Mommy Makeover Facts

Every year thousands of moms seek to rejuvenate their bodies through surgery. In the past, this involved scheduling separate procedures spanning months or even years to achieve a result that can be done in a single surgery today. This is due to medical advances in surgical technique, anesthetic drugs and pain management.

Some of the procedures included in a Mommy Makeover are:

• Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty
• Breast Lift (with or without breast implants)
• Breast Reduction
• Breast Augmentation
• Liposuction (with or without fat transfer to the buttocks or breasts)
• Scar Therapy
• Vaginal Rejuvenation

The Big Three Mommy Makeover Procedures

Statistics released by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery state that 3 of the 5 most popular procedures performed in 2013 were liposuction, breast augmentation and abdominoplasty. This trio is also the surgical plan for many Mommy Makeovers.

Liposuction is used to reduce accumulated fat around the hips, flanks, thighs and upper arms. This procedure can be combined with a tummy tuck for added definition, tighter abdominal musculature, and a more significant contour benefit.

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a procedure designed to eliminate excess skin that's accumulated on the abdomen. When a pregnant belly expands and contracts, the skin often becomes stretched. In such a case, diet and exercise unfortunately aren't very effective, as they don't make the skin more elastic. During a tummy tuck, Dr. Lampert precisely marks the amount of excess skin to be removed and proceeds to use contouring techniques to restore a flat, toned abdomen.

The tummy tuck procedure also removes excess fat, repairs stretched and separated muscles and then drapes the tailored skin over this toned foundation. The incisions are well placed low to ensure they will be hidden with clothing. Many women report that the incisions have healed into very thin scars that are almost unnoticeable after about a year.

Other Components of a Mommy Makeover

A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a procedure that is quickly gaining popularity. A breast lift can be performed both with and without implants. A breast lift with implants is referred to as an augmentation mastopexy, or “aug-pexy.” Many women find that an augmentation mastopexy gives them the fullness and breast position that has been lost through breast feeding.

Breast implants are not lifetime devices. Although breast implants have very low rupture rates (or risk of leaking), they will need to be removed or replaced at some point in a patient’s lifetime. When implants are removed or replaced with smaller implants, some type of simultaneous breast lift may be necessary.

Another technique quickly gaining popularity is combining a breast lift with fat transfer. Fat transfer involves taking excess fat from the patient’s body, purifying it and then using it to fill in the areas that have lost volume. This has the double advantage of reducing an area of excess fat and providing volume without the need of a silicone or saline breast implant.

Not All Mommy Makeovers are Equal: Select Your Surgeon Carefully

The Mommy Makeover has gained great popularity among post-pregnancy women. A Mommy Makeover is not just one procedure, but a combination of several surgical procedures customized specifically for each individual patient. Dr. Joshua Lampert, a board-certified plastic surgeon serving Miami residents, cautions that not all surgeons providing these highly complex procedures are members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Many general surgeons, gynecologists, and family practice physicians have only attended a weekend course on some of these procedures for “certification” from other “boards” not at all recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Other surgeons have just been unable to attain certification due to poor ethical decisions, issues with safety, or inadequate training.

Women must be cautious with whom they select to perform their cosmetic surgical procedures. Make sure your plastic surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the ONLY board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties which certifies the full spectrum of the specialty of plastic surgery of the entire body. That is, plastic and reconstructive surgery of the head and neck, trunk and extremities.

There are many commercially available “boards” that label themselves “cosmetic” but are NOT recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties and actually require NO plastic surgery residency training at all!

In the interest of undergoing the best Mommy Makeover Miami has to offer, women should only trust a plastic surgeon member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Lampert: Individual Approach to Each Mommy Makeover

Each woman presents with a different set of issues requiring attention. Some women wish to tone and firm the upper arms or the thighs and will need an arm lift or a thigh lift. Others may require vaginal rejuvenation and abdominal or breast contouring.

Dr. Lampert is willing to perform combination surgeries as long as they are well within the standards of patient safety. Some women will require a staged approach to their Mommy Makeover plan to ensure their safety and comfort.

Planning the End Result: Dr. Lampert Plans for Long Term Enjoyment

Planning is crucial for any surgery, particularly one in which several areas of the body will be addressed at once. Dr. Lampert is a board certified plastic surgeon, who has performed thousands of surgeries during his career. He draws on this experience when planning on how to best assist each individual patient to attain their ultimate image goals. Not only is he among the top plastic surgeons in Miami, he is a classically trained artist, which gives him an added layer of knowledge to draw upon. His work reflects his artistic talent as much as his technical skill as a surgeon.

Candidates for Mommy Makeover

The best candidates for a Mommy Makeover combination surgery are those who have:

• completed their family and have no active plans for more children
• stopped breastfeeding and are no longer lactating
• fully recovered from childbirth and have been able to return to physical activity
• have stabilized their weight
• have no serious uncontrolled medical problems or are otherwise healthy
• have realistic expectations regarding what can be accomplished

Procedure and Recovery

Depending on what is needed, each woman may have a different combination of procedures involving different areas of the body. Dr. Lampert goes over the surgical plan in great detail with each patient to ensure that she understands what is involved, how long the surgery will take, what help she will need during recovery, and how long of a recovery is necessary.

He encourages his patients to take their time in deciding whether or not a Mommy Makeover is right for them, or if the timing is right. For example, women who are still losing weight after pregnancy might want to postpone their surgery until their weight is stable and has plateaued for several months.

Combining techniques decreases cost and recovery time. With advances in pain medication, patients are much more comfortable during their recovery and can easily deal with having two or more procedures at one time. This can save 6 months of recovery when compared to the same procedures if done separately.

Home or Hospital Recovery

Patients may need to stay in the hospital after surgery depending on their surgical plan. For most mommy makeover surgeries, an overnight stay is probably not necessary. Discuss your options and preferences with Dr. Lampert.

Patients will require help at home for at least a week following discharge, maybe longer if there are small children in the household requiring constant care. General anesthesia usually causes patients to feel more tired postoperatively, so extra rest is essential to a quick recovery. Care givers are also very helpful during the first few weeks to help take care of household chores, prepare meals and to ensure that medication is taken on time. Additionally, having someone else take care of daily activities will allow the incisions to heal without added stress or strain. Reducing mechanical forces exerted on surgical wounds in the early postoperative period greatly assists in helping for thin scar formation. Any strain on incisions is to be avoided.

Cold packs will assist with swelling and prescribed pain and anti-nausea medications will keep patients comfortable. Full instructions are provided as well as constant support from Dr. Lampert’s support staff. Dr. Lampert makes himself always available to his cosmetic surgery patients in case they ever need to contact him directly.

Resuming normal activities depends greatly on what procedures were done and the patient’s lifestyle. Most patients will be able to resume light activities within 2 weeks and can possibly return to more sedentary jobs.

Dr. Lampert advises each patient on when to resume activities on a gradient scale, leaving physical work and strenuous exercise until the 6-8 week mark.

Next Step: Schedule your Consultation

The first step is to find out what your Mommy Makeover plan would be. Do you simply need a mini tummy tuck and some liposuction? Do you need a breast reduction and an arm lift? Each patient is different and needs an individualized plan to get them back to their pre-pregnancy form. Dr. Lampert intentionally maintains a low volume practice so that he can spend all of the time necessary to answer any questions and create a beautiful result for each patient. Find out for yourself why he delivers among the best Mommy Makeover Miami has available.