Introduction to Mommy Makeover
Mommy makeover surgery is a colloquial term for a combination of cosmetic surgery procedures that Dr. Zuckerman performs to restore the youthful contours of the body for those who have had one or more previous pregnancies. Generally speaking, it involves a cosmetic breast procedure and a cosmetic body procedure. Many women experience permanent changes related to pregnancy and breastfeeding in the abdomen and breasts including excess skin, stubborn excess deposits of fat, or sagging or loss of upper pole fullness (“pancaking”) of the breasts. It may be problematic or impossible to eliminate these issues even with a healthy diet and excercise regimen, because they represent changes in tissue structure or elasticity. Dr. Zuckerman can help you regain your pre-pregnancy figure by, in most cases, undergoing a single combined operation.
The mommy makeover is one of Dr. Zuckerman’s specialties, and new or recent mothers represent a large percentage of his patients at Zuckerman Plastic Surgery in midtown Manhattan. Trained at elite medical institutions including Brown University and New York University, Dr. Zuckerman is an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon and helps new and recent mothers to lift and restore the breasts, eliminate excess skin from the abdomen, and remove excess deposits of fat from many areas of the body. Dr. Zuckerman tailors the treatment plan to each individual patient, recommending a particular combination of mommy makeover procedures based on each patient’s needs. He strives to achieve beautiful, natural-looking and youthful contours of the breasts and body. While pregnancy and childbirth represent a new, wonderful phase in life, mothers do not have to sacrifice their “pre-baby” youthful contours and appearance.
Am I A Candidate For Mommy Makeover?
Candidates for mommy makeover surgery include mothers who experience one or more of the following aesthetic issues of the breasts and abdomen:
- Sagging or drooping of the breasts
- Changes in shape of the breasts due to loss of upper pole fullness (“pancacking”) as a result of pregnancy-related weight gain and loss and/or breastfeeding
- Excess deposits of fat and extra skin in the abdominal area and possibly pregnancy-related abdominal muscle separation (diastasis recti)
- Stubborn deposits of fat in practically any region of the body, not addressable by diet and exercise
- Pregnancy-related stretch marks in the abdomen, flanks, breasts, or thighs
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight gain, and weight loss affect each woman differently depending on age, skin elasticity, pre-pregnancy weight and other factors. Consequently, Dr. Zuckerman will customize your treatment plan according to your personal surgical goals and your anatomy. See below for a visual demonstration of common mommy makeover surgical combinations that Dr. Zuckerman’s patients choose to undergo.
Follow the journey of one of Dr. Zuckerman’s mommy makeover patients. Dr. Zuckerman performed a combined breast augmentation with 300cc silicone gel implants and a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). This patient describes her reasons for undergoing surgery and afterward, how much she loves her result.
Mommy Makeover in Detail
As mentioned above, Dr. Zuckerman will help you customize the best mommy makeover surgery treatment plan for you. Generally speaking, mommy makeovers include the following surgical options. The links on each take you to the full guide for that procedure.
Common Mommy Makeover Cosmetic Breast Surgery Procedures
- Breast Augmentation: The breasts experience significant changes after pregnancy, and Dr. Zuckerman can restore lost volume and natural shape to deflated breasts with saline or silicone breast implants.
- Breast Lift (Mastopexy): Breast ptosis, or sag, and excess skin often results from pregnancy and breastfeeding. Dr. Zuckerman can raise the breast mound, eliminate excess skin, sagging or drooping, and restore the “perkiness” to your breasts.
- Augmentation / Mastopexy: Dr. Zuckerman can combine a breast augmentation and breast lift into one operation. This both adds volume and eliminates sag.
Dr. Zuckerman can also perform a breast reduction as the breast operation in a mommy makeover. This may be a great option for mothers suffering from back or shoulder pain due to overly large breasts.
Common Mommy Makeover Cosmetic Body Surgery Procedures
- Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty): Dr. Zuckerman can eliminate excess skin and, if needed, correct abdominal muscle separation, also known as diastasis recti. Abdominoplasty is Dr. Zuckerman’s specialty and his most popular procedure. It is also the most common aesthetic surgery procedure of the body for new mothers.
- Mini Tummy Tuck: A variant of the full tummy tuck, Dr. Zuckerman can provide more limited correction of excess skin below the belly button with the “mini” version of the procedure in return for a smaller incision.
- Liposuction: Dr. Zuckerman uses liposuction as an effective sculpting tool to eliminate stubborn deposits of fat from many areas of the body. He can restore youthful, flat, fit, “pre-baby” contours.
Patients often undergo two of the above procedures during a mommy makeover with Dr. Zuckerman, a breast operation and a body operation, combined as a single operative period, and depending on your surgical goals, further combinations with other types of surgery may be possible. Please contact our office if you desire another procedure or combination not listed below. For example, Dr. Zuckerman may be able to add another area or areas of liposuction other than the abdomen to your mommy makeover. If you experience post-pregnancy related abdominal muscle separation, known medically as the condition diastasis recti, please visit the Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) guide to see how Dr. Zuckerman repairs this issue during abdominoplasty.
Dr. Zuckerman will discuss his recommended mommy makeover treatment plan at your initial cosmetic surgery consultation. He uses the latest techniques in each of the procedures listed above, and as his area of specialization, he is very experienced at achieving great surgical outcomes for each patient. The length of your mommy makeover surgery will vary depending on which procedures Dr. Zuckerman performs, but he is typically able to perform most combinations in five hours or less. You may undergo surgery at Dr. Zuckerman’s state-of-the-art, fully equipped operating room located inside his office in midtown Manhattan. This operatory facility has been certified by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF), certifying it as a facility that offers an equally high standard of care as a hospital. The privacy, discretion, and convenience of Dr. Zuckerman’s private in-office operating room facility is an exclusive benefit of Zuckerman Plastic Surgery that many patients appreciate. Should you desire, you may also undergo surgery with Dr. Zuckerman at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, a major hospital in Manhattan in the Northwell system where all types of breast, body, and face cosmetic surgery procedures are performed. Dr. Zuckerman is on staff in the department of plastic surgery for Northwell system hospitals in Manhattan among others.
Mommy Makeover Recovery
The recovery from mommy makeover surgery varies depending on the type of procedures performed. In some cases, such as with a breast augmentation and/or liposuction, Dr. Zuckerman’s patients may return to work within a few days, or even undergo surgery on a Thursday or Friday and return to work on Monday. However, other procedures involve more extensive surgery and require a longer recovery period. Dr. Zuckerman will discuss with you any questions or concerns you may have regarding your combination of procedures. For more information about the recovery of each procedure, please visit the individual guide pages for each. Fortunately, the recovery periods are not additive: by combining two cosmetic surgery operations into a single operative episode, mommy makeover surgery recovery is typically near the length of the recovery period of the more involved procedure of the two.
On the day of surgery, Dr. Zuckerman applies a long-acting local anesthetic called EXPAREL® for all cosmetic breast and body patients. Whereas most traditional pain medicines last up to a maximum of twelve hours, EXPAREL® gradually releases medication to a particular region for up to three days. This approach is a significant departure from previous techniques and minimizes postoperative pain and discomfort after mommy makeover surgery combinations.
Mommy Makeover Before and After by Dr. Zuckerman
More Before & Afters
Dr. Zuckerman publishes many of his previous mommy makeover results with patient consent. The before and after image gallery has pairs of high resolution images from three to four angles for each patient. Many prospective patients enjoy finding a similar case to their own that Dr. Zuckerman has performed in the past. Take a look through the gallery by clicking on the button below.
Risks of Mommy Makeover
As with the recovery period, the risks and possible complications depend on the procedures performed as part of the mommy makeover. However, each of the breast and body cosmetic surgery operations are overwhelmingly safe when performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Please visit the guide page for each procedure for more information about the risks of each. A few possible, albeit it rare, complications of one or more of these procedures are:
- Wound breakdown
- Infection of the incision sites (if any)
- Hypertrophic, raised, scarring
- Bleeding or hematoma formation
- Capsular contracture (breast augmentation with implants only)
Frequently Asked Questions About Mommy Makeover
Below are the answers to some questions Dr. Zuckerman most frequently receives from prospective patients. If you don’t see your question below, feel free to contact Dr. Zuckerman’s office, and a member of his staff will be glad to reach out to you.
Mommy makeover surgery is not a medical term but is an informal name for a collection of cosmetic breast and body surgery procedures. The most common modality of the surgery is an abdominoplasty combined with a breast augmentation performed on the same day. However, I have also performed abdominoplasty plus breast lift or breast reduction and liposuction only plus a breast procedure without an abdominoplasty. I will help you decide which combination of procedures is right for you.
Yes, almost all my mommy makeover patients undergo a tummy tuck as part of their combination, and all tummy tucks involve liposuction of the abdomen, flanks, and lower back as part of the procedure. The goal is to remove excess fat via liposuction and excess skin via the tummy tuck procedure to reshape your abdominal contour.
Yes, I place drains in the abdomen for all abdominoplasty patients. They typically remain in place for one to two weeks and are not painful to remove. They help prevent collections of fluid called seromas and are quite important. You can shower with them in place, and they require minimal maintenance.
Request Your Mommy Makeover Consultation
Are you ready for your mommy makeover consultation with Dr. Zuckerman? He will perform a thorough evaluation of your desired outcome and needs based on your anatomy and medical history. Dr. Zuckerman will also address any questions or concerns you may have about the surgery and discuss with you the details of his approach: incision location(s), procedure length and techniques, likely operative outcome, etc. Contact his office by clicking the button below or by calling (212) 231-9897. Dr. Zuckerman also offers consultations via Skype and a process for out-of-town patients to visit New York City to have surgery with him.
Schedule an Appointment