03 Cosmetic surgery
Body.
Gynaecomastia surgery · Liposuction · Tummy tuck
Three procedures that are often confused with one another. Liposuction removes fat and does not tighten skin. A tummy tuck removes skin and repairs muscle. Gynaecomastia surgery removes the gland and fat of the male chest. Each page says plainly what the operation does and does not do.
Vertex Medic coordinates the practical side of a body procedure: understanding it, the consultation, the paperwork. The surgeon who would operate examines you, decides whether it is suitable, explains the alternatives and takes your consent personally.
Free to ask · No obligation · Never a clinical assessment
How Vertex Medic fits in
Vertex Medic is a booking, marketing, administration and coordination platform. It is not a clinic and does not employ surgeons. Your surgeon, an independent registered clinician working from registered premises, decides whether a procedure is suitable, takes your consent and carries it out. Vertex helps you understand your options, arranges the consultation and keeps the practical side in one place.
§01 Which page is for you
Start with what you notice.
Ordinary editorial signposting, not a diagnosis. Only the surgeon who would operate can say what is suitable, and the honest answer may be a different procedure, a smaller one, or none.
- If what you notice is a male chest that has developed breast tissueRead about gynaecomastia surgery
- If it is a pocket of fat that does not change with weight, and the skin over it is firmRead about liposuction
- If it is loose abdominal skin, or a separation of the muscles after pregnancy or weight lossRead about tummy tuck
- If it is your overall weight rather than one areaAsk, and expect an honest answer: surgeons usually ask for a stable weight first, and none of these operations is a treatment for weight
§02 The procedures
Three procedures, in full.
Each page covers what the operation involves, what it cannot do, the options, the recovery week by week, the risks, the questions worth asking, how to check the surgeon, and what moves the price.
- 01
Gynaecomastia surgery.
An operation that removes excess glandular tissue, fat and sometimes skin from the male chest to reduce breast enlargement, known as gynaecomastia.
- 02
Liposuction.
Liposuction is a surgical procedure in which a surgeon removes pockets of fat from beneath the skin through a thin tube, to change the shape of an area of the body rather than to reduce weight.
- 03
Tummy tuck.
A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is an operation that removes loose skin and fat from the abdomen and, in most full procedures, repairs separated abdominal muscles.
§03 Choosing a surgeon
What to check before you choose anyone.
The Vertex Standard: the checks Vertex Medic applies before an independent clinician or registered provider can be listed, and the same checks you can make yourself. The first four, in brief.
01The GMC specialist register
Your surgeon holds a licence to practise and appears on the GMC specialist register in a specialty relevant to your procedure. A GMC number is the minimum; the specialist register shows completed specialist training.
Walk away if a surgeon cannot give you a GMC number.
Check a doctor on the GMC register02RCS cosmetic surgery certification
Where the Royal College of Surgeons certifies the procedure area, your surgeon holds it. Certification is voluntary, so its absence is a question to ask rather than a verdict.
Ask why not, and listen to the answer.
The RCS cosmetic surgery pages03Professional association membership
BAAPS or BAPRAS for aesthetic plastic surgery, BAHRS for hair restoration. Membership is not a licence, but it shows peer standards the surgeon has agreed to work to.
Membership is a signal, never a substitute for the register.
BAAPS member directory04Registration of the premises
The place where surgery happens is registered with the Care Quality Commission, and its entry lists surgical procedures under regulated activities. Outside England: Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales or the RQIA.
Read the entry, not the badge on the wall.
Find a service on the CQC register
§04 Before you book
What UK rules require.
- ConsentThe doctor who will operate must discuss the procedure with you and take your consent personally; this cannot be delegated (GMC, Guidance for doctors who offer cosmetic interventions, 2016, paragraph 16).
- TimeYou must be given the time and information you need to decide, and told you can change your mind at any point (paragraphs 24 to 26). The Royal College of Surgeons sets at least two weeks between consultation and consent.
- PremisesAny procedure that involves a cut or an implant must take place in premises registered with the Care Quality Commission, or the equivalent regulator in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- MarketingMarketing must not claim a procedure is without risk, must not use promotional tactics that encourage an ill-considered decision, and must not offer surgery as a prize (paragraphs 49 to 53). The CAP Code adds that cosmetic advertising must not be aimed at people under 18 (rule 12.25).
- AftercareThe surgeon must make arrangements for aftercare and continuity of care, including out-of-hours contact, and explain charges clearly, including any charges for revision or routine follow-up.
Sources: GMC: Guidance for doctors who offer cosmetic interventions (2016) · Royal College of Surgeons: cosmetic surgery · CQC: choosing cosmetic surgery · CAP Code, section 12: medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products. Vertex Medic follows the same rules on this site.
§05 Also considered
Often read alongside.
Ordinary editorial navigation: nothing here is inferred from anything you have told us.
§06 Common questions
The things people actually ask.
Is liposuction a way to lose weight?
No. Liposuction removes a limited volume of fat from specific areas and is described by the NHS as a way to reshape, not a treatment for obesity. Surgeons usually ask for a stable weight close to where you intend to stay, and the results depend on keeping it.
Do I need a tummy tuck or liposuction?
They do different things. Liposuction removes fat and does not remove loose skin or repair separated muscles; a tummy tuck does both, with a much longer scar and recovery. Which applies, or whether both do, is the surgeon's call after examining you, and it is a fair question to ask directly.
Will a surgeon look for a cause of gynaecomastia first?
Usually, yes. Male breast tissue can be linked to hormones, medicines, weight or other conditions, and surgeons and GPs often check for a cause before considering surgery. If a cause is found and treated, surgery may not be needed.
How long will I be off work?
It varies widely: a few days after a small area of liposuction, up to four to six weeks after a full tummy tuck. Each procedure page gives the typical figure with its source, and your surgeon gives you the plan that applies to you.
Sources and review
Written by the Vertex Medic editorial team from published UK guidance (NHS cosmetic procedures pages, GMC cosmetic interventions guidance, Royal College of Surgeons and BAAPS patient information), checked 5 September 2026. General information, not medical advice.
§07 When you are ready
A consultation is a conversation, not a decision.
Tell the Vertex Medic booking concierge what you are considering. A real person calls you back within one working day. No deposit, no deadline.
Free to ask · No obligation · Never a clinical assessment