Body Language

By: Ruth Kerrison
Created on 25th March 2010

Consultant plastic surgeon Mr Fazel Fatah explains all the different options that are available to patients when contemplating body contouring surgery

Body contouring surgery deals with the correction of undesirable areas of body shape. The undesirable feature could be the result of natural development or the normal changes that occur with age, after childbirth, weight fluctuations in general or after scarring from surgery or trauma.

Weighty issue
In cases of extreme weight loss, body contouring surgery is primarily carried out for functional reasons to make daily life easier for the patient and to improve the body shape and profile, to enhance the quality of life and the psychological well being of the patient.

However, body contouring surgery is more commonly carried out for cosmetic reasons, to enhance self-confidence and give a sense of satisfaction with one's own body image.

The commonest area treated is the abdomen and trunk, either due to excess fatty deposits, in men and women, or loose skin and fat folds after pregnancy or modest weight loss. The surgical treatment depends on the nature of the ‘deformity'.

Excess fat without loose skin can of course be treated with conventional liposuction, however, if it is associated with minor loose or stretched skin and when more invasive surgery is not desirable, the new generation of laser lipolysis can be highly effective. There is little scientific evidence that external application of light or sound energy alone can effectively remove excess body fat.

An abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck as it is commonly known, is reserved for cases of excess skin and fat folds with or without stretching or separation of the muscles often referred to as the ‘abs'. The procedure can involve minimal or significant skin and fat excision, repair or tightening of muscles, liposuction in specific areas and repair of the skin.

An experienced surgeon will tailor the surgery to the need of the individual patient. Lower body lifts and inner thigh reduction or lifts are more commonly carried out after greater weight loss.

Natural excess of fatty deposits in different parts of the body occurring in individuals who are otherwise not overweight such as the hips, inner thighs and knees, upper arms and double chin can be recontoured with careful liposuction/liposculpture. Some areas do better with laser lipolysis.

In combination
In some patients a combination of treatments may be required to achieve the desired body contour, such as tummy tuck, buttock lift, breast reshaping with or without reduction or augmentation and targeted liposuction to enhance the overall result.

Perfect profile

An exciting addition to the other available surgical treatments is the minimally invasive procedure of lipomodelling. It involves using the patient's own fat as a filler material to enhance the body and facial contours. Excess fat is harvested from an area of the body and refined before being grafted in the area that requires enhancement. The success of the procedure depends highly on the technique.

Nowadays, fat grafts are commonly used in facial rejuvenation surgery, to improve the ageing appearance of the back of the hands, and for calf and buttock contouring. Fat grafts are preferred to artificial fillers as they use the patient's own tissues and, unlike most artificial materials, a successful fat graft has a permanent effect.

Fat grafts can also be used to correct surface irregularities that may occur after trauma or surgery, such as previous liposuction or due to scarring.

A way of life
It is important to understand that body contouring surgery is not a treatment to reduce obesity and it is highly recommended that you lead a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and exercise and that you be as close to your individual ideal weight as possible before considering major body contouring surgery.

Equally important is to continue the healthy lifestyle after surgery to maintain your new body shape. Smoking can have a detrimental effect on the result of surgery and if you are a smoker it is mandatory to stop smoking four to six weeks before surgery.

In conclusion
There is no surgery without some element of risk of complications, therefore, always consider a consultation with a fully qualified plastic surgeon, who is on the GMC Specialist Register and a member of BAAPS or BAPRAS or both, to discuss the details of the recommended procedure including limitations of the surgery, possible complications and ways of reducing them.

The duration of surgery varies and is based on the complexity of the treatment. Surgery can either be carried out as a day case under local anaesthesia, with or without sedation, or under general anaesthesia with one to three nights hospital stay.

Recovery from surgery and the resuming of normal activities could be from a few days to a few weeks. It is important to dedicate sufficient time to recuperate after surgery as a return to full activities too soon can cause delayed complications and affect the final outcome of the surgery.

Although results are noticed soon after surgery, depending on the procedure, it will probably take a few weeks or months to see the final result.