Mommy Makeover in Boise Idaho
A “Mommy Makeover” is a surgery that addresses changes caused by pregnancy and nursing to the stomach and breasts. Typically, a mommy makeover includes a combination of abdominoplasty, liposuction or liposculpting, breast augmentation, breast reduction, breast mastopexy (lift), or both breast augmentation and mastopexy. Most mommy makeover surgeries address the breasts and abdomen simultaneously. However, these operations do not have to be done at the same time. Additionally, other areas of concern can be addressed such as fat, cellulite (skin dimples typically on the legs), loose skin in the armpits, on the back, or on the thighs
Why Someone Might Want a Mommy Makeover
Pregnancy and bringing a child into the world are a beautiful miracle, and a great accomplishment for which all mothers should feel proud. It is also a transformational journey that causes many changes to a woman’s body including sagging of the breasts (breast ptosis), loss of breast fullness, and loose, stretch marked skin. Some women also are left with a rectus diastasis (when the six pack muscles get stretched apart from one another) or may struggle with excess weight after pregnancy. A Mommy Makeover lifts and/or augments the breasts and flattens and contours the abdomen, creating a whole-body transformation that restores the youthful appearance of the breasts and stomach. This is a very powerful, and popular operation for mothers once they are done having children because it transforms their body giving them a more striking and youthful figure.
How Soon After Having a Baby Can I Get a Mommy Makeover?
It is important that you are fully recovered and the changes caused by being pregnant resolve as much as possible before surgery. It is not a good idea to have an abdominoplasty at the same time as your C-section, as the results rarely look good. After delivery, your abdominal wall muscles, fascia, and skin will tighten back up somewhat. You will also lose the baby weight gained during pregnancy and wait until after you have finished breast feeding and your breasts have returned to their new size. Having surgery before these things occur often results in loose skin or breast ptosis coming back and a sub-optimal result after surgery because these changes then happen during recovery. It is a good idea to have a form of permanent or very reliable birth control in place (significant other with a vasectomy, having your tubes tied [tubal ligation], or an IUD [intrauterine contraceptive device]). It would really suck to spend all the money, and go through the pain and recovery of mommy makeover and then have another child that undoes it all.
Do I have to be a mother to have a mommy makeover?
Definitely not! Any patient who desires a flatter, more defined belly, and bigger or better shaped breasts can have a mommy makeover. Whether you call it a mommy makeover or not is up to you.
How do I know which breast surgery to choose?
During your consultation, Dr. Poppler will discuss your goals and will perform a detailed examination. The two of you will look in the mirror together and discuss things you like, and don’t like about your breasts. Differences between the breasts and unique features of your body will be noted. Dr. Poppler will discuss the various options with you, and the two of you will decide together the right procedure, or procedures for you.
Generally, if you want your breasts to be larger, you want breast augmentation. Breast augmentation can be done with breast implants, or with fat transfer. If your breasts have a lot of droop (breast ptosis), and you want them to be higher you likely want a mastopexy. Breast augmentation and mastopexy are often done together at the same time. If your breasts are larger than you want them, you likely want a breast reduction, which lifts the breasts and makes them smaller.
How do I know if I want liposuction?
Liposuction is an operation that removes fat from specific problem areas. During mommy makeover, liposuction is most often performed to remove fat from the back at the love handles. This results in a more defined hourglass shape and makes the hips and butt look larger without adding anything to the hips or butt. If you are bothered by your love handles, or want a more curvy silhouette, you probably want liposuction of the flanks as part of your mommy makeover.
What is liposculpting?
Liposculpting is a form of liposuction in which more fat is removed adjacent to your abdominal muscles to highlight the contour of the muscle, and give you a more defined, statuesque abdomen. This operation is an excellent choice for patients who are thin and have strong abdominal muscles, but who don’t quite have a six pack. This operation will give you an amazing six pack without having to lose so much weight that your face looks gaunt, skin in other areas looks loose and crepey, and your elbow and knees look knobby. Liposculpting requires in-depth knowledge of anatomy, an artistic eye, and meticulous attention to detail. Not many surgeons offer this technique as it is easy to mess up and requires quite a bit of experience. However, for the right patient, this one of Dr. Poppler’s favorite surgeries as it takes results from good to excellent.
What Is a Rectus Diastasis?
A Rectus Diastasis is a deformity of the abdominal wall (stomach muscles) that is common in mothers. It is caused by pregnancy, or occasionally being very overweight, where the six pack muscles (rectus abdominus muscles) are separated away from the midline and one another. This can cause the abdomen to bulge and women to look pregnant, even when they are not. It can also cause weakness of the core muscles, muscle imbalance, and chronic low back or abdominal pain. Women with this disorder are often told they cannot do core abdominal exercises, or they may make this condition worse. Correcting the separation of the six pack muscles restores them to their natural position, correcting these complaints.
Rectus diastasis is like a hernia of the abdominal wall, but in some ways worse because it decreases the strength of your abdominal core muscles. A hernia is when there is a hole in the abdominal wall (often but not always caused by previous surgery) that allows your abdominal contents (usually fat and sometimes a loop of bowel) to protrude out of your abdominal wall. A hernia can be dangerous if a loop of bowel escapes, gets stuck, and twists. For this reason, hernia repair is usually covered by insurance. Unlike a hernia, in rectus diastasis the fascia (strong support tissues that wrap our muscles and hold our organs in place; when you eat a steak, the gristle is fascia) between our rectus muscles has stretched, thinned, and become much weaker. However, there is no hole in it. Sometimes patients with rectus diastasis also have a hernia. In these cases, insurance may cover some of the cost of correcting a rectus diastasis.
Although rectus diastasis can be very debilitating, it is considered cosmetic, not a “medical condition” by insurance companies and therefore its repair is not covered by insurance. You will find an occasional story online of a patient who successfully had their surgery covered by insurance. We have seen many patients try to get this covered and have never seen one succeed unless their surgeon commits fraud in their documentation. This is an ongoing form of systemic sexism that feels (and is) very unjust. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to change soon. If you want to advocate for change, you likely need to speak with your state and federal senators and congress people and ask them to make a law mandating coverage to repair rectus diastasis. If you have the time and energy to do this, please let us know as we would be happy to support you.
How is Rectus Diastasis repaired?
During a tummy tuck, Dr. Poppler makes a cut (called an incision) low on the stomach that it is hidden under skimpy underwear or swimsuits. Often, there is also a small scar around the belly button if it is moved during surgery. Dr. Poppler uses a technique that helps hide this scar inside the belly button and makes it less visible to others. Through this incision, Dr. Poppler is able to expose your abdominal wall from your rib cage all the way down to your pelvis. He then marks the edges of the muscles. Sutures are then used to bring the edges of the muscles back together at the midline. The stretched-out fascia is folded in on itself (like an accordion) and no incisions through the abdominal wall are made, so there is no chance of creating a hernia. Dr. Poppler uses several individual, permanent, non-braded sutures that are buried under the muscles and fascia where you won’t feel them. This ensures a strong, durable repair. Some surgeons use a single running suture because it is faster and there are less knots. Dr. Poppler does not do this because if that suture breaks before you are fully healed, the rectus diastasis may come back. Dr. Poppler also does not use braided suture, because in the unlikely event of poor healing, or infection, braided sutures are more likely to become infected.
Some general surgeons will repair rectus diastasis from the inside. This is usually only done for patients who have a hernia that is being fixed. When they do this, they are not allowed to bill insurance for that repair. For this reason, fixing rectus diastasis is NOT part of routine hernia repair. Whether, and how they charge you for that repair varies from surgeon to surgeon. Many general surgeons refer patients to Treasure Valley Plastic Surgery for an abdominoplasty if their patient has a rectus diastasis. It is not uncommon to have an abdominoplasty at the same time as a hernia repair. This can all be done by Dr. Poppler for a small hernia or is done by both a general surgeon and Dr. Poppler for larger hernias. Having combined surgery is more complicated and takes longer than a simple abdominoplasty and therefore usually costs about the same, even when insurance is paying for the hernia repair.
What happens if I have a hernia?
Dr. Poppler will carefully examine you during your consultation for possible hernia (hole or weak point in the abdominal wall that your abdominal contents may protrude through). If you or he suspects that you have a hernia, Dr. Poppler may order a scan such as an ultrasound or CT scan (cat scan) to better evaluate this. If you have a large or complicated hernia, Dr. Poppler will refer you to a general surgeon that specializes in hernia repair. If you have a small hernia, Dr. Poppler will repair it for you as part of your abdominoplasty surgery. In the rare case that Dr. Poppler finds a small hernia during surgery that was not known about before, he will repair it for you at no extra charge and discuss it with you after surgery. In the very unlikely case that he finds a large, or complicated hernia that cannot be repaired without mesh, he will leave it alone and refer you to a general surgeon after surgery. Having a hernia repaired may slow your return to heavy lifting and full activity as it is important to let that heal properly before stressing it.
Should I lose weight before surgery?
If you are significantly overweight or have a large amount of intra-abdominal (visceral) fat, you may not be a good candidate for mommy makeover and Dr. Poppler may recommend you lose weight prior to surgery so that he can give you a better result and decrease your risks with surgery. Best results are achieved when you are at the weight you intend to stay at. Losing weight before surgery is not helpful if you think you will gain it right back. Similarly, doing surgery before losing weight produces a sub-optimal result because your skin will loosen again, and the breasts will get smaller as you lose weight. For this reason, it is best to lose weight before mommy makeover surgery if you intend to lose weight or if you are significantly overweight, but otherwise you should have surgery when you are at a stable weight you are happy with.
Where Are the Scars?
During a tummy tuck, Dr. Poppler makes a cut (called an incision) low on the stomach, usually just above the pubic area and below the hip bones (Pelvis). Dr. Poppler uses his experience to predict how the scar will move as your skin heals and stretches so that it is hidden under skimpy underwear or swimsuits. Often, there is also a small scar around the belly button if it is moved during surgery. Dr. Poppler uses a technique that helps hide this scar inside the belly button and makes it less visible to others.
During breast augmentation, the incision is usually discreetly hidden in the fold under your breast. If you have a mastopexy (breast lift) or breast reduction the incisions will be discreetly placed around your areola, and will sometimes also run from the bottom of areola to the bottom of your breast and in the fold under your breast.
How long is recovery after a tummy tuck?
Recovery from mommy makeover surgery usually takes about 6 weeks. Most patients return to light activities within 1-2 weeks, and work in 3-4 weeks. Return to most exercise is possible about 3-4 weeks after surgery. Depending on if you have your muscles tightened (rectus diastasis repair) during abdominoplasty, you will have some lifting and twisting restrictions for 3 months. Swelling is typically mostly gone in 4 weeks but will come and go for about 3 months. The more things you have done as part of mommy makeover surgery, the longer it will take to recover.
Is mommy makeover safe?
A mommy makeover is generally very safe when performed on appropriate patients by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Like all surgeries, there are risks such as infection, bleeding, fluid build-up, or scarring. Choosing an experienced surgeon like Dr. Poppler, following his advice to modify any risk factors before surgery, and following aftercare instructions lowers these risks and improves results.
Possible Complications
Like all surgeries, mommy makeover has risks. The risks are small but are higher in people with certain medical conditions such as smoking, poor nutrition, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, or diseases that require the use of blood thinning medications. Dr. Poppler will carefully review your risk factors with you at your consultation and help you modify these where possible to make your surgery as safe as possible. At Treasure Valley Plastic Surgery, your safety is our number one priority, and all surgical prices include an insurance plan to help pay for care related to any complications.
Possible complications listed from most to least common include:
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Mild asymmetry (difference from one side to the other)
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Changes in skin or nipple and areola feeling (numbness or increased sensitivity)
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Fluid build-up (seroma)
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Scars that may be thick or uneven
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Poor wound healing
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Infection
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Bleeding
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