Mommy Makeover, can I do it if I have a high BMI? (photos)

Far more important than deciding if MM is for you is the skill and experience of your plastic surgeon. Choose your surgeon rather than the technique and let him explain why one technique may be better than another and if you need a tummy tuck. Many board certified plastic surgeons provide a free first time consult and you should take advantage of that! 
A woman’s body can be unexpectedly altered nearly from head-to-toe after pregnancy and childbirth. Mommy makeover procedures are varied yet specific, allowing you to restore and rejuvenate your body to a youthful, healthier look, regardless of how you have been affected by pregnancy.
Mommy makeover procedures include:
Breast augmentation: After pregnancy, a woman’s breasts may change dramatically, whether or not she even chooses to breastfeed her child. After the need for breastmilk production passes, breasts will often reduce in size but leave excess loose skin, especially in the upper region. Breast augmentation can restore a woman’s breasts to her ideal shape and size.Breast lift:Removing excess skin around the breasts following a pregnancy can tighten and visibly lift the breast. Depending the amount of “lifting” required, the incisions necessary to complete the procedure may vary but are generally low.Tummy tuck:Most women will experience a noticeable change to their abdominal region after pregnancy, either caused by excess skin and increased body fat, or a weakening of the muscles that causes the stomach to sag. Another common condition is a protruding bellybutton. All of these alterations can be improved and restored through a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty. In some cases, stretch marks can be eliminated entirely, or the bellybutton can be removed through umbilicoplasty.Liposuction: Pregnant or nursing women can experience fat build ups in new locations throughout their bodies, including the stomach, hips, legs, and arms. Liposuction is an easy and effective way to address these extra fat pockets. We can also help you figure out if diet and exercise used in conjunction with liposuction will be to your benefit.Labiaplasty: The birth canal undergoes great stress and pressure when giving birth, sometimes causing tears or damage to the labia and vagina. Labiaplasty and vaginal tightening are two outpatient procedures we can use to restore the elasticity and strength of your labia and vagina.Skin pigment correction: Sometimes called “the mask of pregnancy,” discolored splotches of brown and red often appear on a pregnant woman’s face. Our skin aesthetician from BioSpa, our clinical skin care department, can use laser treatments, chemical peels, gradual bleaching, and other gentle yet effective techniques to correct alterations in your skin pigmentation.Varicose vein removal: Darkened and thickened veins that arise during pregnancy may be distracting, unpleasant, and permanent. Talk to our team about varicose vein removal and reduction procedures, including lasers, injections, and minimal outpatient surgery options.Using a combination of operations and procedures is also highly recommended. Not only will you likely reduce the overall cost of your mommy makeover, but you reduce the amount of anesthetics and the recovery time needed after procedures. Ask our team about how you can combine operations into the least number of visits possible.
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I find BMI to be useless.  In my practice candidates for these types of surgeries are determined more about how the fat is distributed.  I would, however, split your case into a tummy tuck with lipo of the entire waist and do the aug/lift later.  I highly doubt a satisfactory result with liposuction alone, and the amount of fat/tissue that will need to be removed with a tummy tuck with lipo will be enough for you to undergo in one day.Good luck and best wishes.

Those are good questions that many people share. My
suggestion to you would be to consider breast augmentation along with
aggressive liposuction of your upper and lower abdomen, hips waist and back bra
roll. This will reduce the fatty layer.  If you still have loose skin on your
tummy, which you may well have given your profile picture, you will be a much
better candidate for a tummy tuck after the liposuction.
 

Thank you for your question. Yes, it's possible to do a Mommy makeover. Many patients struggle to achieve their optimal weight despite diet and exercise. However, to reduce your risks during surgery and ensure optimal results it's important to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet to prepare for surgery. The closer you are to your ideal weight before surgery the better your result will be.  Interestingly, many of our patients are inspired to diet and exercise more diligently when they see the postoperative results of their Mommy Makeover. A regular exercise routine is also helpful preparation. By building muscle, you increase your basal metabolic rate. This makes it easier to avoid weight gain, especially in the postoperative period when physical activity is minimal. Cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart and promotes a faster recovery from surgery.  Combination procedures can give powerful results but SAFETY is KEY.  You definitely have to choose your surgeon correctly and make sure that he/she has the training and experience to meet your goals with absolute safety.  Don’t settle for less than a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with specialized expertise in this procedure.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You are healthy and motivated to exercise and loose weight. You are an excellent candidate for a Mommy Makeover. Make sure your surgeon has extensive experience with this type of procedure and a facility to keep you over night. I wish you the best.

Thank you for your question and photos.  From what I can see, you would likely do well a mommy makeover if you get your BMI closer to 30.   It is not an absolute cut-off number but we do know that BMI over 30 increases risk of compilations and decreases the overall aesthetic result.  Best to get an in-person exam with a board certified plastic surgeon.  Good luck. 

The real question is not can I get a tummy tuck if my BMI is over 30  but "What will my results be if I get a tummy tuck at a higher BMI?"  You can have a procedure at any weight or BMI but the outcome will be very different.  You have to think about the anatomy of abdomen to really understand why it is important.  The abdomen has a layer of skin then a layer of adipose tissue then the abdominal muscle wall called the rectus muscles and then the internal organs behind the muscles.  The internal organs are also surrounded by adipose tissue.  During a tummy tuck the plastic surgeon is working on the outer layers but they do not work behind the abdominal muscle wall to prevent damaging the internal organs.  Therefore a tummy tuck can reduce excess skin and the superficial layer of adipose tissue but not the internal adipose tissue.  If there is a large amount of internal adipose tissue then this will affect how tight I can make the fascia over the rectus muscles and you will still have a bulging abdomen.  You can have a tummy tuck at a higher bmi but the results will not be the same because of how the body stores the adipose tissue.  You will get a moderate improvement in your appearance but not as dramatic of improvement as yo will be able to get if your BMI is lower than 31.  I hope this helps answer your questions.  Best of luck on your Journey.

You can likely have those procedures performed at the same time if you can lose even a few pounds.  This will help the result.

It is best if patients considering elective plastic surgery have a BMI below 30. Those above this threshold have a higher risk for complications such as seroma, infection, and poor wound healing. By reducing your weight you also allow your surgeon the opportunity to optimize your results. I know losing weight is difficult, but at this time it is what is recommended to help you become a candidate for a Mommy Makeover.

Thank you for the question and congratulations on your progress thus far!   Specific calculations, including BMI,  are not always helpful when it comes to determining a specific patient's suitability to proceed with surgery.
Having said that, it is always best (or ideal) to achieve long-term stable weight prior to proceeding with tummy tuck surgery. Doing so, will increase the safety of the operation, will likely improve the outcome of the operation, and will decrease chances that additional surgery will become necessary subsequently. 
In my practice, I do not ask specific patients to achieve a specific weight or BMI prior to proceeding with tummy tuck surgery. I simply ask patients to achieve a long-term stable weight where he/she feels comfortable and does not expect significant fluctuation postoperatively.
 Generally speaking, the “ideal” patient for tummy tuck surgery is one who has completed pregnancies, is psycho socially/emotionally/financially stable, has an excellent social support system surrounding him/her, is capable of arranging enough recovery time, does not smoke and who has reached a long-term stable weight.
 My best advice: select your plastic surgeon carefully. Make sure that he/she has significant experience achieving the types of outcomes you would be pleased with.   Then prepare yourself and your support system for a  significant recovery experience (physical and often emotional).
 
 Best wishes.