Pregnancy, birth, and nursing can take a toll on a woman’s body. While some women are able to diet and exercise successfully after having children and regain their pre-pregancy shape, some women are not able to achieve the results they desire. Thankfully, many of the pre-pregnancy curves that were lost during this transition can be restored during a transformation known as a “mommy makeover”. This cosmetic surgery combines several body contouring procedures that remove excess fat and skin, and tightens the areas most affected. Some procedures that Oklahoma City plastic surgeon, Dr. Clinton Webster, incorporates into a mommy makeover may inlcude a breast lift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck surgery, liposuction, and labiaplasty. He can sometimes perform multiple surgeries in one setting, but may advise spacing certain procedures out according to the surgical case. This will be discussed during the initial consultation.
The mommy makeover procedure is uniquely tailored to each patient depending on what body part they want to improve. In most cases, the breasts and tummy are addressed together (though not always). The conditions addressed during surgery, and the surgical technique used will vary.
Conditions caused by pregnancy: Loss of volume and/or breast tissue, sagging and/or drooping, excess skin (ptosis), breasts that have become too large.
Surgeries to consider: Breast augmentation with implants, breast lift, breast augmentation with a lift, breast reduction surgery.
Conditions caused by pregnancy: Excess fat and/or persistent bulge in the abdomen, sagging and loose skin, stretch marks and other unsightly skin irregularities.
Surgeries to consider: Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), liposuction of the abdomen.
Conditions caused by pregnancy: Sagging skin and excess fat in the buttocks, hips and thighs.
Surgeries to consider: Lower body lift including liposuction and skin tightening of the buttocks, hips and thighs.
All mommy makeovers are performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility. Depending on how many techniques are combined, the surgery could last multiple hours. It is common for patients to have a short hospital stay with this surgery. Most women will require a full month to recover, but many will be able to return to work within 2 weeks. The results will reveal themselves in multiple stages as the breast implants settle into their natural placement and the incisions begin to heal. It generally takes a full year for all of the changes to make their final appearance.
There are always risks to consider when contemplating surgery. When procedures are combined, those risks can increase. Therefore, it is important to find an experienced plastic surgeon who is skilled in performing multiple procedures in one setting. Ultimately, a combination procedure can have numerous benefits, including only having to undergo surgery once — which means only one recovery and one fee.
In a perfect world, women would wait to have a mommy makeover until after all pregnancies have been completed so the surgical results are not compromised. Generally, any body part that has been lifted or tightened would be at risk for stretching out if a subsequent pregnancy were to occur.
If stretch marks exist on an area of the body (i.e. breast, tummy, etc.) that is going to be lifted and tightened, they may be removed when the excess skin is trimmed away. For any stretch marks left behind, as well as any other skin irregularities that may exist, there are skin-rejuvenating techniques that can help fade and remove these imperfections.
Scarring will occur with almost any cosmetic procedure. However, every effort is made to place and close the incisions carefully so that scarring is minimized. Scarring eventually fades into faint lines and can be concealed by undergarments and bathing suits. Most patients feel that the physical results following a mommy makeover far outweigh the scarring left behind.
