“Mommy makeover” is a colloquial term that is readily used on the Internet and social media to describe a combination of plastic surgery procedures performed at the same time. A mommy makeover can include a variety of surgeries that rejuvenate parts of the body that have been changed during pregnancy. Most commonly, at my San Antonio plastic surgery practice, a mommy makeover involves breast augmentation or breast lift with or without implants, along with an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and possibly liposuction, depending on your goals and needs. The goal is to restore the shape, and contour of your body help you regain your pre-pregnancy body.
If you are interested in learning if a mommy makeover surgery is right for you, request a consultation or call (210) 942-6672 to make an appointment.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?
The best candidates for a mommy makeover are patients in good overall health, have achieved and maintained their ideal body weight, and have finished having children. If you are interested in a mommy makeover procedure, you should not be pressured by external influences to achieve a particular “look.” Do it for yourself without the pressures of fitting a particular style.
When I see patients for consultations, I am often asked, “What else do you think I need done?” and my answer is often the same – I rarely recommend procedures unless the patient herself has a concern. If you feel there are additional areas of concern that you’d like to address with surgery, I am happy to discuss them with you to help provide a customized treatment plan for you to achieve your aesthetic goals.
What Is a Mommy Makeover Consultation Like?
The consultation for a mommy makeover is an opportunity to establish the patient’s vision for restoration of their body. During the consultation, I perform a full assessment of the patient’s breasts, abdomen, and other areas of concern to determine the best treatment for their needs.
If they have lost volume in their breasts, I discuss how breast implants provide volume and contour to a breast. If they have experienced sagging as well as volume loss, I will explain what a breast lift accomplishes. Together, we discuss whether a breast lift with implants can be performed simultaneously or over time as a staged procedure using a series of surgeries.
The initial consult is also the time I discuss how the excess, sagging skin above or below the belly button and unwanted pockets of abdominal fat that often bother women after pregnancy can be corrected with an abdominoplasty. I discuss tummy tuck scar placement and may recommend combining liposuction with a tummy tuck to help contour the sides, back, and thighs to reshape the body.
How Much Does a Mommy Makeover Cost?
The cost of a mommy makeover varies greatly depending on the needs and goals of the individual. During your consultation, I will discuss your needs and will make recommendations for which procedures to combine to help you achieve your goals.
The cost for a mommy makeover depends on the procedures performed as well as the time required to perform the surgery. At my San Antonio practice, a mommy makeover that includes a breast lift with implant, tummy tuck, and liposuction starts at $17,235. Once we have decided on a customized treatment plan, my office will provide you with an individualized quote for your mommy makeover procedure.
The cost for your mommy makeover procedure includes:
- OR / surgery center fee
- Surgeon’s fee
- Anesthesia fee
- Cost of breast implants
- Post-surgery compression garments
- Pre-operative lab work
- Mammogram or imaging if needed
What Are the Risks of a Mommy Makeover?
Personalizing the right procedure for you includes weighing the potential complications and planned benefits. The extent of your mommy makeover will determine the risks of surgery and the associated downtime. Before your surgery, I discuss risks or surgery during the consultation and again in further detail at the pre-operative appointment.
Breast augmentation, breast lift, abdominoplasty, and liposuction procedures each include similar risks. These can include, but are not limited to: infection, bleeding, seroma, asymmetry, poor scarring, recurrent skin excess, pain, contour abnormalities, injury to critical structures, blood clots (pulmonary embolism), cardiac/lung complications, associated risks of anesthesia, need for implant removal, loss of nipple blood supply and sensation, inability to breast feed in the future, implant rupture/leak, capsular contracture, breast implant-associated lymphoma, recurrence of a deflated-appearing breasts.
The risks depend on the individual as well as the patient’s goals. To ensure our patients’ safety and provide as much education as possible, our pre-operative appointments include a review of the surgical consent forms and a comprehensive discussion of what to expect. While I work to mitigate risks, there is always a risk when performing surgery, so my goal is to help prepare you in advance of your procedure.
How Can I Prepare for My Mommy Makeover?
After your initial consultation, we will schedule your procedure. After that, my office begins the pre-operative process. This includes providing you directions for necessary lab work, and we perform an overall medical evaluation to ensure you are safe to proceed with surgery.
Additionally, we discuss any medications and supplements you take to determine if they should be adjusted or held before surgery. I will also provide instructions and prescriptions for medications that you will need after surgery such as pain medication, muscle relaxants, antibiotics, anti-nausea medication, stool softeners, and blood thinners if indicated. We will electronically send and fill your prescriptions prior to your surgery date.
I recommend preparing a section of your home to be easily accessible, close to a bathroom, and a bed/recliner that is easy to maneuver can be beneficial following surgery.
What Is Recovery from Mommy Makeover Like?
Our office provides specific instruction to help prep you for the post-operative recovery – including care of incisions and what concerns to be aware of. We maintain close and comprehensive follow-up appointments starting 1 day after surgery, and these continue as long as necessary to make sure you are making appropriate progress during your recovery.
Unless otherwise discussed, you should wait at least 24 hours after surgery to shower. After your surgery, I place dressings on your incisions – these bandages are typically removed 2-3 weeks after surgery. If drains are placed during surgery, their removal is planned once the output tapers off.
I encourage all of my patients to walk at least 10 mins every waking hour, including the day of surgery. The time to return to normal activity and exercise will depend on the procedures performed and how you progress during recovery.
Take the Next Step
If you are ready to meet with me to discuss your mommy makeover procedure, please request a consultation or call (210) 942-6672 to schedule an appointment.
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