FAQ about Mommy Makeovers

Frequently Asked Questions Mommy Makeover

What is a Mommy Makeover?
Every Mommy Makeover is unique. Mommy Makeovers are designed to counteract the physical effects of childbearing and to enhance your appearance after time has left its mark. Because each procedure is personalized and many makeovers combine various procedures for a complete transformation, each Mommy Makeover is different. Although the term refers to women who went through pregnancy, these changes can happen to women who never been pregnant, but underwent significant weight loss which left them with similar changes. I suppose another marketing term would be a Combo-tuck for those women who never had children.

Who is a good candidate for Mommy Makeover?
The best candidates are women who are done with child bearing, are healthy, between the ages of 25 - 50. Usually, these patients have loose lower abdominal skin, sagging of the pubic area, excess fat on the hips, waist line, bra rolls, thighs and knees. They also present with sagging “deflated” breasts or occasionally with large pendulous breasts.

What are the important facts about the safety of the Mommy Makeover?
This operation is a combination of three operations: an abdominoplasty, liposuction and breast surgery. The potential surgical risks and complications are higher if one does not pay attention to detail or the patient is a poor candidate for this procedure. If someone is overweight or obese the risk for complications is higher. Potential major complications are development of blood clots in the lower extremities or even a pulmonary embolus when these clots travel to the lungs. Other complications could be local wound separation, infection, seroma or scarring issues. It is extremely important not to be bed ridden after this type of procedure. I have my patients walk for 5-10 minutes every hour and a half during the day. This helps expand the lungs so you can breathe better, prevents clot formation in the major veins of the lower extremities and speeds up healing.

What happens during the Mommy Makeover surgery?
This is major surgery. I spend a lot of time marking the patient prior to surgery or preferably the night before surgery. This involves marking the breasts for either an augmentation or reduction or lift, marking the abdomen and all the areas which will be contoured with liposuction. If my patient flies in from another part of the country or abroad, I like her to be in the area for three days prior to surgery. This will minimize the potential for development of blood clots. Due to the advances in surgical and anesthesia techniques, these procedures can be done in an outpatient setting. I personally prefer to use intravenous sedation, tumescent anesthesia and epidural. The tumescent solution makes the operation bloodless and the epidural relaxes the abdominal muscles for a better plication (suturing the muscles together and defining the waistline) so a tight flat abdominal contour can be created. Excess lower abdominal skin is excised (often removing most of the stretch marks) and the rest of the midsection is contoured with liposuction. The breast surgery is done at the end. This involves a short scar breast lift most of the time, but occasionally an augmentation is required to define the “hour glass” figure.

What are the options for the Mommy Makeover?
A Mommy Makeover involves a combination of surgical procedures to “turn the clock back” to a pre-pregnancy body habitus. Depending on the woman’s genetic makeup, weight gain during pregnancy, athleticism and overall health, can determine what procedures would be best. In the majority of patients, an abdominoplasty is necessary, but some women get a great result with liposuction only. In my practice, most women need a breast lift to give them perky breasts. I use a short scar technique which does not place a scar in the cleavage or lateral chest wall.

What is the recovery time for Mommy Makeover?
Initial postsurgical recovery is 2-4 weeks. These patients will need family support in the early stages of healing, the first 7-10 days. The recovery depends on age and preoperative physical condition. I have my patients up and walking from day one, but I want them to wait 6-8 weeks before returning to the gym or work with a personal trainer. Even though improvements were made both in surgical and anesthesia techniques, the body cannot heal faster. Mild exercise and good nutrition can help in speeding up recovery slightly. It is not unusual for patients to get depressed within the first month after surgery. We all have the final goal in our minds, but the body still looks swollen, maybe bruised and sore. This is a normal reaction.

How much will the Mommy Makeover cost?
The cost of the procedure includes the surgical fee, anesthesia fee, surgical facility fee and implant cost if needed. Our office takes cash, checks, Visa and MC. We also have Advanced Care Credit for our patients to apply for if so desired. The global cost is $12,000-22,000 depending on the patient needs.