The Mommy Makeover

The “Mommy Makeover” has become a media or lay term for performing cosmetic breast surgery and abdominoplasty to address the late effects of childbirth. The makeover lumps numerous breast or abdominal techniques into one surgery depending on the patient’s body changes following pregnancy.

Liposuction is often a component of the “Mommy Makeover”. Depending on weight changes, breast feeding, and number of children, the surgical options change relative to the degree of change in your body.

Breasts typically lose volume and sag down (Ptosis) following pregnancies. A mild degree of volume change can be corrected with breast enhancement augmentation with saline or silicone implants. More significant volume loss with sagging may require a breast lift (mastopexy) as well as an augmentation. A breast lift is a procedure that removes some of the breast skin allowing us to tighten up and re-elevate the natural breast tissue. Different incisions are used depending upon the degree of correction necessary. The breast incisions in the lifting procedure are either shorter vertical scars from around the areola and down, the more classic inverted “T” style incision, or a donut incision around the areola only. The best option for an individual patient is determined during the consult. The best type of lift will vary depending on whether augmentation is desired and if so how much augmentation is planned.

Abdominal contouring following pregnancy or major weight change usually involves some form of tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). A mini tummy tuck is a more limited excision of skin and fat in the lower abdomen. The standard tummy tuck involves more undermining of the skin, the tightening of the midline muscles and reinsertion of the belly button. Frequently, some liposuction of the flanks and abdomen or other areas may be appropriate at the time of abdominoplasty or mini-abdominoplasty. The extent of a tummy tuck can increase until it goes completely around the waist, though this usually is more typically used in patients who have lost a great deal of weight and the skin is loose all the way around.

The “Mommy Makeover” is a terrific option to correct the changes that come with pregnancy, child birth and breast feeding. Current surgical options can do amazing things to turn back the clock and improve your natural contours..