Cosmetic surgery in Bury St Edmunds

St Edmunds Hospital is located on the beautiful St. Mary's Square, just across from the Greene King Brewery in Bury St Edmunds. People visit us from Newmarket, Diss, Sudbury, Thetford, Woolpit and Mildenhall. We also see patients from Hadleigh, Stowmarket, Ely and Haverhill. If you’re living in one of these areas and looking for a private hospital near you, our team is ready and waiting to help you.

Cosmetic surgery is becoming more popular, and our Consultant Cosmetic Surgeons focus on cosmetic surgery, especially facial plastic surgery.

Facial surgery includes:

• Facelifts
• Eyelid surgery (upper and lower)
• Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty)
• Surgery of congenital abnormalities, and scarring

Our Cosmetic Surgeons also offer:

• Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
• Body contouring/liposuction
• Breast augmentation
• Breast reduction
• Mastopexy (breast uplift)
• Neck lift
• Gynaecomastia (also known as ‘man boobs’)
• Otoplasty - prominent ears
• Labiaplasty (vulval surgery)
• Scar revision (of the body, as well as the face).

The most common operation performed by our team is breast augmentation, via either a sub mammary or sub muscular route, with either silicone-containing or salt water-containing implants.

Our Cosmetic Surgeons also commonly perform breast reduction and breast uplift operations, using traditional and short scar techniques (Lejour technique) and breast equalisation surgery for congenital abnormalities.

Body Contouring/Liposuction

Liposuction involves removing fat by sucking it out through a tube. The surgery is most effective for people whose weight is normal and who have firm, elastic skin; it’s important to note that it is not a substitute for losing weight.

Helping to correct and improve the contours of parts of the body it is difficult to shift weight from, liposuction is commonly used on the tummy, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, neck, and upper arms.

If you are considering liposuction, you will meet with one of our Cosmetic Surgeons to talk about why you want surgery and what you want. They will make a note of any illnesses you have or have had in the past and record any medication you are on. They will also assess your suitability for the procedure, examining you, and taking some photographs for your medical records.

Your height and weight will be measured to make sure that it is safe to do an operation. If you are overweight, or planning to become pregnant, one of our Surgeons may suggest delaying your operation.

More information about this procedure – or any others listed in this guide – will be available for you to take away from your initial consultation.

Breast Uplift

Mastopexy surgery (breast uplift) is a common procedure performed by our Cosmetic Surgeons. An operation to remove extra, loose skin from the breasts, it uplifts and shapes the breasts and makes them look more youthful.

People choose this surgery if their breasts are droopy, usually due to age but also following pregnancy or breastfeeding, or weight loss.

Breasts droop because the skin and fibrous ligaments in the breast become stretched. This means the breast tissue is not supported.

It is not possible to recreate the fibrous support of the breasts, but they can be reshaped by removing extra skin and remodelling the breast tissue. The nipples can also be moved to the best position on the new breasts.

After a breast uplift, patients who see us may be more comfortable socially and personally, with the best results visible on women with small, ‘saggy’ breasts. However, breasts of any size can be lifted.

Abdomen Surgery

Our Cosmetic Surgeons perform a range of procedures on the abdomen, ranging from scar revision to mini abdominoplasty, traditional abdominoplasty, and extended abdominoplasty for those with massive weight reduction.

Those who wish to have abdominoplasty surgery (a ‘tummy tuck’) can visit our team at St Edmunds Hospital for the removal of extra skin, scars, stretch marks and fat from the tummy. Sometimes, patients may wish to tighten the tummy muscles.

One of our Cosmetic Surgeons will measure your height and weight to make sure that it is safe to perform this operation. If you are overweight, pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, the Surgeon may suggest delaying your surgery.

Moles

People may visit our clinic to have moles removed, too. Patients who present with a mole, either:

• don’t like the look of the mole, the aesthetic (cosmetic) nature of the mole, or
• find it irritating in a functional way, e.g., it gets caught on clothes
• are concerned that the lesion has changed in a worrying way, or
• are referred through a dermatologist – for whom it may be difficult to treat, if for example, the mole is on the face or is a large lesion.

Currently, the patient is seen here by our Cosmetic Surgery team, before returning for treatment. In future, we plan to offer a ‘one-stop shop’ treatment slot.

At the first consultation, the patient will be given relevant information to take away and read. The second consultation gives the patient the opportunity to ask any questions, including anything they didn’t understand, either from their reading or at the first consultation, before going ahead and booking surgery if they wish.

Two Consultations

The rule of guidance is that no-one should have plastic surgery without two consultations, say our team here at The St Edmunds Hospital.

It’s good practice to see a patient twice, and there should be a ‘cooling off’ period of two weeks between each consultation and surgery. During the second conversation, the patient needs to be fully aware of what the pro and cons are [of treatment], and they need to be sure of the risks – and there are some risks.

For example, in face lift surgery, the nerves which make the face move can be damaged. In eye lift surgery, there has been a tiny, reported instance of blindness.

Other risks include:

• Scars
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Dissatisfaction with the outcome.

Any tests required will be part of the pre-admission process - and part of the patient’s overall suitability for the procedure.

Cosmetic surgery is not available on NHS, which makes The St Edmunds Hospital a good choice for private, local treatment.

Here are some more reasons why you might choose The St Edmunds for your consultation:

• Reduced waiting times – Patients who visit The St Edmunds Hospital can, of course, benefit from shorter waiting times for cosmetic surgery appointments.
• Flexible appointments at a time to suit you – You can choose an appointment time to suit you and your schedule – and in some cases, remote consultations may be offered.
• Consultant-led appointments – Your appointment at The St Edmunds Hospital will always be Consultant-led, and you’ll see the same person every time you visit.
• Patient satisfaction and personalised care – In an independent survey* in 2020, 99% of our patients said they would recommend The St Edmunds Hospital, and the hospital has a CQC overall rating of ‘Good’. *Results compiled by Quality Health.         

Patients travel from in and around Bury St Edmunds itself, as well as from Ipswich, Norwich, and Cambridge, for cosmetic surgery consultations and subsequent treatment.

Want to book a consultation with one of our Cosmetic Surgeons at The St Edmunds Hospital? Book an appointment via our handy online booking system.