Mommy makeovers are one of the most common and recognized combination body contouring procedures done today. The dual approach of breast and abdominal reshaping to remake a woman’s body after the negative contour and skin effects of pregnancy allows many women to regain self-confidence and get back closer to the body they once had. For many women they will never completely get back their formerbody shape but it will be a lot better. For a few other women, they may actually end up with a better body shape than they ever had before pregnancy.
While Mommy Makeovers are popular, there remain many misconceptions about them. Here are five things you may not know about ‘remaking Mommy’.
Mommy Makeovers Are Not Really New. Plastic surgeons for a long time have performed a large number of breast augmentation and lifts as well as tummy tucks and liposuction. Independently these basic body plastic surgery procedures are amongst the top ten of all cosmetic procedures performed. So what makes up a Mommy Makeover is very historic. But giving it a name and marketing it as such is, in fact, relatively new.
More Women Are Having Mommy Makeovers Than Ever Before. While the components of the makeover have been done for decades and the public’s interest in them has been steady, the promotion of Mommy Makeover surgery has led to more women doing dual breast and abdominal surgeries. When advertised as a single procedure with a broad sweeping body change, it is no surprise that more women are interested in having it done.
The Timing Of A Mommy Makeover Is Based On Weight and Cessation Of Breast Feeding. There are several general guidelines to when a woman can have these procedures. She should be done with breast feeding and be at a ‘physiologic’ weight…which is one that she is likely to maintain without excessive dietary restrictions. At the earliest this is usually no sooner than 3 to 6 months after delivery of the last child when many woman have lost most of their baby fat. But for some woman it can take years, particularly if a large amount of weight needs to be lost.
Mommy Makeover Surgery Continues to Evolve and Improve. Innovations in implants and surgical techniques continue to improve surgical outcomes. Form stable (gummy bear) silicone gel and shaped (tear drop) breast implants give women expanded options in breast augmentation. A few women may be able to even avoid the use of an implant through fat grafting and internal tissue suspension techniques. Expanded uses of liposuction, careful scar placement and new umbilicoplasty shaping methods make help create better abdominal reshaping results.
The Risks In Mommy Makeover Surgery Are Doubled. Combining multiple procedures increases the risks of surgery by the cumulative addition of each procedure’s risk profile. In the vast majority of cases, the main risk is the potential need for revisional surgery for an aesthetic improvement. (scar revision, implant symmetry etc) While these risks vary for each patient and the specific breast and abdominal procedures they are having, the potential need for some sort of revision is in the 10% to 15% range.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana