Contents

Former Miss Bondi shares her story

After four years, still very happy with the surgery (breast augmentation)

A Letter from Dr Hodgkinson

The Doctor is in!

“What can be done for Baby Boomers now that they’re hitting 60?”

Total Body Sculpting: the Role of Abdominoplasty

Dr Kourosh Tavakoli explains his highly effective approach

Meet Melissa Bell RN – licensed to rejuvenate!

Corazon’s Touching Story

A young girl’s courage enriched our last Mission

Former Miss Bondi shares her story

After four years, still very happy with the surgery.

I had a breast augmentation procedure done by Dr. Hodgkinson just over four years ago and am as happy with the results today as ever! .

The change in my shape gave me such a boost in confidence that I was able to look at myself in a different light, be more “up front” (no pun intended) and enter the field of modeling – even becoming Miss Bondi!

Having surgery is something I had naturally given a lot of thought to before even having the courage to approach someone to discuss the possibilities. It is not every day that you develop the trust to talk to someone about something as personal as your body.

Feel more and more natural

When I finally did decide that breast augmentation might be for me, I approached Dr. Hodgkinson to ask his advice on which implant would be suitable for me and my goals. We discussed the size, shape and the look I wanted to achieve as well as going through questions about my wellness and suitability for the surgery. Luckily, Dr. Hodgkinson was able to achieve for me the look I desired.
Today, four years plus on, I am very happy with the surgery and find as time goes by that they look and feel more and more natural.

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A Letter from
Dr Hodgkinson

I recently received training and certification in this procedure and am now treating patients in my Double Bay Clinic. Lipomas are benign fatty tumours which can also be treated in this way.

Two sessions are necessary, two months apart. Unlike Mesotherapy, Lipo-Dissolve has a scientific foundation, benefitting small areas not always dealt with by Liposuction.

“Beauty is the harmony and concord of all the parts achieved in such a manner that nothing could be added, taken away or altered”
– Leon Battista Alberti – 1435.

Sincerely yours,

Dr Darryl J. Hodgkinson
M.B. MS. (Hons) F.R.C.S.(C) F.A.C.S.

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What is Lipo-Dissolve and Mesotherapy?

For many years I was always somewhat confused as to what these therapies were and exactly what place they might have in my practice of liposuction.

The Liposuction procedure turned 25 years old this year and I have been involved in it since the word go, attending the first Symposium in 1981 in Norfolk, Virginia.

We have realised that we cannot remove more than 5 litres in one session and that Liposuction and Contour Restoration can be achieved in optimal candidates by removing 5 litres or less.

The problem has remained that there were small pockets of fat and cellulite, which were not necessarily amenable to Liposculpture and also recurred after patients gained weight from their primary Liposuction procedure.

Mesotherapy involved the subcutaneous injections of cocktails of anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins and even plant extracts. There was little scientific evidence in support, nor was this an approved procedure.

Lipo-Dissolve is different. It involves pharmaceutical products (PCP) which have been used for 25 years in medical practice. It is accurately injected in appropriate quantities into small fatty deposits. The product can be used either pure or diluted.

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Dr Hodgkinson answers your questions

Q: “What can be done for Baby Boomers now that they’re hitting 60?”

A: Baby boomers are now in their seventh decade and demanding value for money with their cosmetic surgical procedures.

Realizing that threads and laser treatments give very brief improvement, I have noticed that my patients are requesting more permanent results and a real rejuvenation of the face that will not need to be repeated for a decade.

Thankfully, Thermage was introduced in late 2005 and I think this will even keep the facelifts looking good for an extended period of time. Thermage, however, is very useful for patients in the 35 to 45 year old age group not yet needing a surgical result.

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Thermage is the only FDA-approved procedure that passes radiofrequency under the skin to tighten the tissues underneath your skin

For more information about Thermage procedures, call the clinic on 9362 7400 or visit us online.

Before and after Thermage by Dr Hodgkinson.

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Total Body Sculpting: the Role of Abdominoplasty

Dr Kourosh Tavakoli explains his highly effective approach

Body sculpting refers to changes to improve a woman’s figure in a curvaceous way and add to the length of her legs in a more shapely way.

Figurative representation is a foundation of human artistic endeavour and so with liposculpture, abdominoplasty and breast enhancement the aim is always to create harmony and balance.

In this article I try to answer some frequently asked questions about Abdominoplasty and its role in the Body Sculpting process:

What is an Abdominoplasty?

This is an operation designed to improve the appearance of an abdomen that may be overly protruding or may have excess loose skin and fat. There are variations of the standard operation including “mini-tucks” which may be of benefit to patients who require only tightening of the abdominal muscles or removal of a small amount of skin. On the other hand, patients with massive weight loss may require a more extensive operation.

Who can benefit from this surgery?

How is the operation done?

Usually under general anaesthesia, an incision is made across the lower part of the abdomen. A circular incision is made around the navel that stays attached to the muscle. The skin is then separated from the muscle, up toward the ribs, so that it can be pulled down like a window shade. The tummy is then “tightened” (narrowing and flattening the abdomen) by stitching the muscles together.

Mini-tummy tucks can benefit patients who have a small amount of excess skin and fat or protruding of the lower abdomen. Mini-abdominoplasty does not involve moving the navel position.

Liposuction is usually used in conjunction with a tummy tuck to benefit selected patients. Liposculpture is the technique of removing excess fat from certain areas of the body and injecting the harvested fat into adjacent areas in order to create shape and contour. The best example of this technique would be the sculpting of the buttocks region.

Superficial liposculpture is the next generation technique where the traditional liposuction removed the deep fat but the new technique of liposculpture takes the superficial fat. By removing the superficial layer, the skin is allowed to move freely as an independent entity and hence resume the new shape that the surgeon intends to provide.

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Meet Melissa Bell RN – licensed to rejuvenate!

Melissa Bell RN is our full-time nurse specialized, trained and certified in Injectables such as BOTOX® and Restylane®, lasers such as KTP laser for facial veins, Thermage non-surgical facelift and skin treatments including microdermabrasion and skin peels.

Melissa has extensive experience in pre and post-operative management of cosmetic surgical patients and patients find her a delight to work with.

Melissa can answer many of your questions and queries about procedures and can be reached at our Clinic on 93627400.

Corazon’s Touching Story

A young girl’s courage enriched our last Mission

Corazon comforts another young patient before her operation, and immediately after the procedure.

Corazon’s story is one of the thousands of stories of courage that we hear from our very special children. While it is always our goal to try and treat children as early as possible in their infancy, many still do slip through the cracks – Corazon is one such girl.

Even though Corazon’s parents actively sought out charity everywhere they could and presented Corazon to various missions, Corazon was never treated as she suffered from a heart condition which would make the surgery much more dangerous for her. It is a cruel twist of fate that Corazon actually means heart in Spanish.

When Corazon presented at our screening last year, this brave young girl was aware of the danger that surgery might present for her. When she told us that she was not afraid to die but that she wanted to go to heaven with her lip closed, we felt compelled to see if there wasn’t a way for us to help her.

Our surgical and anaesthetic team was assisted by the local doctors and specialists of Caloocan to provide further diagnostic tests on Corazon and to create a strategy for her treatment which would allow Operation Restore Hope to confidently help Corazon realize her dream. We were blessed to have Corazon in the hospital sharing her love and courage with our patients. We look forward to seeing Corazon soon back in Caloocan!

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