Dr Widdowson and Dr Cronin

Your best body through contouring

THE NUMBER OF AUSTRALIANS UNDERGOING BODY CONTOURING PROCEDURES HAS CONTINUED TO RISE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST DECADE.

Patients may seek surgery for several different reasons: they may have undergone massive weight-loss and be encumbered with rolls of excess skin, be struggling to ‘bounce back’ after pregnancy, or may have stubborn pockets that diet and exercise alone cannot fix.

There are a range of different body contouring procedures available to tailor for each patient’s unique concerns or body issues. Common areas include the abdomen, arms, breasts, thighs, buttocks, hips, face and neck areas.

Our surgeons provide a comprehensive consultation with our patients to discuss ideal results, expectation and outcomes for body contouring surgery after massive weight-loss. There are non-surgical body contouring options available, however, patients with more significant concerns or skin laxity will likely require surgery to achieve their desired results. The nonsurgical options are primarily used in conjunction with surgical procedures or to complement them. When the body stores excess fat, skin becomes stretched to accommodate it. Carrying that excess weight for many years before losing it again means that often skin has lost its elasticity, and sags lower on the body as the fat stores are deflated.

Patients may notice that they have stretch marks or bands on their skin, particularly in the areas in which they held most of their weight. These are essentially scarred areas where the skin has stretched faster and further than it can tolerate, and connective scar tissue has grown in between adjacent areas of the skin.

Under a microscope, the skin of these patients will also exhibit numerous tiny areas of scar tissue, which have limited capacity to retract after massive weight-loss. Surgical removal of the excess skin is the only proven method of fixing the problem of skin laxity in these patients. Body contouring procedures can be large, long procedures that require the surgical dissection and excision of large amounts of tissue.

Patients that have lost huge amounts of weight, particularly those that have so after undergoing bariatric surgery for example, need to make sure that they are not deficient in the essential vitamins and nutrients required to recover and heal after such a surgery and be in peak form prior to surgery which will aid in recovery. Body contouring is not a weight-loss procedure and is most effective in patients after they have reached a healthy goal weight. Goal weight must be maintained for a minimum of three months prior to any surgical intervention, the final results of surgery are far superior and the risk of surgical complications such as infection, seroma and wound breakdown are significantly lower. Also, patients that lose further weight after having body contouring may find that they once again have loose, sagging skin and would be looking to have further surgery. Before undergoing body contouring surgery, it’s important to set realistic expectations and discuss these with a surgeon. Patients must understand the following: • Communication is crucial between a patient and a plastic surgeon • Body contouring is not intended to provide weight-loss • Some body contouring procedures take time to show final results

• There are risks when undergoing body contouring surgery • There are limitations to what body contouring surgery can do. Body contouring is a procedure that aims to improve the shape of a person’s body by removing unwanted areas of fat or skin through surgical means. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons are highly trained individuals who can establish suitability for body contouring surgery. The Lotus Institute combines experience and respected Surgeons with first-class care, providing patients with the ultimate plastic surgery experience. For more information visit lotus-institute.com.au

Dr Peter Widdowson and Dr Drew Cronin have an accumulative of over 40 years in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic surgery.

The Lotus Institute Level Two, 2 Short Street Southport. Tel: (07) 5509 4488 lotus-institute.com.au

MB, ChB, FRACS (Plastic) Plastic Surgeon Dr Peter Widdowson has a background of nearly 30 years in Plastic, Reconstructive and Laser. Qualifying in his specialty in 1982 he has been an internationally acclaimed microsurgeon and reconstructive surgeon for over 20 years. Since commencing as Director at the Lotus Institute in 1999 he has super specialised in Plastic, Reconstructive, Aesthetic and Laser Surgery, directing one of the most acclaimed Clinics in Australasia His qualifications include, Member of Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS), American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS).

Dr Drew Cronin

B.Biomed Sci, MBBS, FRACS (Plastic) Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Dr Drew Cronin is a Queensland trained Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon based here on the Gold Coast. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. He is also the first locally trained Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon on the Gold Coast, being one of the first graduates of the Gri th University School of Medicine. Dr. Cronin performs a wide variety of Plastic and Reconstructive surgical procedures, including body lift and body contouring procedures, aesthetic and reconstructive breast procedures, and facial aesthetic surgery. He also performs skin cancer excision and reconstruction, hand surgery and microsurgery.

• Abdominoplasty • Body Li • Breast Implant Removal • Fat Gra ing • igh Reduction • Otoplasty • Blepharoplasty • Brachioplasty • Breast Li (Mastopexy) • Faceli (MIFACE) /Neckli • Laser Resurfacing • Skin Cancer Surgery • Body Contouring • Breast Augmentation • Browli • Gynecomastia • Lip Li • Post Weight-Loss Surgery

As a non-surgical option, The Lotus Institute has a highly-regarded and professional Aesthetic Injecting Department o ering clients softening, volumising and enhancement of the tissues - especially of the face - using a variety of injectable products. Our nurses/injectors Patricia Hampson and Marie Steele have more than 26 years combined experience in this highly-skilled area. We also o er clients pure mineral makeup and medical-grade skincare, where nature meets clean science, based on clinical data and scientific expertise - all of which are completely biodegradable and environmentally friendly.The products are cruelty free, responsibly sourced and produced entirely in Australia.

THE LOTUS INSTITUTE: Level Two, 2 Short Street, Southport Q 4215 Australia Tel: (07) 5509 4488 Fax: (07) 5528 4166 Email: lotus@lotus-institute.com.au