Before and After TUMMY TUCK – ABDOMINOPLASTY

I went to Dr Cotrufo after seeing his BBL results on RealSelf. I wanted to have lipo in my stomach, back and arms and transferred to my hips and bum (BBL). During my consultation, Dr pointed out that my stomach wouldn’t get the best results with lipo (I’m a mummy and after childbirth, the muscles in my abdomen separated which needed to be sown back together). I had also heard this before from previous doctors, so was prepared to go ahead with including a tummy tuck alongside my BBL procedure. After receiving my blood test results, Dr noticed that my haemoglobin levels were extremely low, which meant if I had the surgery it would definitely result in me needing a blood transfusion. He called me to discuss his suggested ways around this issue. He said I can go ahead with both procedures at the same time and they can give me a blood transfusion (1 bag during the operation, and another bag after the operation). His second proposed option was for me to separate my procedures (BBL and Tummy Tuck). He explained it would be much easier to control how much blood I lost this way. He left it to me to decide but was kind enough to give me his personal opinion and the opinion he thought was the best choice for my health which would be to do the procedures separately.The Hospital The hospital staff were amazing!! I stayed overnight at The Harley Health Village and was very very well looked after. Each member of staff bent over backwards to help and assist me at any time. Everyone was polite, caring, friendly and had excellent bedside manner. I was given dinner (after surgery), breakfast and lunch the next day before being discharged.Results I’m 7 weeks post op and my tummy is much flatter than it was before. It’s not as flat as I want yet but I’m hoping this will be achieved as the months go on (fingers crossed!)Dr. Cotrufo & TeamDr. Cotrufo is an excellent and talented Doctor. He has a calm approach which really helped me in the moments I felt frantic! He is very pro the health and well-being of the patient rather than money focused which is very refreshing to see. He made himself available as much as I needed after surgery and never made me feel like I had too many questions. He’s sweet and has a genuine care which isn’t always common. His assistant Wiesje has been another fantastic support! She’s been an excellent resource to ask questions and always checks with Dr if she’s unsure. She has a superb personable personality which really helped put me at ease. An absolute dream team!

★★★★★ Overall rating – Real Self

After having a baby 18 months ago, I was left with an umbilical hernia and diastasis recti of 11cm apart.I’ve not had the best experiences in the past with other plastic surgeons so I was nervous finding a surgeon that I could trust.After my first consultation with Dr Cotrufo, I immediately knew he was the best person to do perform my abdominalplasty. He was very professional, I didn’t feel rushed, he listened to my concerns and was very informative about the procedure.The day of my surgery I felt relaxed and comfortable. I was expecting to feel nervous but I knew I was in good hands. After my surgery I was happy to see Dr Cotrufo several times, bedside manner means a lot to me.The aftercare is amazing, it was comforting to have a scheduled follow up appointment the week after the surgery with Dr Cotrufo to check on the progress and to take out the drains. In the past, I’ve experienced not so great aftercare with other surgeons were follow ups will be weeks after, and this was where problems developed.I never felt alone during this recovery, his patient coordinator Wiesje was absolutely lovely, she answered all my questions and was very attentive throughout the whole process.I am now 6 weeks post-op and I’m very impressed by the results, the swelling is going down and my stomach is getting flatter. The incision scar is healing nicely.Dr Cotrufo is a very skilled surgeon and I would be happy to return to him in the future. I would highly recommend him to anyone considering cosmetic surgery. Thank you Dr Cotrufo!

★★★★★ Overall rating – Real Self

Following pregnancy and birth of my lovely little girl, my body had changed. Regardless of the time I invested in the gym, my pre-pregnancy body was never to return. I used to be a size 6 (UK) with a very slender frame before pregnancy. Prolonged labour had brought on irreversible divarication of my abdominal muscles and an umbilical hernia. This is what led to my search for a competent surgeon to take me back in time. While I was going to go under the knife, I decided not to waste my precious fat, whatever little I had and have it transferred to my behind. The procedure I was looking for was a Tummy Tuck coupled with Lipo and fat graft to buttocks for a BBL. It was a complex combination from a recovery point of view. Following a year’s worth of research which included consideration to fly to a foreign destination (Spain, Florida) and consultation with local London based surgeons, I discovered Dr. Stefano Cotrufo. Despite the proverbial “Never judge a book by its cover” the consultations I had with the other surgeons did not give me a good feeling. The first surgeon rushed me through and suggested I have my surgery in Tunisia to save money, was reluctant to answer my questions and was patronising in his approach. The second one quite candidly admitted that his expertise did not lie in the procedures I was enquiring about. The third one based in Spain was fantastic, however the thought of recovery in a non-domestic environment was too scary for me. Finally, I visited Dr. Cotrufo. Dr. Cotrufo on my first consultation very quickly recognised my nervous enthusiasm. He put me at ease and answered every single question no matter how silly. Following this first consultation I researched more about Dr. Cotrufo. Aside from real-self where most are paying private patients, I researched wider and came across reviews from NHS (National Health Service) patients that Dr. Cotrufo had worked with. Some of these reviews were from people who had undergone complex reconstructive surgery as a result of cancer. The patient spoke of how delighted they were with a natural looking scar free outcome. These were reviews that mattered to me personally; coming from non-paying patients speaking highly of a Dr’s craft. Dr Cotrufo stood out from others I had met on Harley Street for his sense of duty of care towards his patients as opposed to others that saw me as a paying customer. I felt safe and reassured that I was in very capable hands. I booked my surgery for 6th of December 2017. Everything went to plan and I was home following a two-night stay at the hospital. Soon after surgery I was surprised at how little pain and discomfort I felt after a combination procedure on 3 different areas of my body. I found that this procedure was far less painful compared to the episiotomy I had during labour. At day 3 I stopped taking my painkillers altogether. This was amazing, as I’d seen some really unsavoury recovery experiences on YouTube from people with similar combination of procedures. I sincerely believe this was down to Dr Cotrufo’s outstanding skills as a surgeon. Once home I unfortunately caught the Noro virus from my lil one and had to be taken back to my primary care provider, the NHS. The doctor and the two surgeons who treated me in A&E examined the tummy tuck incision and complemented the skill behind it. They said that I would have a great cosmetic outcome when I was all healed up. I am now 4weeks post-op and each day I am happier with my results and my choice of surgeon. My tummy tuck scar is so thin almost like a light pencil line and the bellybutton is very natural looking as the suturing is from the inside. I have seen some pictures of mediocre tummy tucks with stuck on bellybuttons and I can confidently say my own result is elegant and natural looking with no scarring on the outside. I am fairly slender and did not have much fat to give for BBL however the Dr managed to transform my entire shape with the little fat I had. He’s an artist as much as he is a surgeon. I have a better body and contours now than I did pre-preganacy and am well pleased with the outcome. The icing on the cake is the fact that Dr. Cotrufo is always accessible. He personally texts and phones regularly to check on my recovery and to address any questions or concerns I may have, including on holidays. He also has a committed practice manager (Claudia) who is prompt and professional. I cannot thank Dr Cotrufo enough for giving me a body I am happy to live in for the rest of my life. I am glad I did not travel far away from home to have this surgery. If you are considering plastic surgery I would very highly recommend Dr Cotrufo; not only are his surgical skills exceptional he genuinely cares for your outcome and is with you every step of the way. Although it is still early days, I will post some before afters very soon and keep updating this review with pictures in time. I am happy to answer any questions from fellow real-selfers. 9days post op I feel great and m extremely pleased oh the outcome. I’m still in early days of healing with considerable pot op swelling but my belly button is super cute looks very natural – no scar on the outside . I not know get technique Dr Cotufo has used but the result and the scars are outstanding!!on BBL – I’m very thin 5’ 3” and weighing between 48 and 50kgs at my heaviest. I dint have much fat to give for bbl. I had about 400cc to each side and with such low volume I’m truly amazed at what Dr Cotrufo has achieved! The man’s a genius! It’s a shame he’s not as well known as others like Dr Aslani but his work is simply fabulous! Will add some photos soon sorry with a toddler at home I haven’t had a chance to take any that I could upload. I also caught noro virus form my daughter on day 5 post op. Was horrible vomiting with a TT but hey ho on the mend now. Onwards and upwards from here. I hope my review will help someone considering travelling out of UK to do the surgery closer to home. I’ve gained so much from being here time to give back to the community.

★★★★★ Overall rating – Real Self

I’m a 28 years old women i have 2 kids and my tummy was really bad i had so many skin hanging i couldn’t look to my self anymore so I decided to do a tummy tuck.. doctor cotrufo check my tummy and explain to me everything I was happy with everything so I decided to go ahead with the surgery.. after my full tummy tuck surgery my recover was excellent i felt like i didnt had any surgery. I didnt felt much pain..after nearly 2 weeks i went back to work. Now I’m nearly 3 months after surgery and I feel good and happy with the results…thank you very much for everything

★★★★★ Overall rating – Real Self

I contemplated having this surgery for 5 years before I got introduced to Dr Cotrufo. He came across so professional yet friendly and trustworthy. I was determined in getting the procedures with him. The procedure itself went amazingly well, the care was so good I cannot thank him and the hospital enough. I am now 6 weeks post op. Dr Cotrufo was and has always been promptly available in Whatsapp to answer my questions/ concerns. He is super perfectionist, dedicated – my naval scar is minimal because he cuts from the inside out thus leaving the naval with little to none scar. Oh God talk about thin TT scar…sooooo thin like a pencil mark…not joking!!! My GP complemented Dr Cotrufo’ techniques many times over and over to me stating that the scar will be minimal upon full healing in few months. I am so happy with Dr Cotrufo’ work that I have just booked to Vaser 3 different areas in April 2017 and although am relocating abroad, I will return next year to London to have breast argumentation with him. Thank you Dr for giving back my confidence; you’re my hero!

★★★★★ Overall rating – Real Self