of the chest / breast.
Thigh lift
The thighs are an area that are affected significantly by weight gain, and therefore there is often saggy skin after weight loss that can be irritated by walking and exercise. Skin is removed from the inner thigh to address this.
