Mommy makeover - Will this improve my figure and get rid of scar? Should I add implants? (photo)

Thank you for your inquiry! You have excess abdominal skin and separation of your diastasis recti muscle making you a great candidate for an abdominoplasty procedure. A breast lift vs breast augmentation depends on your goals with your breasts. We would love to see you in person and help you reach your goals. Schedule a consultation with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon like myself and we can create a surgical plan for you!

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding a mommy makeover, whether this will improve your figure and get rid of your scar, and whether you should add breast implants. Thank you for your history and your picture. Regarding the tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty with muscle repair, you are a good candidate. Abdominal liposuction alone is not enough; you have excess abdominal fat, and abdominal liposuction alone will not eliminate your abdominal scar. A tummy tuck with muscle repair and liposuction to your flanks will significantly improve your abdomen. In regards to your “nasty scar, one assumes this is the scar from the belly button to the pubic region in a vertical dimension. If that is the case, this area of skin and
fat is removed with an abdominoplasty. During an abdominoplasty, an incision is made above the pubic region and extended to the hips. Tissue dissection is done from the suprapubic region to the sternum. The rectus abdominis muscle is exposed and plicated. That means the rectus muscle is brought together, and the anterior abdominal wall is tightened and strengthened. Any rectus abdominis muscle separation is corrected. Then, the excess abdominal skin and fat are removed. Typically, this is from above the pelvic region to the belly button. In your case, this should eradicate the vertical scar. You can also undergo liposuction of the flanks. To correct for the hip dips, you must add tissue. To correct hip dips or indentations, you would need to undergo fat transfer. This can be achieved by harvesting fat from your flanks as well as your abdomen. Often, fat is transferred to the hips during a mommy makeover.
Regarding your breast, the main question is, what do you want?
Do you want breasts of the same size and just lifted? If so, therefore, you only need a mastopexy or breast lift. If you want your breasts lifted and larger, then you need breast augmentation. Your breast augmentation is best achieved with a pair of breast implants. Regarding chin liposuction, the picture you provided is not optimal. However, most plastic surgeons achieve great neck definition with chin liposuction.
Typically, an abdominoplasty with muscle repair, liposuction to the flanks, and fat transferred to the hips takes approximately 4 to 5 hours. The tummy tuck, lipo, and fat transfer are performed under general anesthesia. Plan on a two-week recovery. If you decide to include breast surgery, the breast lift with breast augmentation takes approximately 3 to 4 hours. This can be combined with a tummy tuck as part of a mommy makeover. If you decide to undergo neck liposuction, plan on adding an hour to your procedure. If you plan to undergo all procedures, allow for a recovery period of approximately 2 to 3 weeks. Suppose your job requires a significant amount of lifting—plan for a 3- to 4-week recovery period. Most patients can return to limited exercise approximately 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. You will be expected to wear a garment on your abdomen and breast for approximately 4 to 6 weeks. You will need to wear a neck garment for approximately two weeks after your neck liposuction. I hope this helps answer your question about whether you need a mommy makeover and whether it’ll improve your figure and help address your vertical abdominal scar. Good luck.

If you have any more questions regarding the tummy tuck or abdominoplasty, please get in touch with an experienced plastic surgeon. Since an abdominoplasty can be a difficult procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing tummy tucks. Do your research. Make sure your chosen plastic surgeon has performed at least 100 abdominoplasties. Make sure they have the before-and-after pictures to prove it. Please carefully look over their before-and-after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. Good luck! Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA (Aesthetic, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon), President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, International College of Surgery, and American Board of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

From your photos, a tummy tuck with muscle repair should improve the contour of your abdomen. In addition liposuction can be added to the hip areas to improve waistline.As far as the breasts, I would do an augmentation only as you are not severely ptotic. An implant placed subglandular would provide the lift you need.Chin liposuction could help improve the contour of your neck.Hope this helps.

Thanks for your question. From your pictures, you seem to be a good candidate for a mommy makeover. I recommend scheduling a consult for a proper evaluation to discuss what your goals are to determine what breast enhancement procedures would be appropriate for you. Please always consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. Take care, Dr. Moises Salama, board certified plastic surgeon.

Hi MissMaddy. From your photos, you look to be a great candidate for a mommy makeover! The abdominoplasty portion will remove the excess tissue and midline scar from your abdomen and create slim and contoured midsection. I typically perform flank liposuction as well as a generous amount of contouring to the front of the abdomen that results in a nicely contoured torso. Not all surgeons to this amount of contouring and liposuction the upper abdominal rib fat at the same time as your tummy tuck, so be sure to have these detailed discussions with your surgeon. I also perform the muscle plication (repair) in multiple areas to ensure a tight abdomen deeper on the muscle layer.

As far as your breasts, if you are happy with the overall volume of your breasts (ie, liking the size of your breasts in a supportive bra), then a breast lift would be sufficient to lift your breasts to a higher, more aesthetic position. For patients who are happy with the volume, I perform an auto-augmentation, conserving all of the natural breast tissue, while reshaping the breast and raising the nipples. I also highly suggest using a absorbable mesh, that creates an “internal support bra” and absorbs after about 18 months, leaving a collagen support behind and maintains the results over time. If you desire a larger breast volume, then you might want to also undergo an augmentation with implants along with the lift.

Submental (chin) lipo can also safely be added to this procedure and can drastically change the neckline by slimming the area. Candidacy is best determined by an exam since you don't want to remove fat but leave behind excess loose skin.

I highly encourage you to seek out a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in surgery of the breast and body to see if you are a good candidate for these procedures. Best of luck!