Faq’s

This depends upon the procedure you may have:

• Liposuction ½ – 1 hour per area
• Breast Augmentation – 1 – 1½ hours
• Mastectomy and Free Nipple Graft – 1½ – 2 hours
• Facial Surgery – 2 – 4 hours

Yes, a general anaesthetic is required for these procedures. Often this is the part that causes the most anxiety, but modern anaesthesia is very safe.

With each person having an unique pain threshold we all deal with pain differently. The precise procedure will also have a bearing on the amount of discomfort experienced following surgery. We adopt the latest surgical techniques in order to minimise pain. Local anaesthetics are also employed so there is little or no pain on awakening, which can be easily controlled with self-medication. The vast majority of patients will find that they have returned to daily activities in a few days and certainly within a week.

Recovery is aided by movement so you will be encouraged to mobilise. This also reduces risks associated with immobility such as blood clotting. One should, however, start gently at first and high-impact, aerobic exercise should be avoided for the first six weeks.

Whilst each procedure has its specific requirements, generally speaking a single overnight stay is recommended as one should have a responsible adult in close proximity within 24 hours of a general anaesthetic. It allows safe monitoring and have access to pain-relieving medications. Because drains are used, these can also be removed the next morning before you leave in all but a tiny proportion of cases.

Modern anaesthesia and surgery are very safe, but no surgical procedure is entirely risk-free. Despite our best efforts there is a possibility, albeit uncommon, for a complication to occur, including infection, overactive scarring and bleeding. Other, even more rare, are procedure-specific; for example, nipple sensitivity issues, nipple-areola complex loss with mastectomy & grafting and contour irregularities with liposuction. You can help reduce the likelihood of experiencing adverse effects by following the surgeon’s guidelines carefully and ensuring you are in good health physically, mentally and emotionally prior to surgery.

With most surgery and general anaesthetic one should be back to normal activities within a few days and driving in the second week post operatively. Many are surprised how well they feel after just a few days, but we usually suggest that a return to work after the dressing has been changed and wound checked at one week: naturally, this may be influenced by the specific type of job.

This will depends on a combination of factors including the procedure undertaken and your specific features. Breast Augmentation with silicone prostheses always requires so-called maintenance surgery as implants do not last indefinitely. Sometimes it may be felt that minor enhancement surgery may optimise the outcome. On the rare occasion it occurs, it is usually for the removal of ‘dog ears’ at the ends of scars and can generally be performed under local anaesthesia. It should be noted that ‘dog ears’ are more common with increasing weight and skin excess.

General FAQ section coming soon