What is mommy makeover and why is it needed?
Pregnancy, giving birth and breastfeeding processes cause some aesthetic deformities in the mother’s body. Loss of volume and sagging of the breast, looseness and sagging of the abdominal skin, stretch marks (strias), increased fat deposits in different parts of the body, deterioration of the genital aesthetic anatomy can be given as examples of these deformities. These aesthetic deformities may not be completely corrected despite reaching the ideal weight and regular exercise/diet. In mommy makeover, it is aimed to correct these deformities.
What are the procedures applied in mommy makeover?
Mommy makeover is a combination of some surgical procedures. In this surgical combination, there are breast aesthetics, abdominal aesthetics, liposuction and genital aesthetic applications. It is not necessary to do all the operations at once. It is evaluated according to the needs and preferences of the person. So, they are evaluated individually.
For example, if there is a loss of volume without sagging, breast augmentation (See Breast Augmentation Section); if there is sagging/ptosis, breast lift (See Breast Lift Section); if the breast is larger than it should be, breast reduction (See Breast Reduction Section); if there is a significant difference between two breasts, breast asymmetry correction (See Correction of Breast Asymmetry Section) can be done.
Examples of postpartum abdominal deformities are abdominal skin excess, sagging of the abdominal skin, increased fat deposits, loosening of the abdominal wall and weakening of the abdominal muscles. In this case, tummy tuck surgery is recommended (See Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Section). If there is an increase in fat in the upper abdomen, waist, pubis and hips, liposuction can also be combined (See Liposuction (Fat Removal) Section).
One of the places where pregnancy and postpartum deformations occur is the genital area. If there is sagging, protrusion, excess or asymmetry between both inner genital labia (“labium minus”), “labiaplasty” can be performed, and if there is vaginal laxity and vaginal enlargement, “vaginoplasty” can be performed (See Genital Aesthetics Section).
When can mommy makeover surgery be done?
In the postpartum period, it is necessary to allow time for the body to recover. During this period, regular exercise and a healthy diet will slightly correct the existing deformities. However, if the deformities have not improved, mommy makeover surgery can be performed 1 year after giving birth. If breastfeeding continues, it is appropriate to perform breast aesthetic procedures at least 6 months after the end of the breastfeeding period.
What is the post-operative period after mommy makeover surgery?
Since mommy makeover includes combination surgeries, the post-operative recovery period will vary according to the aesthetic interventions. In a standard mommy makeover combination (breast aesthetics + tummy tuck + liposuction + genital aesthetics), it is recommended to stay in the hospital for 1 or 2 days. At the end of the operation, special medical corsets are worn to reduce edema & pain, to help the breast and abdomen take the desired shape, and to support. It is highly recommended to use these corsets between 4-6 weeks after surgery. If drains are used, they are removed on the 1st or 2nd day after surgery. Post-operative pain is a common condition. This pain is normal for the breast area that has been lifted / volume added and the stretched abdomen area to ache with movement. However, it should be noted that this pain will gradually decrease after the surgery and respond well to painkillers. After the operation, the patient is encouraged to walk on the night of the operation, if possible, or the next day if it is not possible. However, in order not to increase the tension on the abdominal wall and not to damage the abdominal wall nutrition, it will be explained that you should walk obliquely instead of straight. After discharging from the hospital, care should be taken to continue to walk obliquely for the first 2 weeks. Genital hygiene is very important after labiaplasty and vaginoplasty. It is recommended to use antibiotics and creams that will be prescribed to you. After these surgeries, minimal bleeding in the form of spotting may occur, and they will pass with healing. It is recommended to abstain from sexual intercourse for 6 weeks in order not to cause hygiene problems and to ensure the healing of wounds.
You can take a shower 3 days after the operation. You can start short-distance walks 1 week after the operation, and you can start your daily work that will not increase the tension in the operated areas after 2 weeks. However, it should be noted that it will take 6 weeks for a full return to social life and almost complete disappearance of the pain. The swelling, which will start after the surgery and will be maximum on the 3rd day, will also decrease to a great extent at the end of the 6th week. Since absorbable sutures are used in all mommy makeover procedures, these sutures do not need to be removed.
It is not obligatory to perform all the procedures defined as mommy makeover at once. It is evaluated according to the needs and preferences of the person. Therefore, the postoperative period may differ. For more detailed information, you can review the relevant sections. (See Breast Augmentation Section, See Breast Lift Section, See Breast Reduction Section, See Correction of Breast Asymmetry Section, See Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Section, See Liposuction (Fat Removal) Section, See Genital Aesthetics Section).
Is it possible to get pregnant again after mommy makeover?
The answer is “yes”. However, it should not be forgotten that if pregnancy & childbearing occurs, the probability of similar deformities will increase after delivery. Therefore, as a personal approach, I recommend mommy makeover to women who do not plan a pregnancy in the future, in order for the result to be as beautiful and permanent as possible.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of combining procedures in mommy makeover?
Considering that performing the surgeries at different times prolongs the overall recovery time, total recovery time is shortened in combined aesthetic procedures, although the early post-operative period is a bit more difficult. Receiving anesthesia at one time and relatively low cost are among the advantages of combined aesthetic procedures. If we look at the disadvantages, combined aesthetic surgical procedures increase the duration of the operation and the risk of complications related to the operation. Therefore, detailed pre-operative evaluation, physical examination, blood analysis, general health status of the patient, comorbidities, smoking history, personal factors, preference of the patient and the doctor are extremely important in deciding on the combinations.
What should be considered before mommy makeover?
It is evaluated individually according to the needs, preferences, history, physical examination and general health status of the person. Since the probability of “deep vein thrombosis” called DVT in combined aesthetic surgeries is relatively high compared to other aesthetic surgery procedures, your predisposition to thrombosis (clot formation) will also be questioned and necessary precautions will be taken when needed. In this surgery, obesity is a major problem in wound healing, as in other surgeries. Therefore, it should be noted that the closer you are to your ideal weight, the better the results and the lower the risk of complications. One of the most important points to be mentioned is smoking. Active smoking seriously impairs breast and abdominal nutrition and increases the postoperative complication rate. As a personal approach, I do not perform combined cosmetic surgeries on active smokers who have not stopped smoking (including electronic cigarettes) at least 4 weeks before.
What should be considered after mommy makeover?
Lifestyle change is extremely important in terms of maintaining the obtained result. Regular exercise and healthy living habits after appropriate periods will preserve the result of the aesthetic interventions and will not allow the body to undergo further deformation.
Summary
Mommy Makeover is a highly effective surgical combination for the correction of deformities that occur at the end of pregnancy/birth and breastfeeding processes. Applications that will or will not be done (breast aesthetics-abdominal aesthetics-liposuction-genital aesthetics) are evaluated individually according to the needs, preferences, history, physical examination and general health status of the person. I would like to remind you that I recommend mommy makeover surgery to women who do not have a pregnancy plan in the future, in order for the result to be as beautiful and permanent as possible. You can browse the related articles in the References section. Best regards.
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