This is sponsored content for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.
After having five children in six years, Lake Macquarie mum Lori was left with a tummy bulge that wouldn't go away, no matter what she did.
"I had a bulge that meant I looked about six or seven months pregnant even though I had no children in there," said Lori.
"I could lose weight until the cows came home, but I'd still have that bulge. And there was no real natural way of improving it."
At the same time, she was working with a pelvic floor specialist to try and repair damage caused by pregnancies, but was getting nowhere.
"I was being put on monitors to help strengthen my pelvic floor, but my specialist said, 'we're just getting nowhere. There's no way you can work on your pelvic floor because the core that holds it isn't stable'," said Lori.
After being sent for some scans, Lori learnt her pregnancies had caused separation between her abdominal muscles as wide as ten centimetres in some parts, which couldn't be fixed through exercises alone.
This photo is not of the interviewee Lori but a conceptual representation of the surgery process.
Looking for a solution, she visited Dr John Newton at Cosmetic Plastic Surgery in Warners Bay and learnt she was eligible for abdominoplasty.
Colloquially referred to as the 'tummy tuck', this procedure is suitable for both men and women who experience the unsightly, uncomfortable bulging of excess fat and skin of their lower abdomen. These folds can become more noticeable following weight loss.
But the most common participants of abdominoplasty surgery are those women whose tummies have stretched after having their children.
A popular procedure, abdominoplasty is designed to remove extra fat and skin and repair the abdominal muscles, reshaping the abdomen entirely for a tighter, smoother appearance.
With more than 30 years experience, Dr Newton is the most experienced cosmetic plastic surgeon in Newcastle and one of the most experienced in Australia. He has performed tens of thousands of surgeries over the years, including breast surgery, abdominoplasties, ear reductions, rhinoplasties, plus reconstructive and cosmetic facial procedures.
After extensive consultation and tests, Dr Newton operated on Lori earlier this year.
"Dr Newton knew what I was after and spent a lot of time on my belly just getting the shape right. Because you don't want to look out of proportion - he didn't make me look like a size 8 in the belly and a size 12 everywhere else," said Lori.
This photo is not of the interviewee Lori but a conceptual representation of what the before and after process may look like.
"As part of my procedure, he didn't do liposuction, because he didn't feel he needed to - he was able to contour my body enough."
Following surgery, Lori spent four days in hospital where she was pleasantly surprised to experience very little pain. Full recovery took several weeks, but Lori said she felt relatively normal after ten days, when she was able to resume many of her mum duties at home.
The surgery requires an incision cut from hip to hip, which is hidden below the bikini line, and Lori said she expects her scar to all but disappear.
Her abdominal muscles were also brought back together in surgery and she's been able to go back to working with a pelvic floor specialist. She also noticed that back pain she'd developed post-pregnancies has eased.
Six months on from the surgery and Lori said she feels like her, "pre-baby self".
"I can put on a pair of pants without any overhang of skin. I can do my dancing and walk around feeling like I've got myself together," she said.
"No one really sees my belly, but to me, I feel better and my self-esteem has improved. Physically it's the best thing I could've done for myself."
For more information, visit Dr John Newton's website cosmeticplasticsurgery.com.au.
This is sponsored content for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.