In this video, Dr. Tommaso Addona discusses the procedures often performed during a mommy makeover. A mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic procedures designed to restore a woman’s body after pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. It typically includes breast reduction, augmentation or lift, tummy tuck, and liposuction. The goal is to rejuvenate and enhance physical appearance, helping women regain their figure confidence.
Transcript:
Hey everyone I’m Dr. Adonna from the New York Plastic Surgical Group. Today I’m going to speak to you about a mommy makeover. Patients often come in after they’ve had children and they ask questions as to what can they do to improve their body or their shape after children so in the post pregnancy window patients that may be candidates for a mommy makeover.
What does a mommy makeover entail? Two main components both the breast and the body. Patients are often candidates for managing the breast with regards to some procedure there as well as the body with regards to tummy tuck and liposuction. The idea is to customize our surgical plan to address a specific patient’s aesthetic concerns and issues. Mommy makeovers consist of breast augmentation or a lift or both together. Some patients are candidates for a breast reduction. Some patients will qualify for a full tummy tuck or a limited mini tummy tuck and patients often qualify for some component of liposuction involved either in a full tummy or a mini tummy tuck
Some of our patients are candidates for a breast reduction. Those patients that are candidates for a breast reduction may undergo what’s called a lollipop scar around the areola and up and down in an effort to reduce and lift the breast at the same time. Some patients are candidates strictly for a lift which means we don’t have to reduce the volume but we’re still creating the shape and the contour to lift the breast. Patients will go one step further where because because of the volume they lost at the time of pregnancy / breastfeeding /weight gain / weight loss all that could lead to a patient that may benefit from a breast augmentation that often is accompanied with a breast lift. So a lift and augmentation together is called a mastopexy augmentation where I can create a lifting effect of the breast but we’re going to use that implant, saline or silicone, to really complement and restore cleavage. There are some circumstances where some patients don’t even require a lift and just a breast augmentation on its own is beneficial.
In terms of all these different categories different strokes for different folks – different patients really benefit from a different procedure. The idea is to really tailor to this patient specific aesthetics needs. A breast augmentation plus minus combined with a lift often takes about 2 hours again perform the same time as the lower abdominal procedure with liposuction and roughly the combined procedures can be about 3 and 1/2 to 4 and 1/2 hours based on how much is needed. In terms of the recovery for breast augmentation it’s a little less on its own the patients do very well they are in a supportive surgical bra. You are restricted from doing upper body movements and other activities in the initial period in an effort to reduce the risk of complications associated with the breast surgery.
Liposuction is another component of a mommy makeover it’s really very much a complimentary component. I use it in conjunction with the abdominoplasty. It’s used to really contour and shape the abdomen at the time of the abdominoplasty where we’re removing the excess skin and tightening up the internal structures. Liposuction is really good for the external improvement. The way this works is liposuction is used to reduce the volume of the tissue that surrounds the tummy tuck. In other words the sides the flanks or the upper abdomen works really well for liposuction. At the same time we can also complement and use that liposuction canula to manage the inner thighs and the outer thighs. Some patients may be candidates for gluteal augmentation at this time even. In terms of the recovery about 2 to 3 weeks. Patients are, however, in a very restrictive garment because we’re looking to have the area that’s been liposuctioned tightened down in an effort to create the most favorable aesthetic for our patients.
The first procedure that patients will often discuss with us in terms of a mommy makeover is a tummy tuck or a abdominoplasty. So what is a tummy tuck? A tummy tuck is in essence a way to remove that stubborn tissue that really sits from the belly button down to the pubic region. The idea is to be able to remove the excess tissue in that region at the same time prior to Children a patients’s six-pack muscles would have been juxtaposed right next to each other over time and with pregnancy those may be pulled apart. The idea of a tummy tuck is to now repair that six-pack muscle right back into the center to create core stability and plicate which means to really bring the muscles together to also create a better aesthetic and almost a hourglass figure internally for that patient. The next step of a tummy tuck is to remove that excess tissue and then to create a new home for the belly button. In other words there’s what’s called an umbilicalplasty which basically means we make a more youthful appearing belly button. This procedure on its own lasts about 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours. The recovery is about 7 to 14 days and this is somewhat limited by the drains that are in place. There are two temporary thin tubes drains and those stay for about up to 2 weeks roughly. In terms of the patient satisfaction through the roof patients love this procedure they do great in terms of return or recovery they return to work based on this procedure around 2 weeks. They’re able to get back to the gym light exercise at the 3 week mark. However core and other stability exercises don’t begin until the 6 week mark.
