Body Contouring surgery was designed to address the complex reconstructive and cosmetic needs of individuals who have experienced massive weight loss. If you’re interested in an appointment with Dr Eddy Dona to discuss these procedures, you’ve probably already had quite a journey. This consultation allows you to explore the next step, and by understanding what’s involved, you give yourself the best chance of leaving feeling fully informed and able to decide whether surgery is right for you.
In this article, we discuss the following:
- Understanding Body Contouring Surgery
- Before Your Consultation Day: Tasks to Complete
- Your Physical Assessment: What’s Involved
- Topics Dr Dona Will Cover
Understanding Body Contouring Surgery
Body Contouring Surgery is designed to tailor your skin to fit your body after massive weight loss. After such weight loss, individuals typically find that their bodies have become smaller, but their skin has not. Dr Dona often likens this to dressmaking, where the excess skin represents the former self, or an old dress. His job as a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon is to carefully tailor your skin to your newly sized body.
There is a diverse range of surgical procedures that fall under the umbrella of Body Contouring surgery. Dr Dona has defined these as follows:
BRACHIOPLASTY (Arm Reduction): Removes excess loose skin along the upper arm.
BREAST SURGERY (E.g., Breast Lifts and Breast Reductions): Reduces breast size by removing excess tissue and skin while addressing the overall size, shape, and form of the breasts.
BRA LIPECTOMY: Addresses skin rolls and associated fat in the upper and middle back, surrounding the bra strap area. Various procedures include the Bra Line Back Lift, Upper Body Lift and Upper Trunkoplasty.
BELT LIPECTOMY: Addresses excess skin and tissue in the lower back, flanks and abdominal region while also lifting the buttocks and pubic region. It is also referred to as a 360 Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty), Lower Body Lift, Total Body Lift and a Lower Trunkoplasty.
BELLY (ABDOMINAL) SURGERY: Various types of Abdominoplasty surgeries designed to reconstruct the abdominal wall. Typical abdominoplasty procedures include the Standard Abdominoplasty, Fleur De Lis Abdominoplasty and the Open Book Tummy Tuck™ (Abdominoplasty).
BUTTOCK LIFT: Designed to lift and tighten the buttocks, remove excess skin from the lower back, and create a more comfortable form along the back and buttocks. Combined with an Abdominoplasty, it becomes a Belt lipectomy. The procedure is also known as a Gluteal Lipectomy.
BELOW THE WAISTLINE – THIGH LIFT (Medial Thigh Lipectomy): Addresses loose excess skin along the inner thigh.
Before Your Consultation Day: Tasks to Complete
Organise Your Referral
Book an appointment to see your GP. Explain your reasons for considering Body Contouring surgery and ask them to write a referral to see Dr Eddy Dona in his rooms in Bella Vista, Sydney. This referral must be specifically addressed to Dr Eddy Dona and sent to Bella Plastic Surgery no later than the day before your appointment.
Write a List of Questions
Dr Dona will discuss many topics during your consultation, but it pays to write down any questions or concerns you have so you don’t forget anything. No question is too silly or insignificant, and while it’s normal to feel embarrassed about issues about our bodies, there’s no need to be. Dr Dona is not only extremely personable, but he has discussed intimate, personal issues with many patients just like you.
Note Down Important Lifestyle Considerations
Let Dr Dona know anything relevant that’s important to you, such as if you are yet to complete a family, wanting to return to full-time work, are concerned about seeking an intimate relationship, or want to be more physically active. Tell Dr Dona if you’re keen to progress with surgery immediately or would like to wait a while. The more he understands what’s important to you, the more he can help.
Gather Medical Information
Gather your appropriate medical information so that Dr Dona will have everything you need to assess you during your consultation. Write a list of all your current prescription and over-the-counter drugs, supplements and herbal medications. Note any previous surgeries and existing health conditions even if they are not related to your current objectives.
Think about how your excess skin and tissue are affecting you so you can relay this information easily to Dr Dona during your appointment. For example, is your sleep affected? Are you in pain? Is your lifestyle or work limited? Dr Dona must be made aware of these functional issues.
During Your Consultation
Physical Examination
Your physical examination for Body Contouring surgery will be detailed. Dr Dona will evaluate your skin quality, muscle tone and fat distribution. He will also check your overall health, take baseline measurements and photographs, and examine certain areas for any muscle separation or hernias.
Skin Assessment: Examining elasticity, thickness, stretch marks, and existing scars from previous surgeries.
Fat and tissue evaluation: Assessing the volume and distribution of stubborn fat deposits and skin laxity.
Muscle tone check: Palpating underlying muscles, especially in the abdominal region, to detect separation (diastasis recti) or hernias.
Documentation: Recording precise physical measurements and taking clinical baseline photos for surgical planning.
Medical History and Health Evaluation
General Health Check: Review of pre-existing conditions, past surgeries and chronic illnesses.
Medications and Lifestyle: Discussion of current prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, supplements, herbal medications, alcohol use and smoking habits.
Weight Stability: Assessing your weight history, which is vital for procedures following massive weight loss.
Surgical Planning
Once Dr Dona has the above information, he can proceed to surgical planning. You will share your objectives and concerns, and Dr Dona can tell you what can be realistically achieved. He will discuss the appropriate surgical options, along with their limitations, potential complications, and recovery timelines (which we discuss further below).
Often, when an individual has lost substantial weight, they want more than one Body Contouring procedure. For example, they may have excess skin on the abdomen, arms, chest, back, buttocks and thighs.
In some instances, procedures can be combined into a single surgery. This has the advantage of only requiring one general anaesthesia, and potentially taking less time away from work and lifestyle commitments. However, there are various factors to consider regarding your suitability for combining procedures, and it is not always possible due to surgical safety.
Common Body Contouring combinations include:
- Belt Lipectomy with a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
- Bra Lipectomy with an Open Book Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
- Breast surgery (e.g. Breast Lift, Breast Reduction or Breast Implants) with a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)
- Arm Reduction (Brachioplasty) with breast surgery
Typically, patients undergo surgery in a staged manner, waiting at least three months between surgeries. These issues will be discussed with you during your consultation.
Your Hospital Stay
Dr Dona will tell you which hospital your procedure will be performed in and the approximate length of your hospital stay. Patients undergoing Body Contouring surgery often stay in hospital anywhere from two days to up to a week.
Medicare and Private Health Insurance
If your procedure is deemed medically necessary, Medicare may provide a small rebate. For example, if your excess skin is causing significant skin chafing and infections, or the weight of your skin is causing postural problems and back pain, you may qualify for a rebate.
Your Private Health Insurance fund will only cover a part of your Body Contouring surgery if you meet the Medicare criteria. Additionally, you must have been with your fund for over 12 months and have top hospital cover.
After your consultation, if Dr Dona determines that one or more Medicare item numbers apply to you, you must contact your Private Health Insurer to determine whether they will cover your hospital costs, and by how much.
Your Results
Dr Dona will also show you photographs of the results of similar procedures and discuss the types of results you can expect. However, keep in mind that as individuals differ, these images serve only as a guide, and your results may differ. He will also discuss the scars you can expect and any side effects, such as temporary numbness.
Your Recovery
The clinical team will give you a detailed outline of your recovery; however, Dr Dona will discuss what your recovery is likely to look like. He’ll give you guidelines on how long to take off from work, family and housekeeping duties, exercise, the gym, and so on. This will give you the information you need to plan adequately.
If you’d like to research more information about recovery from your surgery, we suggest you visit each of our procedure pages on this website.
Costs
Following your consultation, Dr Dona’s clinical team will provide you with a surgical plan and a detailed breakdown of your individual procedure costs (your surgical quote).
The costs for your procedure will include:
- Your initial consultation
- Follow-Up appointments
- Surgeon’s fee
- Anaesthetist’s fee
- Theatre fee
- Hospital fee
- Medical supplies
Why Choose Dr Dona?
Body Contouring surgeries are complex reconstructive procedures that require a thoroughly experienced plastic and reconstructive Surgeon to execute. Dr Eddy Dona is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon who has dedicated his career to Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery since 2007.
He has a special interest in Body Contouring procedures and is renowned for his work in this area, spanning nearly two decades. Dr Dona is a member of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS).
Committed to advancing his work in this area, he has also pioneered the Open Book Tummy Tuck™ (Abdominoplasty), an advanced Abdominoplasty procedure specifically designed to address the complex abdominal wall reconstruction needs of individuals after drastic weight loss. You can read his published article on the Open Book Tummy Tuck™ (Abdominoplasty) here.
Please feel free to read more about Dr Eddy Dona here.
