This procedure is best thought of as pulling the lower abdominal tissue down towards the pubic area.
Childbirth, weightloss, Caesarean section or hysterectomy scars can all contribute to a fatty bulge developing in the lower abdominal area

Under general anaesthesia silicone breast implants into a surgically created pocket either immediately behind the natural breast tissue (Sub-glandular or sub-mammary pocket) or behind the pectoralis major muscle, the chest “pecs” muscle, (Sub-pectoral or sub-muscular pocket). The choice of pocket is largely decided by the amount of soft tissue cover available to disguise the upper edge of the implant and slimmer patients usually are best suited to placement of the implant under the muscle

A variety of techniques are available for reconstruction of the breast mound after breast cancer surgery. Factors which influence the choice of reconstructive technique are: the type of mastectomy which has been performed, the size and shape of the unaffected breast, whether radiotherapy has been used in the affected breast and the body shape and medical history of the patient

There are a great many variations in the presentation of this condition. In many women one breast is slightly larger than the other and rarely a severe enough size and nipple position disparity exists to necessitate surgery

On the day of surgery markings are made on the breasts showing the new nipple position and the amount of breast to be removed. Then under general anaesthesia the lowest part of the breast gland is removed leaving the nipple attached to the chest wall by a strip of tissue called the pedicle so that its blood supply is preserved

Time, gravity and breastfeeding all have an effect on the shape of the breast gland. The breast gland may shrink within a stretched skin envelope leaving an empty looking breast with the nipple at its lowest pole pointing downwards

With ageing and frowning our brows begins to descend (brow droop or ptosis) ultimately leading to hooding of the sides of the upper eyelids and a tired lived-in look.

Our brow posture determines the way our mood is subconsciously perceived by others. A low brow with marked glabellar creases is usually taken to indicate tiredness, frustration, anger or irritability

Retinova (Tretinoin 0.05%) is about the best kept secret for ladies over 40 years of age who desire improvement in their skin quality.
Retinova is by far the strongest of the topical vitamin A based skin products and can only be prescribed by a doctor after a consultation – it cannot just be bought over the counter due to its potency

We prefer to use either a hyaluronic acid based product (there are too many of these currently on the market to mention) or a Collagen based product. These are injected under topical or local block anaesthesia, last several months and are gradually absorbed away. The collagen based products carry a tiny chance of an allergic reaction and are therefore patch tested prior to use

Most commonly the ante helical (inner) fold of the ear may not have formed completely making the outer rim and overall projection of the ear more pronounced. This is corrected by making an incision behind the ear under local anaesthetic (or general anaesthetic in children) and resculpting the fold in the cartilage using a permanent scoring technique. Suture (stitching) techniques in this area are best avoided since they are prone to high recurrence rates and although they give a good initial result the ears can spring back with time

Endermologie is the only FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved treatment for cellulite. It is becoming increasingly popular as it is non-invasive; meaning no surgery is performed. The technique is gentle yet effective and is slowly becoming one of the most popular cellulite treatments today. Results include losing up to three inches in cellulite so it is little wonder. 

The effects of aging, gravity, lifestyle and sun exposure have an effect on the soft tissues of the face and this is often seen in the region around the eye. In the lower eyelids a dark circle or bag under the lower eyelid is the first sign of contour changes here. Additionally the midface soft tissue may droop or shrink in volume exposing the facial skeleton and accentuating adverse contours in the periorbital region

Gravity causes drooping of the soft tissues in the head and neck leading to ptosis (drooping) of the brow and cheek, the formation of jowls and loose folds of skin in the face neck. In addition to this the full fat pads of youth shrink and atrophy causing a hollowed appearance in some patients. Browlift, Facelift and Necklift are three procedures which may be performed individually or in harmony with one another to produce an aesthetic rejuvenation of the face

Mr McDairmid frequently uses chin and malar implants in patients who are lacking prominence of the mandible or cheek. They are made of solid silicone and usually placed underneath the fibrous layer, immediately above the bone, in a so-called sub-periosteal (or partial subperiosteal) pocket

Mr McDiarmid is a fellowship trained hand specialist. For many years he ran the hand service at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth as the only fellowship-trained specialist

Removal of unwanted hairs used to be a painstaking business until recently and involved the discomfort of electrolysis and multiple treatments to achieve the desired result

Laser Resurfacing involves the use of a carbon dioxide laser to precisely remove the outer layers of skin. It is an extremely effective method of getting rid of wrinkles and improving acne scars

The Aura/KTP laser produces green light at a wavelength of 532nm which is ideal for selectively targeting blood vessels under the skin. By harnessing a property of laser light called selective photothermolysis the laser’s light energy shines through the skin harmlessly until its hits a red target (chromophore). On hitting the target light energy is converted into heat energy selectively destroying the thread vein, broken capillarty, spider naevus or telangiectasis that it has been aimed at

Although the lips can be enhanced temporarily or permanently it is always a good idea to try a temporary form of lip augmentation first before deciding on a permanent option. Many of the filler materials currently available are usable in the lips with good predictable results

Fatty deposits under the skin can be reduced and reshaped through this ingenious technique which was first decribed 30 or so years ago. In Mr McDiarmid’s practice liposuction is most often used as a part of other procedures e:g neck liposuction in a facelift or to the abdomen and flank regions in abdominoplasty

This is a process in which the outer layers of skin are removed by bombarding the skin with a controlled stream of either aluminium hydroxide or salt crystals. It is rather like sandblasting for the face and acts by peeling the outer epidermal layers of skin away providing very vigorous method of exfoliation

The nose takes pride of place in the middle of our faces dominating the appearance from front and side views. It lies directly between our eyes and is often the focus of attention as our eyes flit from one side of a person’s face to the other during conversation. A coarse or prominent nose in a lady may overshadow a naturally attractive face

This is a state-of-the-art non-surgical body contouring solution which has been shown in numerous clinical trials to safely and effectively reduce fat thickness and body circumference in men and women. Ultrashape employs focused ultrasound technology to destroy fat cells in a very predictable and safe way, the lysed cells are then removed by the body’s natural physiological mechanisms clear away the disrupted fat cells

Weight loss surgery is a fast growing trend in the UK. There are a number of options after a dramatic weight loss:

Frowning and overuse of the muscles needed for facial expressions can lead to a tired and lived-in look. In particular the corrugator muscles between the eyebrows create frown furrows when they contract

The midface lift is a much misunderstood procedure. Those who consider it a sole procedure for simply elevating and rejuvenating the midface are missing the entire point of it - its effects are far greater in conjunction with fat redraping blepharoplasty and can really be breathtaking. Just as endoscopic browlift is a wonderful adjunct for upper eyelid rejuvenation in certain patients, midface lift is the corollary for the lower eyelid in patients with midfacial ptosis.

Breast Surgery