Mommy Makeover Recovery Time

It may seem obvious, but every person recovers at a different rate.  I tend to tell my patients to expect each phase of the recovery to be broken down into "2 to 3."  This means that it is usually 2-3 hours to "wake up" from the anesthetic so your head starts to clear; 2-3 days that you can expect pain that probably requires pain medication (narcotics) around the clock or on some set schedule; 2-3 weeks that you taper off the medications and start increasing your activity; 2-3 months to feel like yourself again; and 2 years for your scars to fully mature.  I think there have been excellent comments about things like the On-Q pain pump and other assessments about the pain with each of these surgeries, but I wanted to give you a basic time frame to block out your recovery from your 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.

Web reference: http://drbrent.com/hybrid.php

After any major surgery, you can expect to require at least 6 weeks off of aggressive activity, including exercise.

You should not lift more than 5 pounds during the first 3-4 weeks after breast surgery, and following a tummy tuck, avoid twisting motions and using your core for 4-6 weeks.

Arrange for help at home - both for routine daily activities like getting the kids ready for school, making lunches, making dinner, driving children to and from appointments, etc. - both also ensure you have the physical and moral support to aid in your recovery.

Making meals ahead of time and freezing them will enable a quick and easy dinners during your recovery. Splurge on home-cleaning services and possibly a spa treatment for yourself!

You will have some physical discomfort, but primarily you will feel TIRED. Expect to need more sleep and not not have the regular energy required for your usual activities.

Communicate with your friends, family members and neighbours, if appropriate, that you will be recovering from an extensive surgical procedure and guide them towards how they can best help you during your Mommy Makeover recovery!

Having both procedures done at the same time does not lengthen the recovery, it just makes the tummy tuck the time variable. Breast augmentation recovery is 7 days or so. Tummy tuck recovery is 10 to 14 daysl. Your recovery will be in the 10 to 14 day period for both. If you've had a c-section, you have a great understanding for what to expect. Your pain will not be additive, but it will comprise a larger area of your body.

My patients seem to "turn the corner" in the 3rd to fifth day. It sounds like you have the child care and patient care tuned in.

The recovery from a mommy makeover (breast procedure and tummy tuck) typically involves one to two weeks off of work. Heavy lifting and strenuous activity is to be avoided for approximately four to six weeks. The pain is usually manageable with oral pain medications (vicodin or percocet), however you can request a pain pump to be inserted at the time of the tummy tuck which can help considerably.

Many women compare the recovery from a tummy tuck to that of a C-section. Most would agree that the C-section is more painful as it involves cutting of the abdominal muscles and uterus.

Please discuss this further with your plastic surgeon prior to scheduling your mommy makeover.

Best wishes,

Dr. Bruno

Hi!

Good news! Most women who have had a previous c section tell us that recovery from a tummy tuck is not nearly as bad as recovery from a c section. (We are not going deep inside you.)

And a well performed breast augmentation does not hurt much at all.

Overall, you should be a little sore but functioning well in one week.

The abdominoplasty pain should be less than the pain of your C-section. Breast augmentation pain is less with subglandular implant placement-4-5 days as opposed to 10 days to 2 weeks after submuscular breast implants.

You will be given pain medications I am sure.

I encourage patients to become active as soon as possible as this speeds recovery from pain.

Breast implant displacement exercises started early (day one) in my experience reduce the duration of discomfort significantly.

Web reference: http://drseckel.com/boston-mommy-makeover/boston-mommy-makeover-2/

I think that you will find that the recovery is much more tolerable than what you would expect. My patients always tell me that the recovery from both the breast lift/augmentation and the abdominoplasty surgery is less painful and requires less pain medication than what they had planned. There is no reason to be "comatose" at any point in time. There is a difference between pain and sore. You need pain medication for pain. I see that most of my patients only use the pain medication for 3-5 days. After that, you will be sore. You really don't need pain medication for soreness, you just need to take it easy. Most patients are sore for the next 10 days or so. You will need to walk with a slight bend at the waist to take tension off the abdominoplasty incision, but you should be up and walking around the day after surgery. I use a deep sedation for this combination surgery and have my patients walking the day of surgery. General anesthesia will keep you down for a little longer. Best of luck with your surgery.

The two most painful procedures I do are the BAM and TT. Both hurt due to the surgical muscle trauma and resultant spasm. The recovery is significant and more than from a CS. The medications will help, and you must keep walking caughing and deep breathing. The movement will help your muscles relax and you will feel better sooner. YOU WILL NEED HELP.

sek

Mommy makeover surgery is a very common combination procedure though it does come with a longer recovery than just one of the procedures separately and there is a higher risk of complications because of the length of procedure. I would recommend you to be at your best for surgery by increasing your protein intake 3 weeks in advance and stopping any hormone therapy 3 weeks in advance. These two preoperative suggestions will increase your healing capacity and decrease your risk of blod clots. I always have my tummy tucks stay overnight to make sure you are comfortable and able to ambulate the night of the operation with assistance. I do inject local anesthetic both in the breast and the abdomen which does help with early mobility and I treat nausea before it starts. By definition, mommy makeovers are done on moms with young families, so have some help at home. You will feel okay after one week and after 3 to 4 be able to return to cardio workouts. I usually have you refrain form heavy lifting for 6 weeks which includes children for 6 weeks. If you are preparing for the worst experience of your life it likely will. Make sure you discuss these points with your board certified plastic surgeon.

I hope this helps.

Dr. Trussler

Dallas Plastic Surgeon