Body
Procedures

Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty, often referred to as a “tummy tuck”, is a surgical procedure that aims to eliminate excess skin from the middle and lower abdomen, and correct muscle divarication (abdominal muscle separation).

Abdominoplasty procedures can assist with the following:

abdominal abnormalities, caused by pregnancy, obesity, extensive weight loss or trauma
muscle divarication, which is commonly caused by pregnancy
abdominal muscle function; this can assist in balancing spinal muscles, which could alleviate back pain
removal of excess skin on the lower abdomen, also called “a pannus”, which can interfere with daily activities and cause chronic dermatitis

In all types of abdominoplasties, Dr Knox will plicate (this means sewing the separated abdomen muscles together) the divaricated abdomen muscles, if this process is necessary. He will advise you of this during your consultation. Your umbilicus will be repositioned and reconstructed, while keeping the original source of blood flow. In the event Dr Knox feels he may need to sacrifice the umbilicus you will be advised in your consultation, prior to surgery.

Dr Knox performs the following types of abdominoplasties:

Abdominoplasty

This involves an incision from hip to hip. Dr Knox will aim to make this as close to your underwear line as possible, to minimise its visibility.

Extended abdominoplasty

An expanded version of the abdominoplasty, which extends towards the sides and flanks.

Fleur de Lis abdominoplasty

This version adds a vertical incision to the full abdominoplasty to correct more extensive soft tissue excess and laxity.

Corset abdominoplasty

As with the Fleur de Lis and extended abdominoplasties, in the corset abdominoplasty there is an additional incision under the inframammary fold.

Depending on the type of abdominoplasty performed, the procedure time can be between 3 and 7 hours, and requires a general anaesthetic.

You can expect the following pre-operatively:

Routine blood tests

Routine ECG

Communication with anaesthetist & hospital

Ultrasound +/- Mammogram

Ceasing certain medication

Instructions for umbilicus preparation

Measurements for abdomen binder

Regular post-operative consultations will be arranged with Dr Knox to allow him to monitor your healing and progress.

It is important to understand that post-operative recovery can be different for each person, but you can expect the following:

Anticipate a 4 night stay in hospital.

You may have drains for 24hrs. This removes stagnant blood.

Sutures where possible are dissolvable.

On waking, your bed & hips will be positioned to avoid hyperextending your abdomen

You will wake with an abdominal binder on. You can expect to wear this for 4-6 weeks.

Unable to drive for 10-14 days

Light activity can be recommenced 2-3 weeks post op.

Be prepared to take life very quietly for the first 2-3 weeks.

Heavy lifting & gym can usually recommence 6-8 weeks later.

Being unable to lift your arms above your head. Button-up clothing is recommended.

Upper arm lift

Upper arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a procedure to remove skin between your elbow and armpit that is redundant after major weight loss from bariatric surgery or dieting.

In some cases, Dr Knox will recommend that the incision is extended down your torso as part of the upper arm lift. This type of redundant skin cannot be corrected with non-surgical intervention and can cause:

difficulty exercising, or even walking
chronic dermatitis or infections underneath the arms and on the trunk
problems with posture

An upper arm lift can assist with:

improving the contour of the upper arms
reducing skin rashes and infection
reducing discomfort and issues with clothing

It is important to understand that while an upper arm lift can assist in rectifying the listed issues, the trade-off is that you will have a long incision line, which will take around 12 months to fade. During that period, when you turn your arm, you will be able to see a scar.

In the operation, Dr Knox will make incisions from your elbow to armpit (extending to the torso if indicated), following the natural contour of your arm. He may perform liposuction (removal of fat by suction) to complement the contour of your arms. Upper arm lift/torso procedures usually take 3–5 hours and require general anaesthetic.

You can expect the following pre-operatively:

Rountine Blood Tests

Communication with anaesthetist & hospital

Rountine ECG

Ceasing certain medication

Regular post-operative consultations will be arranged with Dr Knox to allow him to monitor your healing and progress.

It is important to understand that post-operative recovery can be different for each person, but you can expect the following:

Anticipate a 1-2 night stay in hospital.

Sutures where possible are dissolvable.

You will wake with an compression bandages called Tubigrip over waterproof dressings. You can expect to wear these for 2-3 weeks.

Unable to drive for 7-10 days

Light activity can be recommenced 1 week post op.

Be prepared to take life very quietly for the first 1-2 weeks.

Heavy lifting & gym can usually recommence 6 weeks later.

Being unable to lift your arms above your head. Button-up clothing is recommended.

Thigh lift

Thigh lift, or wedge lipectomy to the medial thigh, is a procedure to remove redundant skin from the medial thigh.

In some cases, Dr Knox may recommend having a liposuction (removal of fat by suction) procedure prior to having a thigh lift, if this will assist in removing more excess skin.

This type of redundant skin cannot be corrected with non-surgical intervention and can cause:

difficulty exercising, even walking
chronic dermatitis or infections between the thighs
problems with posture

A thigh lift can assist with:

improving the contour of the upper thighs
reducing skin rashes and infection
reducing discomfort and issues with clothing

It is important to understand that, while a thigh lift can assist in rectifying the listed issues, the trade-off is that you will have a long incision line, which will take around 12 months to fade. During this period, when you turn your thigh outward you will be able to see a scar.

In this procedure, Dr Knox will make incisions from your upper thigh/groin down to your knee, following the natural contour of your thigh. Thigh lift procedures usually take 3–5 hours and require a general anaesthetic.

You can expect the following pre-operatively:

Routine blood tests

Communication with anaesthetist & hospital

Measurement for compression garmet

Routine ECG

Ceasing certain medication

Regular post-operative consultations will be arranged with Dr Knox to allow him to monitor your healing and progress.

It is important to understand that post-operative recovery can be different for each person, but you can expect the following:

Anticipate a 4 night stay in hospital.

Sutures where possible are dissolvable.

You will wake with an abdominal binder on. You can expect to wear this for 4-6 weeks.

Unable to drive for 7-10 days

Light activity can be recommenced 1 week post op.

Be prepared to take life very quietly for the first week.

Heavy lifting & gym can usually recommence 4 weeks later.

Comfortable & loose pants which are easy to get on.

Liposuction

Liposuction, also known as liposculpture or suction-assisted lipectomy, removes fat deposits from certain sites on the body using suction.

Liposuction to assist in restoring your body’s natural contours often works best on stubborn areas of fat that have resisted diet and exercise, or in combination with body-contouring procedures.

Liposuction can be performed on:

waist and abdomen
knees and thighs
buttocks and hips
back and flanks
area underneath chin

It can be used:

to remove lipomas (large fatty tumours)
to improve contours at sites of previous trauma

It is important to understand that liposuction is not a way to lose weight or improve the appearance of cellulite. The intention behind the use of liposuction is to remove fat in particular areas of the body without creating loose skin.

Dr Knox will insert a thin metal cannula into deep or superficial subcutaneous fat. This cannula is attached to a suction source, and the cannula is moved in and out in the pattern that will provide the most pleasing contour and aesthetic outcome. The amount of liposuction being performed will determine the length of time taken in the procedure, and require a general anaesthetic.