Diet and exercise are great ways to lose the weight gained during a pregnancy. However, there are certain changes in a woman’s body that cannot always be reversed through natural means. If you are unhappy with how your body looks after having a child, you may benefit from a mommy makeover. Our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. John Sarbak, offers this combination aesthetic enhancement procedure for mothers who want to rejuvenate a number of body areas following pregnancy. Take a look at the following Q&A with Dr. Sarbak about the potential of the mommy makeover, and contact us today for more information.
Q: What aesthetic changes do you typically see in patients following a pregnancy?
Dr. Sarbak: Having a child is a miraculous occasion, as every mother can attest to, but it can also bring about some side effects. Carrying a child for nine months can cause changes in a woman’s body. Most notably the abdominal skin expands and might not shrink back completely. The result is a roll of excess tissue that won’t go away even after losing pregnancy weight. Frustrating stretch marks may also develop. Women may also notice a separation of the abdominal wall muscles leading to a bulge in the lower abdomen that can’t be corrected by a million sit-ups. Breasts change with pregnancy as well, especially with breast-feeding (which is wonderful for the baby). Sagging and deflation are both common.
Q: What combination of procedures do you most often perform in a mommy makeover?
DS: Although each procedure is tailored specifically to the needs of each individual patient, the most common combination of a mommy makeover procedure is an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) in conjunction with breast enhancement.
The tummy tuck provides the opportunity to remove the excess skin and fatty tissue and at the same time tighten the underlying abdominal wall muscles to recreate the flat belly our patients had before pregnancy. Sometimes this is combined with liposuction for extra fine tuning of areas that may require it.
Breast enhancement can take many forms. I like to spend time with my patients preoperatively to make sure that we have the same goals in mind. Each woman’s body responds to pregnancy differently. For some women breast augmentation with a saline or silicone implant is enough to correct the issues. In other women a breast lift alone is all that is required. There are situations where we combine breast lifts with implants. One of the most exciting new options is the ability to remove excess fatty tissue from other areas of the body such as the love handles, abdomen, arms, and legs and then transfer this tissue into the breasts. The result is an increase in breast volume with your own tissue without the need for an implant. These procedures can take two or three additional sessions to achieve a final result. It also offers improvement in contour in the areas where the fat is removed from.
Q: Are there limitations as to how much one can have done in a mommy makeover surgery?
DS: Your safety is our primary concern. We utilize the skills of a board-certified anesthesiologist, and procedures are performed in our state-of-the-art surgical suite certified by the AAAA and the state of Florida. In a mommy makeover, breast and body contouring procedures can be combined within reason and with certain limitations. Any procedure lasting six hours or longer in our facility requires an overnight stay with a nurse. In conjunction with Florida law, surgeons are limited to 1.0 L of liposuction in combination with any other procedure. Most mommy makeover procedures require less than 1.0 L of liposuction to achieve a result that we can both be happy with.
Q: What results can a patient expect following a mommy makeover procedure?
DS: Mommy makeover procedures provide you with the opportunity to bring back some of the features that you liked most about yourself before pregnancy. These procedures can help reestablish confidence. I feel strongly that the results can be further enhanced when combined with regular exercise and good nutrition.
In our office we have put together a wonderful team that will answer all your questions and make you feel comfortable. We see you as a unique individual and would love to help you come up with a personalized plan to address your concerns.
Contact Dr. Sarbak
If you would like to learn how a mommy makeover can help restore changes that happened during your pregnancy, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Sarbak today!