Dr Craig Rubinstein Abdominoplasty Results – Sophie’s Story

Dr Craig Rubinstein Abdominoplasty Results - Sophie’s Story

Full Abdominoplasty Patient Story with Dr Craig Rubinstein

Full Abdominoplasty Patient Story of Sophie with Dr Craig Rubinstein from Coco Ruby Plastic Surgery in Hawthorn, Victoria where she had excess skin removed and muscle repair. It has given her so much more confidence and she looks amazing. Here’s her story…

Before and after Sophie’s abdominoplasty with Dr Craig Rubinstein

Trish: Hey Podcasters. So, I’m here today with the beautiful Sophie and Sophie has just recently had abdominoplasty surgery with Dr. Craig Rubinstein at Coco RUby Plastic Surgery and she is elated with her results so we’re gonna have a bit of a chat to her about the process. So, welcome Sophie.

Sophie: Thank you, Trish. Glad to be here.

Trish: Thanks for joining us today. Awesome. So, tell me, first of all, what made you decide that you wanted to have abdominoplasty procedure?

Sophie: Okay, I was quite apprehensive initially. I had a bit of a problem with a hernia as well so I had quite a bit of bloating at the time and I thought I’d take care of that, I may as well do the whole thing. And so, it was both. We had a surgery for the hernia and that corrected with the muscle repair that we did, which helped. Then there was all that excess skin that we then had to cut away so we did that. I haven’t looked back since.

Trish: Fantastic. So, if you didn’t have the hernia, would you still have wanted a tummy tuck?

Sophie: I would’ve wanted it but I felt that I could justify it.

Trish: Okay. Okay cool. So, it was your way of justifying it to yourself?

Sophie: Yeah.

Trish: All right. Cool. So, I know that you’ve had a big transformation, like you’ve lost a lot of weight and the tummy tuck was, I suppose, just an add on to that, if you like, and I’ve actually seen you in a bikini. So, first of all, how old are you?

Sophie: I’m 52.

Trish: And you’re looking pretty damn good I reckon.

Sophie: Thank you.

Trish: And I’ve seen you wearing a bikini.

Sophie: Yes.

Trish: How long has it been since you wore a bikini?

Sophie: I used to always wear one but I just let it all hang out. The problem I always had was my stomach would always pop out when I’d jump into the surf and all that kinda thing and I’d always have to tuck it back in whereas I don’t have to do that anymore.

Trish: Oh, that’s fantastic and you look amazing.

Sophie: Thank you.

Trish: You look amazing. Now, first of all, how did you go about finding the surgeon ’cause I know that you looked for a little while and I know that you’re actually not based in Melbourne but you decided to go with a Melbourne surgeon because you got family over there. So, tell us a little bit about your search.

Sophie: Well, with the search, it was thanks to you.

Trish: Oh, my pleasure.

Sophie: And you recommended Craig and then I did a little bit of research and found that he would be great to have a chat to and because my family was in Melbourne, I decided to go there and have the surgery.

Trish: Fantastic. So, tell us a bit about the actual journey. So, you went and had your consult, how long between … ‘Cause I know you had a bit of a wait in between.

Sophie: Yeah, I had a few health issues with thyroid and things like that so I needed to take care of that and so it was about a year later that I had the surgery and I also needed to lose a bit more weight before I did have the surgery.

Trish: Yep and have you lost weight since the surgery?

Sophie: Yes.

Trish: How much have you lost?

Sophie: Well, I lost about six or seven kilos before the surgery and then I’ve lost another six kilos since the surgery.

Trish: Oh, wow. Has it made a difference to your belly? Have you got loose skin again?

Sophie: No, I don’t because Craig did such a good job. It was very, very tight. It was more thighs and arms and things like that, that area, I lost a bit more weight.

Trish: Okay. So, your tummy kinda stayed the same, the rest of your body just kind of toned up?

Sophie: Yes.

Trish: I reckon that’s what happens sometimes when you have surgery, your body kind of adjusts.

Sophie: That’s what it felt like. It felt like I needed for the rest of the body to catch up.

Trish: Mm, yeah. So, tell me about your experience. So, you had your consultation, and then you eventually got to book in to have your surgery. So, what was your actual experience like? Did you stay in? How long were you in hospital for?

Sophie: I stayed in there for five days. I think I just felt that I needed to have that nurturing, that being looked after feeling, and it was great, the hospital was fantastic, Craig was amazing, his staff were amazing and it was great. It wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. I actually was told this was what to expect and it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be.

Trish: Oh, good. I hope that was me.

Sophie: Yeah, you did tell me a few of the horrors but no, it was fine. It was really good.

Trish: Yeah, it’s good to be prepared for the worst or is it expect the worst but prepare for the best or prepare for the worst and expect the best or something?

Sophie: Yeah, something like that.

Trish: Yeah, okay. So, with your recovery, you were there for five days, and then how long … ‘Cause I know it’s a bit of a travel from your home to…

Sophie: I stayed in Melbourne.

Trish: Sorry.

Sophie: I stayed in Melbourne for about six weeks. At the time, for personal reasons, I did have to stay. My mother was ill at the time so I ended up staying for six weeks and at the time, I didn’t need to worry about packing suitcases or anything like that.

Trish: Yeah. And what was the aftercare like ’cause I know I’m a real big advocate for good quality aftercare and I think that’s what you pay for a lot of the time and I know that it wasn’t the cheapest surgery you could have done but being an advocate for aftercare. Could you tell us a little bit about that?

Sophie: A week after the surgery, I went to see Dr. Rubinstein again and yeah, everything was textbook as far as my situation.

Trish: Yeah.

Sophie’s results from her abdominoplasty with Dr Craig Rubinstein are amazing

Sophie: It was fantastic. Everything went according to plan, I was almost pain free. So, it was great.

Trish: That’s funny. I kind of had … ‘Cause I had a revision tummy tuck with Dr. Rubinstein as well and I was expecting … ‘Cause I remember my previous one so I was expecting a bit of a longer recovery, a bit more pain and I was almost like, did anything actually happen because my recovery was probably the best out of all my surgeries I’ve ever had.

Sophie: Yep, same with me. It was great.

Trish: Oh, that’s awesome. So, tell me, I know that Dr. Rubinstein provides some procedures for scarring or what advice were you given with regards to scarring? ‘Cause I’ve seen yours and it looks pretty damn good.

Sophie: It sort of peeled on its own. There’s probably still a bit of scarring either side that I’m going to go and see him about soon and we’ll have a look at how to fix that a little bit but it’s not anything major. It doesn’t look out of place. I can show you. It’s more that. Can’t really see much, can you?

Trish: I’m not really sure what I’m looking at here but-

Sophie: Oh, there it is.

Trish: Okay.

Sophie: So, it’s just a little bit of redness. Because I have dark skin, I tend to show more scarring.

Trish: Yeah. I’m a bit like that, too.

Sophie: Yeah. So, it’s not too bad and if I wear some briefs or a bikini, you don’t see it at all.

Trish: Yep and it-

Sophie: But the lining, where he lined it up, is absolutely perfect.

Trish: Yeah, great.

Sophie: That’s really important.

Trish: Now, what has it done for your self esteem ’cause I’ve actually seen you from before the surgery and then after the surgery so I know that-

Sophie: I feel like a totally different woman. I know it sounds like a cliché but I actually do. I feel amazing.

Trish: I know, it’s funny how much just something like a bit of belly skin can actually really affect your mental … I know that sounds so random and so weird but-

Sophie: But it actually does. It makes such a difference. It’s great for the self esteem and it’s more for yourself. It’s not so much what others think of you, it’s more how you feel about yourself and it does improve that whole feeling.

Trish: Yeah, I totally agree and I can see, even the glow in you and how much you’re feeling about yourself as well, I can see it from a million miles away ’cause I know you now since this-

Sophie: Procedure.

Trish: Yeah. Awesome. So, one question I wanna ask you is ’cause I often wonder about this myself that, is it like, ‘Oh my God, now I wanna get this done, now I wanna get that done’, has it made you think-

Sophie: No, not really. I’m actually quite happy with myself. What it has made me feel that now, if I do exercise, I feel that I’m going to see results, whereas no matter how much exercise I did previously, nothing could ever fix the stomach so no amount of sit ups or push ups or whatever would ever improve it because the skin was sort of sagging quite a bit.

Trish: Yep. So, how long have you had the sagging skin? Since your last child?

Sophie: Yes.

Trish: And how many years is that?

Sophie: 15 years ago.

Trish: Yeah, right. So, you waited that long to-

Sophie: Yep.

Trish: Yep. It’s not a bad thing either ’cause I think what happens is by then, your body’s all totally settled and you are gonna get the best result, which your result is amazing.

Sophie: Yes.

Trish: Awesome. So, if you had to give someone one takeaway, one piece of advice or one thing that either you wish you’d known or that you think they should consider before they have this surgery, is there anything that you can actually think of that you’d want them to know?

Sophie: Trust your gut. If you feel that it’s going to improve something in your life, just trust it and go with it.

Trish: Yeah, no, I totally agree. If you think it’s right for you.

Sophie: But research it. Research it well.

Trish: Yeah, that’s true. Pick the right surgeon for you. Did you see anyone else? Did you have any consults-

Sophie: No.

Trish: So, you just knew straight away?

Sophie: I just felt, as soon as I met Craig, that he’d be the one.

Trish: Yeah. That’s awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today.

Sophie: Thank you. Thanks, Trish.

Trish: So, ladies, and guys of course, if you’re out there and you’re looking to have an abdominoplasty, tummy tuck, or anything like that, Dr. Craig Rubinstein from Coco Ruby Plastic Surgery is definite standout.

Sophie: Thanks, Trish.

Trish: No worries.

More PSH Blogs about a Tummy Tuck Patient Story

Further Information about Tummy Tuck & Abdominoplasty Surgery Results

To Contact Dr Craig Rubinstein

Dr Craig Rubinstein - Full Abdominoplasty Patient Story

If you’d like more information about Tummy tuck or any procedures, you can contact Dr Craig Rubinstein at his clinic