Body contouring in Abu Dhabi, as Dr Thomas Colson performs it at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, addresses two findings that weight change and pregnancy leave behind and that exercise does not reverse: skin that has lost its elasticity, and separation of the abdominal muscles. Each operation is assessed on the examination.
None of these operations is a treatment for obesity or a method of weight loss. They act on skin, on localised fat, on the abdominal wall and, in one case, on the skeleton of the lower thorax. Weight must be stable before any of them is planned, and a weight that is still changing is a reason to defer rather than to operate.
Some of the findings addressed here are functional: separation of the abdominal muscles after pregnancy, maceration and skin infection in the folds after a major weight loss, and friction between the thighs that makes walking uncomfortable. Where that is the case, the assessment says so.
Non-surgical treatment of the skin is set out on the page for non-surgical cosmetic medicine. Breast procedures, which are frequently combined with abdominal surgery after pregnancy, are on the page for breast aesthetic surgery. Facial surgery is on the page for facial aesthetic surgery.
Every operation on this page is carried out under general anaesthesia and carries the risks common to any surgery: bleeding and haematoma, infection, delayed wound healing, collection of fluid under the skin, venous thromboembolism, and reaction to the anaesthetic. These are discussed individually before consent, with the factors that raise them — smoking, diabetes, obesity, and a personal or family history of thrombosis.
The Mommy Makeover is a combination of procedures carried out under one anaesthetic after pregnancy, planned on the examination. Abdominoplasty with repair of the abdominal muscles is usually the central component, with a breast procedure or liposuction where the examination indicates them.
Timing after birth and breastfeeding, the recovery timeline and the risks are set out on the dedicated page.
Standard liposuction reduces the volume of a fat deposit. High definition liposuction works at a second level: fat is removed selectively, including from the superficial layer, so that the contour follows the underlying muscular anatomy more closely.
It is not a treatment for obesity and not a method of weight loss. The indication is a localised fat deposit in a patient whose weight is already stable.
Ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty, marketed as VASER, uses ultrasonic energy to emulsify fat selectively before it is aspirated. The technique acts on adipose tissue while sparing blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue, which allows work closer to the skin surface than conventional aspiration.
Because the fat cells remain viable, fat harvested this way can be reinjected where a transfer is part of the plan.
Removing fat can leave the overlying skin loose. A subcutaneous skin-tightening device, which combines a plasma with radiofrequency energy, may be applied through a small cannula immediately after the aspiration. The energy acts on the connective septa within the skin and produces contraction of that tissue.
The degree of contraction depends on the quality and elasticity of the skin, and it is limited. Where the skin excess is substantial, aspiration and tightening are not sufficient and excision is the appropriate operation. Skin continues to age afterwards, and weight stability affects how the result holds.
Abdomen, including definition along the midline. Chest in men, including the correction of gynaecomastia. Arms, at the deltoid and triceps. Back, including the fat rolls at the level of the bra strap.
The assessment looks for a patient near a stable weight, with a body mass index generally under 30, whose fat deposits are localised. Significant visceral fat is not accessible to liposuction, since the fat sits inside the abdominal cavity and not under the skin. Marked skin laxity points towards abdominoplasty instead.
Beyond the general risks: contour irregularity, asymmetry between the two sides, adherence of the skin where the superficial layer has been treated, prolonged swelling, areas of altered or reduced sensation, and pigmentation change at the cannula entry points. Superficial work raises the risk of irregularity and of skin injury, which is why it is reserved for suitable skin. Where a tightening device is used, thermal injury to the skin is a specific risk of that step.
The expected course is bruising, swelling and drainage from the entry points in the first days, followed by a compression garment. The contour is not settled at the end of the operation: it evolves over months as the swelling resolves.
Contact the department in case of fever, an area of skin that becomes painful, hard and red, a burn or blister at an entry point, a calf that becomes painful or swollen, or shortness of breath.
Abdominoplasty is an operation on the abdominal wall. It combines the repair of the muscular layer with the removal of excess skin, and it addresses findings that exercise does not reach: separation of the rectus muscles, and skin that has lost its elasticity after pregnancy or weight change.
Full or mini abdominoplasty, the incision, the recovery timeline and the risks are set out on the dedicated page.
Liposuction removes fat. It does not act on the skeleton, and the width of the lower thorax is determined by the ribcage. Rib remodeling is an operation on the bone, carried out on the floating ribs, which reduces the transverse width of the lower thorax.
It is bone surgery. It is assessed as such, and it is not an alternative to weight loss, to liposuction or to abdominal wall repair.
Piezoelectric ultrasonic instruments are used to work on the bone. A controlled incomplete fracture, of the type described as a greenstick fracture, is created in the eleventh and twelfth ribs. The bone is thereby made pliable without being divided, and is then repositioned closer to the spine.
The ribs are not removed. They remain in place, in continuity, and continue to perform their protective role.
A custom corset is worn for six to eight weeks after the operation. It holds the ribs in their new position while the bone consolidates, and it is the determining element of the result. The position obtained is not maintained without it.
It does not remove fat and does not act on the skin. It does not correct a separation of the abdominal muscles. It does not reduce weight. Where the objective involves skin or fat as well, the corresponding operation is a separate one, and rib remodeling is sometimes carried out in the same session as an abdominoplasty or a liposuction.
Beyond the general risks, this operation is carried out close to the pleura, and the risks specific to it follow from that: injury to the pleura and pneumothorax, injury to an intercostal nerve with pain or altered sensation along the path of the nerve, pain that persists beyond the usual healing period, incomplete or asymmetric consolidation of the bone, displacement of the position obtained, and the possibility of a further operation.
The expected course includes limitation of deep breathing and of trunk movement during consolidation, and the continuous wearing of the corset. Return to desk work is around one week, and to light physical activity around four weeks.
Contact the department without delay in case of shortness of breath, chest pain on breathing, fever, or pain that increases instead of decreasing.
After a large weight loss — obtained through diet, through bariatric surgery such as sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass, or under a GLP-1 receptor agonist such as Ozempic or Mounjaro — the skin does not retract in proportion. Dr Colson does not prescribe these medications; they are mentioned here because they are part of the pathway many patients arrive with.
The residual skin has functional consequences: maceration and skin infection in the folds, difficulty with hygiene, chafing that makes walking or exercise uncomfortable, and limitation of movement. Removing it is the reconstructive phase of the weight loss pathway.
Dr Colson’s note: “I consider this reconstructive surgery, not cosmetic. Removing kilos of hanging skin restores the ability to move and to exercise without discomfort.”
A standard abdominoplasty is frequently insufficient after a large weight loss, because the excess skin continues around the flanks and the back. The belt lipectomy, also called a 360 body lift, removes a circumferential strip of skin and fat around the whole midsection. It repairs the abdominal wall, lifts the buttocks and produces a limited lift of the outer thighs.
Excess skin on the upper arm is removed between the axilla and the elbow. The incision is placed on the inner or the posterior aspect of the arm. The scar is long and it is a direct consequence of the amount of skin removed.
Excess skin on the inner thigh causes friction between the two sides, which can make walking painful and provoke maceration. The excess skin and the fat attached to it are removed from the upper inner thigh. The indication here is frequently functional.
Weight must be stable for at least six months. Operating during ongoing weight loss exposes the patient to a recurrence of the skin excess. Nutritional status is assessed beforehand, since deficiencies are common after bariatric surgery and they affect healing.
These operations are long and extensive. Dr Colson frequently stages them, for example the belt lipectomy first and the arms and thighs three to six months later, which limits the operating time of each session.
Beyond the general risks, this surgery carries a higher rate of local complications than the same operations in a patient who has not lost a large amount of weight: collection of fluid, which is frequent after a circumferential excision; separation of the wound edges, particularly where the tension is greatest and at the junction points of the incisions; healing difficulty related to nutritional deficiency; and scars that widen. The extent of the excision and the length of the operation raise the thrombotic risk, and the risk of hypothermia and of blood loss during the operation.
The expected course involves drains, a compression garment, restricted movement in the first weeks, and scars that continue to change in appearance over twelve to eighteen months. The scars are long and they are visible.
Contact the department in case of fever, a wound edge that separates, discharge from an incision, a calf that becomes painful or swollen, or shortness of breath.
The assessment looks for a stable weight, a body mass index generally under 30, and fat deposits that are localised. Visceral fat inside the abdominal cavity is not accessible to liposuction. Where the skin is markedly lax, aspiration will not correct it and abdominoplasty is the operation that applies.
They use different forms of energy. Ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty, marketed as VASER, emulsifies fat with ultrasonic energy; laser-assisted techniques use thermal energy. Because ultrasonic emulsification leaves the fat cells viable, fat harvested this way can be reinjected where a transfer is planned.
The device acts on the connective septa within the skin and produces contraction of that tissue. The degree of contraction is limited and depends on the quality and elasticity of the skin. The skin continues to age afterwards, and a change in weight affects how the result holds.
Yes. Dr Thomas Colson performs rib remodeling at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, under general anaesthesia. The operation acts on the eleventh and twelfth ribs, the floating ribs, which are repositioned and not removed. It is bone surgery, assessed as such in consultation, and a custom corset is worn for six to eight weeks afterwards.
No. The ribs are not removed. A controlled incomplete fracture is made in the eleventh and twelfth ribs, which are then repositioned closer to the spine. They remain in place, in continuity, and continue to perform their protective role.
A custom corset is worn for six to eight weeks. It holds the ribs in position while the bone consolidates and it is the determining element of the result: the position is not maintained without it. Return to desk work is around one week and to light physical activity around four weeks. Deep breathing and trunk movement are limited during consolidation.
Yes. The two act on different structures — one on the bone, the other on the abdominal wall and the skin — and they are sometimes carried out in the same session, subject to the same limit on operating time as any combination.
Weight must have been stable for at least six months. Operating while weight is still changing exposes the patient to a recurrence of the skin excess. Nutritional status is assessed beforehand, as deficiencies are common after bariatric surgery and they affect healing.
It is possible but frequently staged. Dr Colson often carries out the belt lipectomy first and the arms and thighs three to six months later, which limits the operating time of each session.
No. In this surgery skin is exchanged for scars, and the scars are long. They are placed in natural folds or in areas covered by clothing where the anatomy allows. Their appearance continues to change over twelve to eighteen months, after which they remain visible.
Every procedure on this page is carried out under general anaesthesia and carries the risks common to any surgery: bleeding and haematoma, infection, delayed wound healing, collection of fluid under the skin, venous thromboembolism, and reaction to the anaesthetic. Each operation adds its own: contour irregularity and altered sensation after liposuction; fluid collection, wound-edge healing difficulty and flap necrosis after abdominoplasty; pleural injury, intercostal nerve injury and incomplete bone consolidation after rib remodeling; and wound separation after a circumferential excision. These are reviewed individually before consent.
Smoking is the single factor most consistently discussed, because it markedly raises the risk of healing difficulty and of flap necrosis. Diabetes, obesity, and a personal or family history of thrombosis are also assessed, as is nutritional status after bariatric surgery. Weight that is still changing is a reason to defer rather than to operate.
Fever; a calf that becomes painful or swollen; shortness of breath; chest pain on breathing after rib remodeling; a sudden increase in swelling or pain on one side; discharge from an incision; a wound edge that separates; an area of skin that becomes dark, cold, or hard and red; or pain that increases instead of decreasing.
In the UAE, consultations and surgery are performed exclusively at SKMC, Abu Dhabi.
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