Consultant Q&A: Mr Omar Dawood

Q1. What is abdominoplasty and what does it involve? 

A. Abdominoplasty is a procedure that involves the removing of the excess or hanging skin and tissues and changing the shape of the abdomen to make it look better. The procedure itself needs to be done under general anaesthesia and may take one to two hours in theatre and that depends on the complexity or if the patient wants to have combined surgery of body contouring procedures. After the procedure, the patient may need to stay for one night in the hospital to make sure we give them the best pain control, I normally tell my patient that they can have a shower after 48 hours, then they need to have time off from their work for one to two weeks, then they can start gradual exercise from week four to six. 

Q2. What is Dupuytren’s contracture? 

A. Duputren's disease is also known as dupuytren's contracture, it's a disease affecting the hands of the patient. Patients normally start having nodules in their hands, which normally is painless, however, with time it starts to change into a cord and that may cause contracture, which causes bending to their fingers. Most of it is painless, however, it is a rule of thumb, if a patient can't put their hands straight onto the table, then this is the time where they require treatment for it, the sooner they seek the treatment is usually the better outcome. Treatment for it can include a variety of surgical and non-surgical methods, but I normally advise them to seek the right person to do such a procedure for them and to assist them to help them to get their life back and improve their quality of life. 

Q3. What is a breast augmentation and what does it involve? 

A. Breast augmentation is quite a common procedure, and the aim is to improve the shape and the size of the breast to make it look fuller and bigger. The procedure needs a proper assessment between the consultant and the patient to make sure they have the right choice of the breast implant, which is required to achieve that outcome. It may include a few preoperative sessions and consultations to reach the agreement of what can best be achieved with the patient. The procedure itself is normally done under general anaesthesia and you may need to stay one night in the hospital as an inpatient. It involves making scar tissues of around four centimetres, but that's normally well hidden under the breast fold. Through that access, the implants can be used to go under the breast tissues and make it the right size and shape. After the surgery, I will normally advise my patient that they can have shower 48 hours after the procedure, but they may need some time off their work for one to two weeks. I also advise them to avoid any heavy exercise for six weeks until all wounds are settled to achieve the best outcome.