All you need to know about body aesthetic surgery

Many people decide to undergo various different kinds of body aesthetic surgery in order to improve or reshape their physical bodily features.

Expert and highly experienced plastic reconstructive and aesthetic consultant surgeon Ms Anna De Leo, provides an expert overview of body aesthetic surgery. What exactly does this type of surgery involve and what are the main potential side effects following body aesthetic surgery? Find out in Ms De Leo's intriguing interview. 

What is the most common type of body aesthetic surgery that patient opt to undergo?

The most common type of surgery that patients are requesting at the moment is abdominal re-sculpting. It involves removal of excess fat and sometimes we remove skin with it, to restore the weakened, separated muscles and skin in the lower part of the abdomen in order to give patients a smoother and firmer profile. 

What does a typical body aesthetic surgery involve, and do the majority of these procedures involved the same kind of approach? 

It depends. If we need to remove fat only, we're talking about liposuction surgery as something that patients could do in a day case procedure with a quick recovery.

Sometimes, the abdomens that we see require more work and we are talking about tummy tuck surgery, which is more complicated. There are a lot of other factors are involved, both before and after surgery. There's more equipment, more care involved and a longer recovery.

Can you describe the main side effects of body aesthetic surgeries?

The most common side effect after body aesthetic surgeries is anaesthetic related. Some patients, especially if they aren't used to anaesthesia, or painkillers, they feel a bit lousy after surgery. They could experience nausea for three to four days after surgery, especially because painkillers are given regularly in this period.

Other side effects would involve infections, and unfortunately sometimes we can't avoid it, but we like to prevent it with a good wash before surgery and with antiseptic dressing after. Sometimes patients experience poor healing and often it's due to swelling, because after surgery the abdominals can swell up and that's why we like patients to wear gowns.

Sometimes it can be difficult to wear garments for six weeks up to after surgery, but we advise patients to wear this in order to prevent healing problems and long-term swelling.  

Who is the ideal candidate that should consider undergoing body aesthetic surgery?

The ideal candidate for any plastic surgery procedure is a healthy non-smoking patient. Often, we see a range of a patients and we try to prepare them and having a flat abdomen is something that everyone ideally imagines for themselves, especially after lockdown. 

How long is recovery after this kind of surgery?

The recovery depends on what type of procedure we do. The liposuction in the abdomen is something we as a day case and the patients should stay at home for a few days afterwards. They can go back to work after a week's time and to go back to exercise, we invite them to wait for a minimum of four weeks after surgery.

If, for example, skin is removed and muscles are worked on, it's better to wait six weeks to go back to exercise and to have a normal life. Usually, patients go back to work after two, three weeks; it depends on what type of work they do. 

Can potential side effects of body aesthetic surgery last a lifetime or how can they be treated?

Some unwanted aesthetic results can unfortunately happen if a patient isn't compliant after surgery. It isn't easy to be a patient and to rest for six weeks. Even if it appears healed, it could become stretched if a patient is overdoing it after surgery. Unfortunately, a scar in plastic surgery is something important. That's why to have an optimum result, we give patients instructions to follow.

Sometimes, the scar could be thicker than usual if the wound gets infected after surgery and that's why we give patients appointments to come back and to be checked by a nurse. This is in order to prevent the scar getting thick, hard and firm, and avoid giving patients heaviness in the lower part of the abdomen, just due to adherence of the skin and to the deep layer.

If patients wear the garment for six weeks and they follow our advice, it's rare they have long-term complications after the surgery. The majority of patients are well satisfied after these procedures. 

If you're interested in aesthetic body procedures that Ms De Leo can expertly undertake, visit her Top Doctors profile to arrange a consultation.