What is recovery like with a mommy makeover?

Mommy makeover is a term that implies some surgery on the breast, some surgery on the tummy.

The mommy makeover one patient get may be a simple scar revision of their  C-section and a small breast implant; another patient might need a full breast reconstruction with a full tummy tuck and flank plasty.  

Some patients are young and bounce back, others are older and take longer to recover.

So the recovery is quite varied.  For an 'average' mommy makeover, patients can usually drive by 1 week, walk five miles on a flat surface by two weeks, and run by 4 weeks.  Hard workouts generally start at around 6 weeks.

Pain pumps have dramatically altered the recovery from abdominal and breast surgery. They reduce pain without sedating patients. Their safety profile is also much higher than in the past, with no need for Marcaine, a long acting anesthetic that has been associated with heart block in some patients.

The difference between patients who go home after their surgery and those who stay in an aftercare with pain pumps is night and day.

It is actually possible to have a pain pump for both the breasts and the tummy tuck at the same time.

Also, a night or two in an aftercare facility also helps recovery.

Small children less than two years of age are the biggest impediment to an easy recovery. It is often nice to get some help if kids less than 2 years old are at home.

All in all, the satisfaction rate for an expertly performed breast surgery and tummy tuck, customized to the patient's needs, is very high.

Patients should not over schedule during their recovery period.  It is a time for recovery and healing.

 

Most of my patients find recovery from combination procedures quite manageable.  Many have related it to be similar to a c-section or hysterectomy.  Sometimes they find it easier.  I have seen a profound improvement in the last few years related to 3 game-changers:  1. Exparel gives a 3 day effect of local anesthesia which gets patients off to a great start.  2. Elimination of drains decreases pain and hassle and gets patients moving faster. 3.  Anesthesia improvements using our proprietary combinations has markedly decreased the pain and nausea. 

Recovery time after any surgery will vary from patient to patient
based on a number of different factors. Since a mom he make over refers to a number of
different operations it will just depend on which ones are done. Remember
a mommy make over typically refers to an operation that improves the look and shape
of a woman's breasts. At the same time it also deals with contouring of the
abdominal wall. The breast operations that could be done include; a
breast augmentation, a breast lift, breast reduction, or breast lift with the
addition of breast implants. As far as the abdomen goes the operations
could include; liposuction only, a mini tummy tuck, full tummy tuck, tummy tuck
with liposuction or a lipo-abdominoplasty. Typically the breast surgeries
don't have much more than 7-10 days of general recovery, with restrictions on
high impact activities up to 6 weeks. For most of my patients they find
that the breast operations are comfortable enough were more than a day or 2 of
pain medicines is not necessary. The abdominal procedures on the other
hand are where most of the recovery comes from. For my tummy tuck
patient's, including those that have a Mommy make over, I typically tell them
that they will need between 2 and 3 weeks of general recovery. Again no
heavy lifting or high impact activity for 6 weeks is typically recommended.


If
we think in terms of recovery there are multiple different aspects of it.
When some people talked about recovery there is simply referring to how
they will feel. Pain, discomfort, tightness, are all aspects of this form
of the recovery, So for each one of these it'll vary from patient to patient.
Another aspect of recovery is returned to physical activity. In
this aspect of recovery it is more depend on a physiologic response which does
not vary as much from patient to patient. In a normal patient who is not
diabetic, protein malnourished, a smoker, or on steroids, they can expect
50% of the strength of a healing wound to be there by 6 weeks. Therefore
a lot of the restrictions that I recommend to patient's postoperatively are
removed by 6 weeks. In the final kind of healing I talked by patient's
about it when they will feel normal. For most patients this could take up
to 12 weeks. With the exception of numbness that can happen in the
operative fields were this kind of recovery could really take between 15 and 18
months.

Thanks for your question!
You will have pain, soreness and swelling, especially the first week. The pain is manageable with rest and medication. I do not think you will scare your children. Just take the time needed to heal and recover. Best wishes!

Recovery after a mommy makeover involves different stages and varies from person to person. Generally, the first few days are the most uncomfortable, with some patients experiencing soreness and tightness in the chest and abdomen. Medications will be provided to help manage the pain, and while they may cause some drowsiness, you should not feel comatose. After a few days, most patients can begin to walk and perform light activities. However, you will need to avoid lifting heavy objects or engaging in strenuous activities for a few weeks. It is essential to follow your surgeon's post-operative instructions carefully to ensure a successful recovery. With regards to your children, it is important to communicate with them about your recovery process and limitations, so they understand why you may not be able to do certain activities. I would recommend that you plan for at least 3-4 weeks of limited activity and 6-8 weeks for full activity. Thank you for your question, and best of luck with your mommy makeover!

Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.

Congratulations on your decision to move forward with surgery. I know it's a big step, and being worried is natural. You don't have to worry about being "comatose" once you're home. Usually patients wake up drowsy from anesthesia, but we don't have your family see you until you're more awake and conversant. If you want to recover with a little more peace and quiet, we offer patients a recovery house staffed with a very attentive nurse. The first one-two weeks is the toughest in terms of discomfort. Our patient can start slow exercise at the 4 week mark.

A recovery with Mastopexy, breast Augmentation and tummy tuck can look very overwhelming because of the multiple areas involved.
As surgeons we understand the need not to feel "comatose" secondary to medications, but we also know that its important to take your pain medication as scheduled in the early days of surgery to avoid those "un bearable" stretches

In my practice i often combine Multi Modal Therapy (3-4 different pain medications taken at different intervals) along with anaesthetic blocks (such as a TAP or Spinal).

These two modalities have changed how my patients recover and most of them are in good spirits by as early as a few days, and none of them have the nasty side effects of excessive narcotic use.

Most patients are able to perform their normal activities of daily living at around 2 weeks, but it takes about 2-4 months for full recovery. Women with small children usually need help with their children for about 3 weeks.

A “mommy makeover” is one of the most confidence transforming procedures that I perform. Rather than being a single procedure, it is actually a several procedures to restore your body and confidence to its pre-pregnancy appearance.
Each Mommy Makeover is a unique and delicate combination of procedures which may include: Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), Breast lift (mastopexy), Breast augmentation and Liposuction. I carefully tailor each surgery to the specific goals for each patient, and therefore each Mommy Makeover surgery is unique.
Following your surgery, the healing process is the combination of both your breast procedures and tummy procedures. Depending on the extent of the procedure and patient preference, you may wish to spend one night in the surgery center, or an after-care facility. You will begin ambulating the next day. For the first week you may have trouble standing fully upright due to the tightening of your skin. Depending on your occupation and activity level you may return to work and light activity around two weeks. At around 6 weeks you can generally resume your usual activities and restart your exercise routines.

Hi there, this is a great question. You will not have any incoherency following your surgery, once you are home. Our Mommy Makeover patients at our practice typically stay in our overnight recovery facility and go home the next morning, it is very close by to our practice. At that point, you will be perfectly coherent and will be easily able to engage with your children. The maximum recovery is 8 weeks at which point you can resume normal exercises and strengthen weight training, typically most patients require 3-5 days of help before they are fully functional and able to carry out daily activities of daily living.

The mummy make over involves a combination of procedure and generally involves a tummy tuck and a breast procedure like uplift or augmentation or both. the wound healing takes 2-3 weeks and swellings takes longer to settle down. Generally patients start normal activities in 2 weeks and should be able to do all normal activities in 6 weeks. Any exercise or lifting weights that is likely to put pressure on abdominal muscles should be avoided for 3 months.

A mommy or mummy makeover is a combined customised procedure so recovery will vary from patient to patient depending on the extent of each procedure. This also means that every person will experience a different pain based on their tolerance. However, here is an outline of what most patients’ recovery will look like.
You will wake up from surgery with dressing tape on your scars which will remain in place for two weeks in your abdomen area and your breasts. For the first few days your breasts will be swollen and tender. You will be wearing a compression garment that needs to be worn for six weeks after surgery for your abdomen and a fitted post-operative bra to help with recovery. You may shower the day after surgery if you wish. You will usually require 1 - 2 nights in hospital. An abdominoplasty is a major surgical procedure, so expect to be out of action for a while: it is common to need 3 - 4 weeks of rest and recovery time but this is dependent on your type of employment and will be discussed with you during your consultation. Your doctor will care about your postoperative result, and will see you multiple times after your surgery: at one, two weeks and six weeks, six and twelve months to check on your progress. It will take one year for your scars to settle and for your final result to be seen.