Contact & consultation

Arranging an assessment

Outpatient appointments are booked through the hospital on the numbers below; international patients can ask for Michael Yu. Bring a written list of your medicines, including anything for blood pressure, diabetes or hormones, and say plainly if you smoke. Bring anything that records your weight over time, and mention any pregnancy plans, because both change the advice.

What a good assessment includes

An examination of the abdomen standing and lying down, with the skin above and below the navel assessed separately, the muscle checked for separation, and the fat layer assessed on its own. It should end with a clear statement of which operation — if either — reaches the part of the abdomen that bothers you, and what the scar would look like on your body.

Asking about the plan

Ask how much skin would be removed and from where, whether the muscle would be repaired, whether the navel would be moved, how long you would stay in hospital, what the first two weeks at home look like, and what would make this operation the wrong one for you. A clinician who answers that last question specifically is assessing you rather than presenting to you.

Before you commit

No decision needs to be made at the first appointment. Take the plan away, read it against the guides on this site, and come back with questions. A discount that expires, or pressure to book before an assessment is complete, is information about the clinic rather than about your abdomen.