Dr Natalie Ngan

22/10/2025

6 weeks following right skin-sparing mastectomy with free DIEP flap reconstruction & left breast reduction for balancing.

The abdominal result can appear similar to after having an abdominoplasty, however the surgery is more complex, requiring microsurgery of small blood vessels.

Having a reconstruction at the time of mastectomy has been shown to help woman psychologically deal with the “loss of a breast”.

Ni**le reconstruction is performed as a departure procedure at least 6 months after the main reconstruction.


All before and after patient photos are of real patients who have had their surgery performed by Dr Natalie Ngan. This patient has given her consent to share her photos. Dr Natalie Ngan (MED0001677217) is a registered medical practitioner with specialist registration in Plastic Surgery.

There are no guarantees that your results will be the same as the patients shown, and results will vary between individuals and can be affected by genetics and lifestyle factors. All surgeries have associated risks and recovery times. The content on our page is general in nature and does not constitute medical advice. Before proceeding with surgery, it is advisable to seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified medical practitioner such as a Plastic Surgeon.

Plastic Surgeon is a regulated term that can only be used by surgeons who have completed speciality training within plastic surgery and are Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS).

20/10/2025

Work-life balance: 70% skill, 30% strut 😁.

Thanks for sharing your hospital corridor/runway with me 🫶🏼.

🎥

16/10/2025

Breast Reconstruction
Part 2 - wanting a breast reconstruction is not about vanity.

🎀 It’s about restoring form and function.
🎀 It’s about improving quality of life.
🎀 It’s about psychological healing.
🎀 It’s about restoring confidence.

We acknowledge that breast reconstruction is not right for everyone, but for women who are considering reconstruction, the last thing they need is your judgment.

15/10/2025

A fun day in theatre with these lovely ladies. We mixed surgery with some education from our lovely gen Z nurse.

We now know when to use:
🥱 “I’m cooked” versus “I’m cooking”
💃🏻 “You ate that look”
🤩“She ate”
💁🏻‍♀️“I ate that”
And, “I just ate and left no crumbs!”

Although the whole “six-seven” trend still makes little sense to us!

14/10/2025

Thank you for your responses about this patient I posted yesterday, whether she had abdominoplasty and a breast procedure, or mastectomy and reconstruction.

She has in fact had bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction with free abdominal tissue flaps.

This illustrates the similarities of reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The techniques are similar and the reason for this, is that cosmetic surgery procedures were born from reconstructive surgical techniques.

The sequence of photos includes the before surgery, one year following surgery and ni**le reconstruction surgery (unfortunately this has to be covered), and her final result after liposuction to reduce the size of her flaps. You may notice that our patient has lost some weight over this process.

We show our patients who are considering surgery, before and after photos of previous patients, to provide examples of what their result could potentially look like.

For some this can be reassuring, for others it can be somewhat overwhelming, but for all patients, this forms an important part of the information provided.

It is difficult for anyone to completely understand what is involved in a surgical procedure, but we do try to provide as much information as possible to help their decision-making process.


All before and after patient photos are of real patients who have had their surgery performed by Dr Natalie Ngan. This patient has given her consent to share her photos. Dr Natalie Ngan (MED0001677217) is a registered medical practitioner with specialist registration in Plastic Surgery.

There are no guarantees that your results will be the same as the patients shown, and results will vary between individuals and can be affected by genetics and lifestyle factors. All surgeries have associated risks and recovery times. The content on our page is general in nature and does not constitute medical advice. Before proceeding with surgery, it is advisable to seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified medical practitioner such as a Plastic Surgeon.

13/10/2025

What surgery do you think this patient has had?

12/10/2025

10/10/2025

World Mental Health Day.

At my practice, we believe in caring for the whole person — mind and body alike.

This World Mental Health Day, we want to highlight the importance of open, honest conversations about mental wellbeing. Talking about mental health shouldn’t be uncomfortable or taboo — it’s a vital part of maintaining balance and connection in all areas of life.

For those of us in healthcare, this is especially meaningful. Doctors and medical professionals are often expected to be endlessly strong, yet we too experience emotional strain and moments of vulnerability. By speaking openly, we help break the stigma and build a culture of compassion and acceptance.

Let’s continue to listen, support, and check in — with ourselves, our colleagues, and our loved ones. 💜

04/10/2025

Could we make our social media
more entertaining?

Have you ever thought that social media from Plastic Surgeons overseas have more entertaining videos than those in Australia?

In this country, we must adhere to strict guidelines regarding marketing that have been outlined by AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency).

This means that posts must be educational and avoid promoting surgery as “frivolous” in any way. We are not permitted to add music to before and after surgery posts and we must avoid content that is emotive. Positive feedback in the comments section is also not allowed.

We are in agreement with AHPRA that information regarding surgery should highlight that proceeding with a Plastic Surgery procedure is a significant decision and patients must be informed of all the risks associated.

It is however, challenging to create content that is relevant and entertaining, but also educational. We would welcome your suggestions as to what you are interested in seeing on this account. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.

01/10/2025

Are you due for a mammogram?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s the first of the month - a reminder to self examine your breasts. It’s also a good reminder to check if you’re up to date with your breast screening.

For those of you who come to my practice for breast surgery, the recommendations for breast screening prior to surgery are:
🎀 40 and over - mammogram +/- ultrasound scan (an ultrasound is recommended by the Radiologist if you have dense breast tissue),
🎀 under 40 with a family history of breast cancer - breast ultrasound.

Regardless if you are planning breast surgery, in Australia the current recommendation is for breast screening every 2 years from age 50. The exception is for those women who have a family history. Please see your GP to discuss whether or not earlier screening is suitable for you.

12/07/2025

The road to becoming a surgeon is long. It involves lots of hard work and sacrifices along the way. At times, it got so tough, I wanted to give up.

When I was younger my father told me that it was important to take time to smell the roses. With age, I can see the importance of seeking contentment in life, and the need for reflection. We need to take time to acknowledge the challenges we have faced and what we have achieved.

As someone who has always had a goal ahead of me, I realise that there comes a time when you need to stop moving the goal posts. It is important to just sit back, reflect and enjoy where we are in life.

22/06/2025

Propaganda I don’t fall for about breast reduction surgery:

❌ You should wait until after having a family (the right time depends on the individual). Also not all women want to have children.

❌ You can’t breast feed after having surgery.
A study compared women with larger sized breasts who did and did not have breast reduction surgery. The rates of breast feeding were 60% in both groups.

❌ You can’t have a smaller size AND good shape.

❌ A breast reduction doesn’t include a lift (it actually always comes with a “bonus” lift).

❌ You have to have a long scar under the breast that can be seen in the cleavage.
This can absolutely be avoided in most cases.

❌ You will be on bedrest after surgery (actually we encourage walking to avoid blood clots). Most women after surgery say that it was easier than they expected.

❌ Wanting a breast reduction is all about vanity.
Functional reasons are the main motivation - reduction of chronic shoulder, neck and back pain, better posture, easier to exercise, easier to breathe in some cases.