Confusion About: Weight Loss Goals & Umbilical Hernia & Postpartum Skin AND Boobs?

My suggestion would be to have a laparoscopic umbilical hernia repair now and see if the general surgeon works with a plastic surgeon who will perform a breast reduction at the same time.  This way, once you heal from surgery, you can start exercising without pain from your hernia and with the problems associated with your larger breasts.  Then, once you loose weight and achieve your target goal, you can have a tummy tuck / abdominoplasty and re-reduce/lift the breasts if needed.  I hope this is helpful.

 

Good Luck.

Weight loss is your best route before considering your mommy makeover.  If your hernia is causing you symptoms, however, then it may have to be fixed sooner than later.  

The nicest route would be to do the hernia repair at the same time as your mommy makeover. Best wishes, Dr. L.

 

Painful umbilical hernias, post-partum or not, should be repaired as soon as convenient. Weight loss will not correct the issue, and the hernia can potentially become a real health problem.
If the optimal weight range for cosmetic surgery has been reached, then the hernia can be corrected at the same time as other combined procedures, and it can be a natural part of a tummy tuck in a mommy makeover.
If the size of post-partum breast is limiting physical activity, there are options with minimal scarring that can reduce breast size temporarily until final weight is achieved and stabilized. It is best not to address breast shape if a significant weight loss is planned, as the final outcome will be affected by the weight change.

You can safely do all procedures at the same time (as long as you are in good health). I have performed these exact procedures (breast reduction/ tummy tuck and hernia repair) on many patients... I always ask my patients to lose as much weight as possible prior to the procedure - that way, they will get the best results possible. I am a board certified general surgeon as well as plastic surgeon so I feel comfortable doing the hernia repair at the same time as the tummy tuck surgery... some surgeon's may not.  Talk to your surgeon and get an idea of their experience with all of these procedures.  The physical examination is key in determining exactly what procedures would best give you the goals you are hoping for.

Your problem areas are quite common and are well within what most plastic surgeons do.  Many PS are also board certified in plastic surgery and as such can repair the umbilical hernia at the time of a tummy tuck.  You should continue your weight loss as aggressively as possible.  As you lose weight your breasts will likely shrink and you will have a have more loose abdominal skin.  In general, I prefer that patients be within 20-25# of their desired weight prior to surgery.  As you approach this you should make an appointment to see a board certified plastic surgeon in your area.

Good luck

 

Dear mrsdic,

The best time to perform a Mommy Makeover or other body contouring procedure is when your weight is stable and you are as close to your goal weight as possible. If you have a Mommy Makeover done earlier and you lose a significant amount of weight after the procedure, you may end up with residual loose skin and sagging.

It would be convenient to have your umbilical hernia fixed at the same time as your Mommy Makeover, but if it causing you significant discomfort now, you may wish to consider having it fixed before you finish losing weight.

Warmest wishes,

Larry Fan, MD