Patients thinking about having a Mommy Makeover procedure or just a tummy tuck to improve their look often struggle to decide what is best for them. It is normal to have questions and to wonder what procedure might serve you best. However, remember that the plastic surgeon’s role is also to guide you towards what can help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
Nowadays, most women are unhappy with the look of their belly. The abdomen and the breasts are the areas of the body most affected by pregnancy and weight fluctuations. And, often, only plastic surgery can fix the appearance of the breasts and tummy.
After pregnancy and childbirth, it can be difficult for the new mommy to get back in shape. Some women never entirely manage to get back to their pre-pregnancy body. Some resort to plastic surgery to get the body they have always wanted. But what procedure is best? Is the Mommy Makeover a good idea or a tummy tuck will do?
What results can you get with a tummy tuck?
The tummy tuck (also called abdominoplasty) eliminates the excess skin present at the lower abdomen level. After considerable weight loss or after pregnancy, the stretched skin might not retract on the new contours of the body. As a result, the abdomen can show saggy skin. Only a tummy tuck can improve or correct skin sagginess.
What happens during a tummy tuck?
During a tummy tuck procedure, the Plastic Surgeon makes an incision in the suprapubic area and excises the surplus of skin. This process will ensure a firm and flat tummy post-op. But there is more… During the surgery, the Plastic Surgeon restores loose abdominal muscles and corrects conditions such as diastasis recti and umbilical hernia.
When the patient has extra fat on the flanks and the abdominal wall, liposuction, and tummy tuck are generally combined. In fact, a tummy tuck does not eliminate the fat deposits present at the midline level. They are eliminated through liposuction.
What happens during a Mommy Makeover procedure?
A Mommy Makeover is different from a tummy tuck procedure as it involves more steps. The Mommy Makeover often consists of a series of procedures that include the breasts (breast lift, augmentation or reduction), a tummy tuck, and liposuction. This process is highly customizable. In other words, there are no two Mommy Makeovers alike. Depending on the patient’s needs and wants, the Mommy Makeover procedure is different.
The pre-operative consultation is when the Plastic Surgeon will recommend the most suitable procedures for your particular situation. Sometimes you are unhappy with the look of your breasts (they are either too big, too small, too saggy, etc.). A Mommy Makeover can correct the breasts at the same time as your tightening your tummy.
As the name suggests, the Mommy Makeover is prevalent among women after pregnancy. That is when they find it most challenging to get back to their pre-pregnancy body shape through diet and exercise.
The most common Mommy Makeover procedures
After pregnancy, the breasts can start sagging and even lose some volume. Most women will want their breasts to become perky and firm again. Therefore, many times a Mommy Makeover will include breast augmentation, breast lift, or both. A breast lift without implants is a good option when the patient just wants to eliminate breasts sagginess. A breast reduction surgery can also be part of a Mommy Makeover if the patient develops overly large breasts after pregnancy and childbirth.
The Mommy Makeover procedure usually includes a tummy tuck and, in a majority of cases, it entails liposuction. As mentioned before, lipo is the only way to effectively sculpt the body and eliminate unwanted fat pockets throughout the body. Liposuction can remove fat from the sides and the back after a breast reduction surgery to reduce the bulging. But most commonly, liposuction reduces the layer of fat on the flanks and the abdominal wall to improve tummy tuck results.
Since a Mommy Makeover is a set of plastic surgery procedures performed at the same time, the recovery time might be longer. However, the body looks very different after a Mommy Makeover compared to just a tummy tuck. Finally, subsequent pregnancy and significant weight fluctuation can alter the results achieved with these procedures.
About Dr. Rosso and Peninsula Plastic Surgery
Awards & Acknowledgments
Dr. Rosso is one of the leading Plastic Surgeons in the South Bay and performs a large number of Mommy Makeovers and Tummy Tucks.
Procedures are done at either his state-of-the-art Surgery Center or at the local Torrance and Little Company of Mary Hospitals.
Dr. Rosso has been voted 2019 Daily Breeze Reader’s Choice Winner; 2018 Daily Breeze South Bay’s Favorite; 2017 and 2018 Best of the Beach; and the Peninsula Plastic Surgery doctors and staff have been awarded the 2018 Spectrum Award for Customer Service Excellence. At the end of 2018, he has also received an Award from the ER Doctors and Medical staff at Providence Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance for his great work and commitment to patients.