Mommy Makeover: Q&A

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Which Surgery Should Be Done First - Breast Augmentation or Tummy Tuck?

I am a mother of two with a sagging stomach when I bend at the waist. When standing, it's not saggy - just an excess layer of loose fat beneath the skin that I cannot work off with exercise. If considering a tummy tuck & breast augmentation, which of these surgeries should be done first and which second to get the best overall results? I do have very young children, and therefore think it would be best to break up the surgeries so I can have a more manageable recovery period and manage them.

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22 Doctor Answers | Asked by jennymommy in Salmon Arm, BC

Doctor Answers (22)
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Mommy Makeover

Do the breast aug. first that way if there is a need to adjust something later, you can do that when you are having the TT 9 months later or so. Either sequence is fine though.

Doing a mommy make over in stages

If your scenario is such that you need or want to break the surgeries up into two, I think I would suggest doing the one that bothers you the most first. Since you mentioned the tummy issues first, I would assume that bothers you the most. The down time and recovery are similar, so that would not make a large difference. I say do the one that bothers you the most first because in some cases, once the biggest problem is gone, the patient feels that what they have had is enough and they... more

Which comes first? The tummy tuck or the breast augmentation

If you are a candidate for these two procedures, I recommend that you get them both at the same time. It takes longer to get off pain medicine, driving, and back to work from a tummy tuck than it does from a breast augmentation. While you are recovering from a tummy tuck, you will have already mostly recovered from a breast augmentation. If you want to have the procedures done separately for financial reasons, then you pick which you want to do first. Do the one that bothers you the most... more

Tummy tuck

Hello, I usually like to do the tummy tuck first unless the patient has strong preferences. This establishes the new waistline and makes breast implant selection more accurate later. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD see video

Staging mommy makeover

The decision to stage the breast and abdominal portions of your mommy makeover is a personal one, as is whether to do the abdominal or breast portion of your procedure first. If you do choose to stage the procedures, I recommend doing whatever bothers you more first. However, because you have young children, you should consider that, while the recovery may be a bit less if you stage the procedures, you will not be able to lift your children for a while after each procedure.... more

Staging a mommy makeover, breast first or tummy tuck

Hello, There is no right or wrong answer so do the procedure that you want to do the most first. If either one would be fine for you I would do the tummy tuck first since there is a small amount of skin from the fold of the breasts that is pulled down with the tummy tuck and this will allow more accurate incision placement when you get your breasts done. All the best, Dr Repta

Tummy tuck

I usually recommend tummy first as it is easier to use bras to enhance your breast shape (eg. push up bras). Of course your preference of what bothers you the most is of primary importance. Do what you want first. I hope this info helps.

Tummy tuck or breast augmentation order

Do the one first that bothers you most. That being said: 1. If you can do both procedures simultaneously you will save yourself a significant amount of recovery time. It will most likely also save you on the overall cost for both procedures. 2.Most patients find that they need more time to recover from the tummy tuck than from the breast augmentation.

Laurence Weider, MD

48 reviews

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Recovery post surgery

The answer to your question is entirely based on your preference and personal concerns. I understand the many concerns mothers have taking time off of their busy schedules, however, recovery after any surgery is very important and will require a good support system. Many of my patient’s opt for a full mommy makeover, which involves breast surgery and a tummy tuck performed at the same time. Since the tummy tuck procedure is more invasive, it will require more recovery time. Having both... more

Mommy makeover usually best in one stage

The mommy makeover consists of some combination of a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), and breast surgery which could be a lift (mastopexy), augmentation with implants, or both. Your recovery time will not be extended by combining them and if you did the abdomen and breast procedures at different times the overall time for recovery would be much longer. Either way you will need help taking care of the kids and have to avoid lifting for a few weeks. Combining them of course presumes that your... more

How to stage a mommy makeover?

The surguries can be done either in combination or in stages. There is simply no right answer on whether to combine them or, if not, how to order them. Factors to consider are: which bothers you more? Will you be having more children? Would you wait until the children are old enough to not be lifted before doing the tummy tuck? The answers to these questions have to be measured against the increased overall cost and two separate recovery periods for separating... more

Breast augmentation and tummy tuck at same time: mommy makeover

You can certainly choose to have these procedures done separately if you choose to; I would do the tummy tuck first since it involves the longer recovery. If you are healthy enough, you could also have both procedures peformed at the same time, this would take around 3.5 hours, which is safe. This limits you to one anesthetic and one recovery. Discuss this in detail with your plastic surgeon to determine which approach is best for your anatomy and for your lifestyle. Best wishes... more

Breast aug or abdominoplasty first

Your post operative restrictions with these two operations will be very similar so if you are in good health, I would recommend having them at the same time. This would consolidate your recovery. If you or your surgeon are set on having them done separately, I would have the area that bothers you the most done first. Sometimes a tighter, flatter abdomen makes smallish breasts look just fine and sometimes fuller breasts match up very nicely with a roundish tummy. ... more

Do them both together

You can do both breast augmentation and tummy tuck at the same time. This will save you both on total cost and recovery time.

Breast augmentation and tummy tuck and mommy makeover

Dear Jenny, Do what you want the most. Otherwise if all things are equal, I would do the tummy tuck first. When you do the tummy tuck it has a tendency to pull down the inframammary crease of the breasts and implants placed at the time, especially if your skin is loose, can bottom out. This is something I "plan ahead" for if I combine the surgeries. Sincerely, Dr. Romano

Which first: Breast or Abdomen?

The simple answer to this question is "which bothers you more?" if your priority is your abdomen, start with that if not, is not start with the breasts. Most of us would prefer to do both surgeries simultaneously, since it is basically in one field, reducing your "down" time, and even saving you some money. Doing both does not increase your convalescence, which will be determined by how you react after your abdominoplasty. If you want a quick return to function,... more

Mommy makeover

Of course you should listen to your gut instinct and separate them if you choose but these are surgeries I do all the time together as long as the patient is a great candidate. The tummy tuck defines the recovery so the breasts come along for the ride. This gives you one recovery, determined by the TT, and the breasts don't take up a second recovery and anesthesia. But do what you are comfortable and either can be done first, maybe the one that bothers you more. more

To stage or not to stage

The question you ask is one that many of my patients face. I try to present the pros and cons of doing the breast augmentation and tummy tuck at the same time, versus separately. When considering recovery, doing them at the same time doesn't really add that much to the recovery as opposed to doing just one at a time, and you get it all out of the way at once. If you do decide to do just one, my advice is to do that which bothers you more first, because you will feel... more

Breast surgery and abdominoplasty - mommy makeover

They can be performed at separate operation or the differetn operations. In either case the abdominal portion should be done first because the process of pulling abdominal skin downward can displace the breasts downward. This needs to be accounted for when doing the breast surgery portion. I hope you realize that this format of posting questions and receiving answers lacks the face to face direct communication required for you to make an informed decision regarding your surgery. My... more

Breast Augmentation and Tummy Tuck (together) recovery is significantly less than each done separately (and less costly, too)!

These two operations are commonly performed together, not just to save money, time off work or parenting duties, and number of doctor visits for recheck, but also to reduce risks. Neither surgery has significant risks, but however minimal they are, two operations doubles these risks! If you were talking about a 5-7 hour body lift plus a 3 hour breast lift, for example, then staging these into two procedures is reasonable, appropriate, and safer. but a 2-3 hour (at most) tummy tuck plus a... more

Tummy Tuck and Breast Augmentation Together

Both Tummy Tuck and Breast Augmentation can be performed together. When doing these operations together, it limits your recovery and anesthesia exposure to one time. One of my patients had these procedures performed at separate times, and felt that the recovery from the tummy tuck was easier than her breast augmentation. She is however, a size 0 and had little skin to remove. If you need to do the procedures at separate times, the outcome of one, should not affect the other. Do the... more

Which Surgery Should Be Done First - Breast Augmentation or Tummy Tuck?

Re : " I am a mother of two with a sagging stomach when I bend at the waist. When standing, it's not saggy - just an excess layer of loose fat beneath the skin that I cannot work off with exercise. If considering a tummy tuck & breast augmentation, which of these surgeries should be done first and which second to get the best overall results? I do have very young children, and therefore think it would be best to break up the surgeries so I can have a more manageable recovery... more