Four specialties, one clinic.

Plastic surgery is the surgical specialty concerned with correcting structural deformity and functional defect — bringing form and function as close to normal as possible.

The field is also called plastic and reconstructive surgery: reconstructive work restores a patient to normal, aesthetic work goes beyond the norm, and plastic surgery covers both.

The line between aesthetic and reconstructive is rarely sharp, so procedures are grouped by primary aim. We perform fat grafting, eyelid and eye surgery, rhinoplasty, ear surgery, chin and neck contouring, facelift, breast reduction and augmentation, botulinum toxin, permanent hair removal and fillers (Restylane, Sculptra, Juvederm, Radiesse).

Fat is either subcutaneous (between skin and muscle) or visceral (around the organs); liposuction removes subcutaneous fat only. Subcutaneous fat divides again into superficial and deep layers, and the layer to be removed differs by body area.

Liposuction is for localized fat that does not respond to diet and exercise, and it works best on the jaw, neck, cheeks, arms, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, knees, calves and ankles rather than on generalized obesity.

How much fat is removed — typically up to about 2,500cc per session. Removing 6,000–7,000cc at once raises risk and may require transfusion, so larger volumes are staged over several sessions. The amount is set by health status and age, and blood loss is monitored throughout.

The process — consultation and preparation (body-fat measurement, blood work, stopping contraindicated medication, hydration), the surgical stage (anaesthesia screening and pre-operative marking), and aftercare (massage to relax tissue and activate lymphatic drainage, plus a compression garment to reduce swelling and hold the result).

The procedure runs about two hours under general anaesthesia; normal activity resumes in 2–3 days and recovery is largely complete in about a week. A compression corset or stocking is worn for roughly three months. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction converts electrical energy into mechanical vibration, creating micro-bubbles that release fat from cells — it spares vessels and nerves and reduces surface irregularity, but carries heat-related burn risk and takes longer.

Areas treated: abdomen, waist and flanks, thighs, buttocks, calves, arms, face and neck.

Recovery — 1–2 days of rest; localized cases can go home the same day. Bruising lasts 2–3 weeks, swelling resolves 70–80% by 3–4 weeks, satisfaction usually begins at one month, and objective comparison is meaningful at about three months. Light exercise from 2–3 weeks.

Aftercare — no nicotine for one to two months, keep the area elevated, wear compression for about two months (stockings 2–3 months), and pair with diet and exercise to hold the result.