Interdisciplinary Cosmetic Surgery Rehabilitation

At Cornerstone we have a specially trained group of rehab experts focused on improving outcomes and reducing complications following cosmetic surgeries. Our team will communicate closely with your surgeon to provide seamless care. A comprehensive pre-op visit will arm you with all of the information you need to prepare for the days following your surgery.

What is Cosmetic Surgery Rehabilitation?

The day of your surgery is just the beginning of a process that will ensure you get the outcome your cosmetic surgery is capable of providing. While many patients spend most of their time thinking about the end result of their surgery, at Cornerstone we focus on the recovery protocol and healing process. The team at Cornerstone will ensure that your care plan is customized to your specific needs and identifies any complications early so they do not compromise your end result.

Pre-Operative Consultation

At this one hour visit with your Physiotherapist you will learn all about what to expect on the day of your surgery. We will focus on providing strategies that will help manage your condition upon returning home. You will be provided with specific instructions for what to do to preserve your mobility and manage your post-op pain and swelling. You will benefit from a comprehensive assessment of your physical health to identify strategies to better prepare you for surgery. At this visit we will also identify and engage any other members professionals who will be on your recovery team. We have a Dietician, Occupational Therapist and Psychotherapist familiar with issues surrounding cosmetic surgery rehab that are standing by ready to help. Lastly we will book your post-operative visit based on the optimal timeline for your specific surgery.

Post-Operative Assessment

Following a brief recovery period at home you will visit the clinic for your post-operative assessment. At this point you will have been following the detailed instructions from your pre-op visit and will be well on your way to healing. This is when you will be ready to undertake more focused rehabilitation. Your therapist will work with you on surgical site and swelling management, pain control, joint and soft tissue mobility and scar management. They will help you to progress through core and range of motion exercises at the optimal pace to stimulate recovery. You will receive hands-on care as well as detailed instructions on what you can be doing between appointments to ensure the best possible results.

Ongoing treatment

Depending on your specific surgery and the details of your case, your follow-up physiotherapy visits may be 60 or 30 minutes in length. This time will be spent one-on-one with your physiotherapist in the comfort of a private treatment room. Your care will follow protocols developed in concert with our cosmetic surgeon clinical advisors and will be customized to your specific needs.

By following through on Cornerstones cosmetic surgery rehab program, you can be certain that you are doing everything you can to get the results you desire.

Common Cosmetic Surgeries We Treat

• Tummy Tuck: Abdominoplasty
• Tummy Tuck: Mini-abdominoplasty,
• Abdominoplasty with posterior body lift
• Liposuction
• Breast Augmentation (silicone implant or saline implant)
• Composite Breast Augmentation
• Breast Augmentation with Fat
• Breast Lift (mastopexy)
• Breast Reduction
• Breast Revision

Cosmetic Surgery Rehabilitation Clinical Advisors.

Dr. Ron Somogyi MD, FRCSC

Dr. Ron Somogyi is a Toronto-based plastic surgeon, having trained at the University of Toronto in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery then completing 2 fellowships in Melbourne, Australia.
Dr. Somogyi has been on full time staff at North York General Hospital since 2014 and is active academically as an Assistant Professor within the Department of Surgery at The University of Toronto. He looks after his patients through his practice at Form Face & Body.

Dr. Somogyi maintains an active research interest in both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, particularly in the area of breast surgery and body contouring, and has recently published journal articles and book chapters on breast reconstruction, surgical safety and cosmetic breast surgery.

Dr. Somogyi is involved in speaking and teaching nationally and internationally. His current focus is on improving patient outcomes with all forms of breast reconstruction – implant based, microsurgical and oncoplastic. His passion is providing holistic care to patients that includes effective pre-surgical education, a comfortable surgical experience and multidisciplinary post-surgical care to achieve optimal results.

Rosalina Mahendran MScPT
Physiotherapist (ortho & pelvic) + Director

Rosalina is the Director of our Downtown location and Cornerstone’s Pelvic Health Program. She has utilized her experience with patients who have DRA (Diastasis Recti Abdominis) and the pelvic health population to become the lead of Cornerstone’s Cosmetic Surgery Program. Through her extensive research and courses taken she has developed protocols that return patients to safe activity and manage surgical outcomes post cosmetic surgery.

She is passionate about bridging the gap between surgery and rehabilitation and providing individuals with quality access to care to optimize their results and function. Rosalina continues to stay up to date with current research in the pelvic health and DRA world and makes it her mission to provide her patients with compassionate and evidence informed practice. Utilizing her cosmetic surgical + rehabilitation knowledge she will be providing breast cancer rehabilitation to those undergoing reconstructive surgery. She loves to use her knowledge and skills to drive meaningful changes in people’s lives.

Courtney Steele MScPT
Physiotherapist (ortho & pelvic) + Director

Courtney is the Director of the Richmond Hill and North York locations as well as the lead of Cornerstone’s breast cancer rehabilitation stream. She is an experienced therapist with a passion for helping patients address all the struggles that come with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. She strongly believes in treating a person as a whole and not a condition/diagnosis as well as preventative care – working with patients to achieve their best quality of life. Her patients have been her biggest teachers in this area showing her just how many systems are/can be affected by cancer care and the need to have a team of professionals that can help you navigate these.

She started taking courses on oncology to better serve her patients and now is dedicated to improving her own learning as well as all Physiotherapists on the effects of cancer care on an individual. She is a PORi-Certified Breast Cancer rehabilitation Therapist (oncology fundamentals + breast cancer rehabilitation) and has also taken courses on Oncology and the pelvic floor. She is a lifelong learner and will be continuing her dive into oncology with ongoing postgraduate courses.

Heather TomarRegistered Dietitian

Heather is an experienced RD with over 25 years of experience in medical family practice and nutritional wellness. She strongly believes nutrition is the foundation of wellness. When used with other treatment strategies, balanced nutrition can help the body heal improve outcomes of any health condition. Heather has a passion for helping patients optimize their nutritional status by recommending changes that are personalized and sustainable. She assesses clients for any pre-existing nutrition deficiencies or eating challenges. Heather stays current with research in functional nutrition and helps her clients implement evidence-based strategies. She uses a Mediterranean/Anti-Inflammatory eating pattern knowing that foods high in phytonutrients and polyphenols from vegetables and fruits along with healthy proteins and complex carbohydrates are essential for recovery.

Heather coaches her clients on do-able changes that overtime will allow them to realize their overall health goals. She knows that eating and food choices are not static and provides her clients with many options for change based on readiness. Also, Heather helps clients plan for the recovery phase of their surgical journey, knowing that food preparation may be difficult for weeks afterward and provides idea and strategies to keep their diet healthy even when cooking and food preparation may be more challenging.