PROCEDURES



Mommy Makeover

What is a Mommy Makeover?

Pregnancy and motherhood are wonderful milestones in a woman's life, but they bring about drastic physical and hormonal changes to your body. It is not always easy to recover from these changes or restore your pre-pregnancy body, especially not in the face of all the demands that motherhood brings.

A Mommy Makeover is a combination of surgeries aimed at restoring your pre-baby body. Following pregnancy and childbirth, many women feel self-conscious, uncomfortable or embarrassed by their body, abdomen, and breasts. A Mommy Makeover may include a combination of abdominoplasty, breast surgery (with or without implants) and liposuction. The surgeries are done in combination for a complete Mommy Makeover rather than staggering them out as separate surgeries.

Pregnancy tends to stretch out the abdominal wall muscles and skin, leaving behind stretch marks and a saggy, protruding tummy. A mommy tummy tuck aims to improve the contour and appearance of the abdomen by removing excess skin and fat and tightening the abdominal wall muscles, whilst also creating a smaller waistline. These are issues that are difficult to address through diet and exercise alone, and thus a tummy tuck is a common, highly effective procedure that will give you a flatter, smoother shapelier abdomen.

Pregnancy and nursing result in numerous changes to the breasts. Breasts become heavy, experience size fluctuations and the skin stretches. Afterwards, the breast tissue shrinks and the stretched skin remains, leaving the breasts with a deflated, droopy appearance. Breast lift (also known as mastopexy), is a surgical procedure that aims to lift the breasts back up into the correct position on the chest wall, restoring a youthful, firm breast shape. In cases where there is an excess of lax skin as well as a loss of volume, it might be necessary to combine a breast lift with the insertion of a breast implant (known as an Augmentation Mastopexy).

Fast Facts:

Length of procedure: 3 - 4 Hours.
Type of anaesthesia: General anaesthetic.
Length of stay: Day case.
What to expect post-op: Your tummy will feel tight and you will have to walk slightly bent over initially after surgery but will be able to straighten up within the first few days, and you will need to wear a supportive post-surgical garment and bra for 6 weeks post-surgery.
Recovery time: You should be able to drive after ten days and return to work after approximately 2 weeks. Avoid strenuous activity for 1 month.
Results: Permanent, unless you experience significant variations in weight.

Who might benefit from a Mommy Makeover?

Anyone who needs a combination of breast, abdominal and / or other mommy makeover procedures. Your consultation with Dr do Vale will determine whether a mommy makeover is a suitable procedure for you. A mommy makeover combines complementary procedures (tummy tuck, breast surgery, and liposuction) to cut down on overall cost and recovery time.

What does a Mommy Makeover procedure involve?

Undergoing a mommy makeover is a major decision. During your consultation, Dr do Vale will discuss and answer the questions you may have regarding your mommy makeover, all options available to you, the risks involved, and the expected benefits and results so that together you can come to a personalised decision about your mommy makeover.

Dr do Vale uses the Vectra XT 3D camera to provide a life-like 3-dimensional view of your breasts from all angles. Using this advanced imaging technology, Dr do Vale can show you various simulations that experiment with different surgical options (such as different breast implant sizes and shapes), to show you a ‘preview’ of potential post-operative results and how they might look on your body, as well as where the scars will lie. Vectra-XT 3D imaging will help give you peace of mind about what you can realistically achieve from your plastic surgery. (Read more here…)

Mommy makeover is a surgical procedure that typically lasts around 3 to 4 hours and is performed under general anaesthesia. A full mommy tummy tuck involves a horizontal incision which is hidden in the underwear area and runs right above the pubic region, from one pelvic bone to the other. Surgical markings are measured and made before going into theatre. During the procedure, excess skin and fat are removed, and the lax abdominal muscles are stitched together to achieve a tighter, flatter abdominal wall. The navel may also need to be repositioned. In some instances, the tummy tuck may be combined with liposuction.

Some individuals who have minimal muscle separation and who only have excess skin below the navel may only require a partial (mini) tummy tuck procedure. A mini tummy tuck procedure involves less dissection and has a smaller incision/scar.

Dr do Vale’s goal is to give you a smoother, flatter, firmer abdomen and a naturally contoured waistline. As a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr do Vale will apply her skill and appreciation of shape and scale to optimise your body contour and shape.

A breast lift ultimately aims to remove excess skin and re-contour the breast to produce shapely, firmer, lifted breasts. If necessary, the breast lift may be combined with the insertion of a breast implant (known as an Augmentation Mastopexy). As a female plastic surgeon, Dr do Vale will apply her skill and appreciation of shape and scale to personalise each breast lift to match the specific needs of the patient.

Surgical markings are measured and made before going into theatre. During surgery, incisions are made around the areolae in a key-hole pattern, followed by a vertical incision along the lower portion of the breast and finally a horizontal incision along the breast crease. The scar around the areola is fairly inconspicuous due to change in colour from light breast skin to the darker areola skin, and both the vertical and horizontal scars tend to heal well and are generally well hidden even in a bikini.

These incisions are designed to allow Dr do Vale to adequately reshape, firm and lift the breast, whilst the nipples and areolae are repositioned higher up on the breast, and the incisions are closed. For some patients, it may not be possible to create the desired breast fullness and projection with the breast tissue available, and in these cases, a breast implant may be used to augment the final result. Dr do Vale’s goal is to give you firmer, lifted breasts whilst achieving an attractive, natural look.

Recovery after Mommy Makeover:

You will stay in hospital overnight and initially after the tummy tuck procedure, your tummy will feel tight and you will have to walk slightly bent over but will be able to straighten up within the first few days. You may have drains (2 soft silicone pipes) coming out to drain any excess fluid. You will need to wear a supportive post-surgical garment and bra continuously for 6 weeks, which will control swelling and provide additional support and comfort during the healing process. Most patients will take about two weeks to recover before returning to work. It may take a few weeks for the incisions to fully heal. No strenuous activity should be done during this time (approximately four to six weeks). Once the incisions have fully healed, you can resume your normal exercise routine. Dr do Vale will advise you on the most suitable scar management regimen to minimise the visibility of the scars.

It is important to remember that a mommy makeover cannot replace a healthy, active lifestyle, nor is it an alternative to weight loss. As such, it is recommended that your weight be stable before undergoing a mommy makeover.

For more information on Mommy Makeover or to find out if it’s the right procedure for you, request a consultation below or call 0109003999 to schedule your detailed consultation with Dr do Vale.