Procedures
In determining how your specific Mommy Makeover will go, your plastic surgeon will combine two or more of the below procedures to help you regain or possibly improve your pre-pregnancy figure. Each applicable procedure is then further tailored to meet your exact needs. Remember, just because you’re having a Mommy Makeover, doesn’t mean you’re having every available procedure. Make certain that when a procedure is suggested by your surgeon, you agree that it is something you need. Unfortunately, recommendations are sometimes made that are based on income for the surgeon, rather than the good of the patient.
BREAST
Breast Lift
A breast lift, otherwise known as a mastopexy, is a cosmetic procedure designed to lift and reshape the breasts while placing the nipple in a more desirable location. In the world of Mommy Makeovers, the breast lift is a crucial procedure. After pregnancy, the breasts become engorged to accommodate breastfeeding. Then, whether you breastfeed your baby or not, the overall breast volume eventually reduces, often leaving saggy, stretched skin with no support. Breast feeding, especially for long periods of time, can result in greater change and more sagging.
A breast lift, as opposed to a breast reduction, removes excess skin only while not touching underlying breast tissue. Depending on the amount of breast volume you have, a breast augmentation may or may not be necessary to fill out the new shape. In other words, the breast lift gives the new shape, while the implant gives it its volume or fullness. Additionally, the areola size may be reduced, as it has often become enlarged or stretched out. The result is youthful, perky and beautiful breasts that no longer succumb to the effects of pregnancy.
Breast Reduction
A breast reduction, also known as a reduction mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and tissue in the breasts to reduce their size and improve their shape. This is different from a breast lift, in which only skin is removed. During a breast reduction, you are getting a reduction in volume as well as a lift. A breast reduction actually is a breast lift, while also removing tissue. A breast reduction lifts and reshapes the breasts, giving them a younger, perkier shape and position.
With a breast reduction, patients not only experience increased comfort due to reduced weight on their chest, they also experience a surge in self-esteem and confidence. It’s curious to note that breast reduction patients are generally the happiest group of patients after surgery. They have increased activity with less pain. Additionally, the most significant impact tends to be a broader selection of clothes available. All told, breast reduction patients have gotten relief from a cosmetic and physical burden that has been with them their whole life.
Breast Augmentation
Also known as augmentation mammoplasty, breast augmentation is a procedure that uses implants to increase the volume of the breasts. These implants are placed under the breast gland or under the chest muscle. In many cases, breast augmentation is a way for women to enhance their image and proportions. Breast augmentation is a highly effective procedure in enhancing a woman’s confidence, making it one of the most popular cosmetic procedures available. As a general statement, patient satisfaction with breast augmentation is very high. It is one of the most often performed procedures with the highest satisfaction rate of all plastic surgery procedures.
While breast augmentation has some impact on the shape of the breast, it is generally not a procedure designed to alter the breast shape. If the breast shape needs to be altered significantly, one must consider a breast lift in conjunction with a breast augmentation.
Breast Revision
Also known as corrective breast surgery, breast revision is performed when previous cosmetic breast surgery does not lead to the desired results. This may occur as a result of pregnancy-related changes that may have looked good prior to pregnancy but now no longer do. It may also be due to recently done breast surgery that was done in error.
During breast revision surgery, the goal is to try to correct or reverse the elements that make the breasts unattractive. Unfortunately, not all aspects are correctable and thus require the consultation of a skilled and knowledgeable plastic surgeon. Corrective surgery is considered one of the most difficult areas of breast surgery, as you are not dealing with native tissue, but rather scarred or damaged tissue.
Nipple & Areola Reduction
Nipple and/or areola reduction is a brief outpatient surgery that effectively reduces the size of the nipple and areola. For women with enlarged areolas or nipples, this surgery can provide great relief from cosmetic issues that cause embarrassment or lack of confidence.
Nipples and areolas may be enlarged from birth. They may also be enlarged due to overly large breasts that sag, stretching the areola with their weight. In some cases, breastfeeding stretches nipples beyond their regular size. Whatever the cause, nipple and areola reduction is an effective solution, allowing women to find a life beyond enlarged nipples and areolas.
Inverted Nipple Correction
Inverted nipples affect approximately 2% of women. While inverted nipples certainly present a cosmetic issue, they may also cause an inability to breast-feed. In some cases, inverted nipples are present since birth. In others, they develop as the result of milk ducts and other tissue in the breasts shortening over time.
Inverted nipple correction is a brief surgical procedure done to reverse inverted nipples, restoring them to more projected position. Inverted nipple correction is a very minor surgery and is usually done under local anesthesia. It may easily be done in conjunction with other breast enhancement procedures, such as a breast reduction, breast lift or breast augmentation.
BODY
Standard Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin from the abdomen and create tighter, smoother contours in the stomach.
When the skin and muscles expand to accommodate a pregnant belly, they unfortunately don’t always retract after childbirth. If the skin and muscles have stretched, there is no amount of diet or exercise that will cause these crucial structures to retract. A tummy tuck will effectively reduce this excess skin, tighten the underlying muscles, and leave you with a flat and smooth abdomen.
Specifically, a tummy tuck accomplishes three important goals:
- Removal of excess skin, which may include stretch marks
- Tightening of loose and stretched out muscles, thereby correcting the bulge, also known as rectus diastasis
- Reconstruction of the belly button if necessary
Mini Tummy Tuck
A mini tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin from the abdomen to create tighter, smoother contours in the tummy. When the skin expands to accommodate a pregnant belly, it unfortunately doesn’t always retract after childbirth. If the skin has stretched, there is no amount of diet or exercise that will reduce its bulk. A mini tummy tuck is performed when excess skin has accumulated only below the belly button. A mini tummy tuck will effectively eliminate this excess skin, leaving you with a stomach that is smooth and lean.
Extended Tummy Tuck
In many cases, pregnancy can cause a buildup of loose, excessive skin that extends beyond the abdomen. When loose skin can be seen on the flanks in addition to the tummy, an extended tummy tuck is the correct procedure to eliminate excess skin and tighten the underlying musculature.
The key with a tummy tuck, just like a tailor or seamstress, is the surgeon must remove whatever precise amount of excess skin is present. Sometimes it’s a small amount, in which case the patient only needs a mini tummy tuck. Sometimes it’s an “average” amount, requiring a regular tummy tuck. In other cases, an individual has a tremendous amount of excess skin, which extends beyond the front of the abdomen and includes the sides and flanks. When this amount of excess skin is present, the tummy tuck incision must be extended further than usual, thus the name “extended tummy tuck.”
Liposuction
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that removes stubborn pockets of fat in virtually any part of the body. Contrary to popular belief, liposuction is not a method of weight loss. Instead, it is a contouring procedure, used to deliver beautiful curves and proportions to the body.
In liposuction, there is an importance placed on the overall physical appearance of a patient. Rather than only addressing a single trouble area, a competent plastic surgeon takes the entire body into consideration, ensuring that fat removed in one area doesn’t create disproportion in another.
Labiaplasty
Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure to reduce the labia minora (inner labia) or labia majora (outer labia). Following pregnancy, many mothers find their labia has become enlarged due to hormones and physical strain placed on their vagina. When this occurs, women may become self-conscious due to the appearance of their enlarged labia. In addition, this can become physically uncomfortable due to chafing. With labiaplasty, patients get relief from these symptoms, restoring their labia to their original size and appearance.
C-Section Scar Revision
Following a c-section, many women experience a retracted or otherwise unsightly scar on their abdomen. In some cases, there is a bulge above the scar, or overhanging skin above the scar due to the fact that the scar is retracted. Additionally, the scar may be thick or raised, or all of the above may be present.
These phenomena occur because many doctors who perform c-sections are not trained in cosmetic closing techniques, and they are primarily concerned with the safety of the mother and the baby, which is appropriate. However, this means that all layers may not be properly closed after the procedure, resulting in a conspicuous or unsightly scar.
For women who have an unsightly scar following a cesarean section, a c-section revision is a method of removing or excising the old scar, as well as the scar tissue down to the muscle layer. C-section revision releases the tissues to their original position and closes them, restoring a smoother appearance on the abdomen and a thinner-looking scar.
OTHER
The above procedures are standard components of a Mommy Makeover. However, there are many other beautification procedures that, while not directly related to pregnancy, still help mothers look and feel beautiful. Such procedures include:
- BOTOX and facial fillers, helping to reduce wrinkles and hollowness throughout the face
- Facial plastic surgery, allowing for more rejuvenation of facial aging, such as a brow lift, facelift, eyelid surgery or rhinoplasty
- Nonsurgical spa treatments such as facial peels and Ultherapy
The purpose of a Mommy Makeover is to help mothers increase confidence in their physical appearance. Any procedure that achieves that goal could be deemed part of a Mommy Makeover. As such, no two Mommy Makeovers are the same. To learn more about how the Mommy Makeover procedure applies to you, please call our office.
