Pain Management Following Mommy Makeover Surgery

The mommy makeover is one of the largest procedures performed in cosmetic surgery. This procedure has several components. These include breast augmentation, breast lift, abdominoplasty, and liposuction of the hips and thighs. The exact procedure performed in any particular case is dependent upon the specific needs of the individual patient.

Pain tolerance varies from patient to patient and is dependent upon a variety of factors. The vast majority of patients who have mommy makeover surgery describe their pain

as moderate. This pain is especially noticeable in the first 24 hours following surgery, but improves rapidly over the next week.

Patients are given narcotic pain relievers in the immediate postoperative period and switched to Tylenol 5 to 7 days postoperatively. It’s not unusual for patients to have pain, which is related to muscle spasm following this procedure. When this situation arises, muscle relaxants are extremely helpful as well.

If you’re concerned about postoperative pain management, it’s important to discuss this issue with your plastic surgeon. Your surgeon should be able to develop a plan that addresses your concerns. 

The Ideal Weight for Mommy Makeover Surgery

There’s no question that being close to your ideal body weight improves the results from mommy makeover surgery. It also decreases the potential for complications with this type of procedure. For these reasons, we prefer that patients be within 10% of their ideal body weight at the time of surgery.

Unfortunately, reaching an ideal body weight is easier said than done. The vast majority of patients are unsuccessful at losing this additional weight. It’s also important to realize that even when patients are overweight, they can potentially benefit from mommy makeover surgery. We therefore evaluate every patient on an individual basis. We encourage patients to lose weight before surgery and prefer that their weight be stable for at least three months. We realize that some patients will have difficulty losing weight. We therefore encourage patients to be in a supervised weight loss program. Even with that help, some patients will be unsuccessful in their effort to lose weight. Even without weight loss, many of these patients will still potentially benefit from mommy makeover surgery.

It’s important to realize that weight loss following mommy makeover surgery can affect the final result. This could even result in the need for revisional surgery. For these reasons, it’s important to thoroughly discuss this issue with your plastic surgeon. 

C-Sections & Tummy Tucks

Abdominoplasty isn’t recommended immediately following a C-section for a variety of reasons. These include the inability to make aesthetic judgments immediately following pregnancy, the mother’s overall health status, and the demands of a newborn child on the mother.

The timing of surgery following pregnancy is important and several issues should be considered before proceeding with surgery. It takes time for a new post-pregnancy body to reach its new baseline following pregnancy, and during this transition, it’s impossible to make aesthetic judgments. During this period, stretched skin may contract, a swollen uterus may shrink, and the weight gained during pregnancy may gradually disappear. This process takes 3 to 6 months and needs to occur before abdominoplasty is performed. 

Ideally, patients should be within 10% of their ideal body weight and in good health otherwise. The majority of women who have undergone C-sections aren’t in good physical shape and are therefore not optimal candidates for surgery for a variety of reasons. These may include severe fatigue, a depressed immune system, possible blood loss, an increased potential for infection and elevated estrogen levels which can increase the risk of blood clots.

Finally, the demands of a newborn would make the recovery from these combined procedures very difficult. For instance, the use of postoperative pain medications would prevent you from breast feeding. In other words, the abdominoplasty might impact your developing relationships with your newborn child. 

For all these reasons, it’s obvious that C-section and abdominoplasty shouldn’t be performed together. If you’re considering abdominoplasty it’s important to give yourself time to fully recover from your C-section. Once this has occurred it’s appropriate to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon.  

The Ideal Weight for Tummy Tuck Surgery

There’s no question that being close to your ideal body weight improves the results from tummy tuck surgery. It also decreases the potential for complications with this type of surgical procedure. For these reasons, we prefer that patients be within 10% of their ideal body weight at the time of surgery.
 
Unfortunately, reaching an ideal weight is easier said than done. The vast majority of patients are unsuccessful at losing this additional weight. 

It’s also important to know that even when patients are overweight, they can potentially benefit from abdominoplasty. 

Every patient must be evaluated on an individual basis.
 
We encourage patients to lose weight before surgery and prefer that their weight be stable for at least three months. We realize that some patients will have difficulty losing weight. We therefore encourage patients to be in a supervised weight loss program. Even with that help, some patients will be unsuccessful in their effort to lose weight. 

Even without weight loss, many of these patients will still potentially benefit from tummy tuck surgery.
 
It’s important to realize that weight loss following tummy tuck surgery can affect the final result. This could even result in the need for revisional surgery. For these reasons, it’s important to thoroughly discuss this issue with your board-certified plastic surgeon.

Tummy Tuck Recovery

Abdominoplasty removes excess abdominal skin while simultaneously tightening the abdominal muscles. Patients can anticipate limited physical activity for ten to fourteen days following surgery. We typically tell our patients bathroom and kitchen privileges initially with slow resumption of normal activity over the next two weeks. Patients can usually return to work in two weeks if no strenuous activity or heavy lifting is involved. After six weeks, they can resume all their normal activities including heavy lifting.
 

Patients typically wear an abdominal binder for three weeks following surgery. This minimizes swelling and increases comfort. Drains are placed at the time of surgery and are usually removed within two weeks of surgery. Pain management is extremely important, especially when the abdominal muscles are tightened. Most patients are initially given narcotic pain relievers and switched to double strength Tylenol five to seven days following surgery.

Patients with small children should have assistance with childcare for at least one week and patients should not drive while taking narcotics.

For many patients, abdominoplasty is a life-changing experience. After unsuccessful dieting and exercise programs, this procedure results in dramatic changes in self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-image.

Surgical Drains Following Tummy Tuck Surgery

Drains are frequently used in the postoperative period in abdominoplasty patients to minimize the potential for seroma formation. Drains are usually left in place for 7 to 14 days following surgery. They are usually removed when drainage drops below 25 cc per 24 hours.

The management of surgical drainage varies from patient to patient. Each patient has a unique surgical anatomy and surgical procedures are modified for each individual patient for these reasons.

The Impact of Weight Gain Following Tummy Tuck

Significant weight gain can occasionally occur following tummy tuck surgery.  In the vast majority of abdominoplasty patients this is not a problem.  In abdominoplasty patients, life-style changes are often an important part of their recovery. They tend to watch their diet and exercise more frequently.

Unfortunately, when weight gain following abdominoplasty occurs, the impact upon the procedure can be significant. Many of the original problems such as loose, saggy skin, weakened muscles, and stretch marks can be recreated.

Are You A Candidate for Tummy Tuck Surgery? - Watch Dr. John Edney's Video to Find Out

Watch Dr. Edney answer all of the questions you may have regarding Tummy Tuck surgery in his detailed video. In this video, he explains how the procedure is performed, what the recovery period is like, what the benefits are, and the differences between Tummy Tuck and Mini Tummy Tuck.

The Management of Breast Asymmetry

Breast asymmetry is an extremely common problem amongst women. In most cases, this is relatively minor and women aren’t bothered by it. Occasionally, it can be severe and treatment is necessary.

A multitude of options can be used to treat this problem. These may include breast reduction, breast lift, breast augmentation, or various combinations of these procedures.

It’s important to realize every patient is unique. They have specific aesthetic goals and unique anatomic findings. The specific treatment for any individual patient will depend entirely upon these issues.

Choosing a Plastic Surgeon

It’s important for patients to be comfortable with their choice of plastic surgeon before proceeding with cosmetic surgery. When choosing a surgeon, several issues should be considered. These include the surgeon’s training, certification, and experience.

Completion of a plastic surgery residency is an essential requirement when picking a surgeon. Although it seems obvious that cosmetic surgery is a procedure that should be performed by someone trained in plastic surgery, this is not always the case. There are many physicians who perform cosmetic surgery who haven’t completed plastic surgery training. They frequently refer to themselves as cosmetic surgeons and have trained in a variety of other areas.

Board-certification is also extremely important. This means that your surgeon has undergone testing and peer review. He or she has satisfied certain criteria that are associated with surgical excellence.

One of the most important factors is your surgeon’s level of experience. Surgeons who have extensive experience with aesthetic surgery tend to have higher success rates.

The Ideal Age for Rhinoplasty

Several variables should be considered when determining the appropriate age for rhinoplasty surgery. These variables tend to make each patient’s situation unique. As a general rule, it’s important for patients to reach both physical and emotional maturity before proceeding with surgery.

Physical maturity is important for several reasons. Operating on the nose before growth has stabilized can have significant consequences. Under these circumstances, continued growth following rhinoplasty surgery can result in nasal changes that may alter the appearance of the nose. In addition, rhinoplasty surgery performed at an early age has the potential to disrupt facial growth. This can result in flattened cheekbones and even malocclusion.

Emotional maturity is also extremely important. For the most part, this procedure is irreversible and young patients must understand the significance of their decision. The nose is located in the center of their face and their appearance will be altered forever.

Mini Tummy Tuck vs. Full Tummy Tuck

Pregnancy has a significant impact on a woman’s body, and nowhere is this more noticeable then the abdomen. This area develops excess, saggy skin, weakened muscles, and stretch marks. Despite diet and exercise, most women are unable to reverse these changes and this ultimately affects their self-image and self-esteem. Treatment options are limited and in most cases involve either abdominoplasty or mini abdominoplasty.

Abdominoplasty is performed by making a lower abdominal skin incision and then lifting the skin and subcutaneous tissue to the level of the rib cage. This typically requires detaching the belly button, which allows more skin to be removed. The muscles are then tightened, excess skin removed, and the belly button re-attached in proper position.

Recovery Following Facelifts

Facelift recovery varies from patient to patient and depends on a large number of variables. Just as every patient is unique, the chosen procedure for he or she is unique as well. The differences in wound-healing characteristics and the type of procedure performed account for variations in facelift recovery.

Most patients feel pretty good in about four to five days, but their primary concerns are when they will look good enough to go out in public. Recovery following facelift surgery may last for months, but most patients feel they can go out in public in about two weeks. At this point, most of the bruising and swelling have resolved. Many patients adjust their hairstyle to hide their incisions and use make-up as well.

Breast Augmentation & Under Wire Bras

We generally avoid using under wire bras for six to eight weeks following breast augmentation. There are two reasons for this approach. First, when patients undergo sub muscular placement of breast implants, the pectoral major muscle may undergo spasm in the early post-operative period. This may force the implant in an upward direction and lead to malposition. When this situation arises, we utilize compression to force the implant in a downward direction. An under wire bra would have the opposite effect.

Another reason for avoiding under wire bras in the immediate post-operative period is the potential for the bra to irritate a fresh surgical incision.  An infamammary incision would be directly beneath the under wire bra and this might lead to irritation of the incision.

Signs of Breast Implant Leakage

In the majority of patients undergoing breast augmentation, implants last a lifetime. Occasionally, implants deflate and need to be replaced.

Current data suggests that implants deflate at a rate of 1% at one year and 3% at three years. Over time, this number can be expected to grow. Implants may deflate with no apparent cause or may deflate secondary to trauma.

When saline implants deflate, the diagnosis is relatively easy to make. These implants lose volume and flatten quickly. Silicone implants present a much more difficult problem when they deflate. Rupture of silicone implants may not be apparent for years.

Signs of deflation include soreness, redness, loss of volume, change in shape, and sometimes, capsular contracture. These signs may be subtle and a history of trauma may be the only early indicator.

Can Liposuction and Tummy Tuck be done at the Same Time?

Following pregnancy, it’s not uncommon to see women who have abdominal skin sag with stretch marks. Many of these patients also have fat collections of their hips and thighs. At Aesthetic Surgical Images, we frequently perform liposuction of the hips and thighs at the time of abdominoplasty; however, we avoid liposuction of the abdomen at the time of abdominoplasty because of the increased potential for wound-healing problems.

When performing abdominoplasty, the lower abdominal incision and the elevation of abdominal skin flaps interrupt several sources of blood supply to the abdominal skin. When liposuction of the abdomen is done during abdominoplasty, there is the potential to damage the remaining blood supply. This potentially could result in skin necrosis and wound-healing problems. If patients need liposuction of their abdomen, we prefer performing this procedure at a later date.

There are significant advantages in performing liposuction of the hips and thighs in combination with abdominoplasty. These include synergy, cost-savings, and one recovery period.  Attempts to perform liposuction of the abdomen in combination with abdominoplasty potentially can result in an increased complication rate.

Tummy Tuck Recovery Tips

The recovery period after a tummy tuck in Omaha may take several weeks.  Here are some tips to help make your recovery as comfortable and short as possible.

1) Take all prescribed medicines. Your surgeon will prescribe postoperative pain medications and antibiotics which you should take as directed, especially in the first 24 to 36 hours.  Strict adherence to the pain medication regimen is necessary in order to avoid severe discomfort as the doses “wear off.”  Many patients also find that stool softeners are helpful because of the constipating effect of the narcotics.

Plastic Surgery on the Rise for Those 55 and Over

It’s true you can feel good and look good at any age.  According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more patients over the age of 55 are undergoing plastic surgery now than in years past.

The greatest number of surgeries which this demographic tends to opt for are "… surgical body contouring procedures (liposuction, tummy tuck), eyelid surgery and breast augmentations,” according to ASPS President Dr. Michael McGuire.  Men are showing an interest in body enhancements, while facelifts remain a popular choice.

Mommy Makeover

Most women, today, take pride in their appearance. They work hard to maintain a proper lifestyle by eating mostly healthy foods, exercising, and keeping fit. When motherhood occurs, however, everything changes. Pregnancy, childbirth, and breast feeding all take their toll on every part of the body. Before a woman knows it, a lifetime of her efforts have been undone.

Computer Imaging for your Cosmetic Surgical Procedures

Once you’ve chosen your board certified plastic surgeon for your cosmetic surgical procedure, the next step is to schedule a consultation. At this stage, all your questions about your procedure will be answered. How long does surgery take? Will there be pain and swelling? Is there noticeable scarring from the procedure? What are the risks involved? How soon can I return to work?

Patients often ask, “What type of results can I expect after surgery?” During your initial consultation at Surgical Images, your physician can simulate a “post-op” blueprint of your surgical results. Imaging is most commonly used with the following procedures: