Frequently Asked Questions Liposuction and / or abdominoplasty
Which procedure is right for me; liposuction alone or an abdominoplasty alone, or should I consider having both procedures?
An Abdominoplasty can be combined with liposuction if there is fatty tissue throughout the abdomen in the right plane. Bear in mind that there are two fat layers in the abdomen, one is just under the skin and the other fat layer is around the organs. If your fat is under the skin, we can remove it with liposuction and an abdominoplasty, but if it is around your organs, no amount of body contouring will be able to remove this fat. An in person consultation is important, so that Dr Wetton can examine you, and determine which procedure will give you the most aesthetically pleasing result.
Sometimes liposuction is all that is necessary to address a fullness in the abdominal area, however this depends on many anatomical factors. If there is a medium to large amount of fat that needs to be removed and a degree of skin laxity, an abdominoplasty combined with liposuction is usually the more appropriate choice.
Recovery
If you have had a full abdominoplasty, you will remain in hospital overnight after your surgery. Depending on your pain levels and how well you are feeling you may be able to go home the next day, or the day after that. If you are having a mini abdominoplasty you can usually go home the same day. You will have dressings on your incisions, you will have drains on either side of your abdomen, collecting a small amount of fluid, which we expect to drain over the two days following your procedure and you will have a support garment around your abdomen.
You may experience some discomfort and swelling, and it is important to sleep raised to 45 degrees so as not to put too much tension on your incisions. Similarly, Dr Wetton encourages all of her abdominoplasty patients to walk slightly bent over for the first few days, so as to keep the tension to a minimal.
After one week
If you have had a rectus muscle repair, you may feel quite sore and tight in the deep layers of the abdomen. Your drains would have been removed and you are encouraged to move around and go for short walks.You will still wear your support garment and slowly increase your activities over the following weeks, but listen to your body and do not over exert yourself.
The final result will not be visible for about 12 months and during that time you will usually notice a gradual decrease in swelling and the slow emergence of a flatter, smaller abdomen.
How long will my results last ?
Like any body contouring procedure, the skin and fat has been physically removed, and so it is unlikely that it will ever look exactly like it was before your surgery. If you gain a lot of weight, or have pregnancies in the future to maintain your aesthetic shape, you may wish to have a second abdominoplasty procedure, but it is unusual to have multiple abdominoplasties.
Complications
- Haematoma ( Blood collection under the skin)
- Seroma (fluid collection under the skin)
- Infection
- Wound break down
- Poor scar
- Rectus muscle too tight
- Umbilicus death/necrosis
- Clot in the lungs or legs {Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or Pulmonary embolism (PE)}
How much will my surgery cost ?
Your surgery for a full abdominoplasty with rectus repair will be between $10, 000 – $14,000.
Your surgery for a mini-abdominoplasty will be between $6,800- $8,800.
This price above may vary, depending on the amount of liposuction that you desire with your abdominoplasty. For this reason it is recommended to book a consultation and receive a personalised quote.
Th fees above do not include the Hospital or the Anaesthetic Fee.
For a personalised Quote, please book your Consultation Here
