I had my 2nd c-section 7 weeks ago along with a myomectomy. What’s the best non surgical option for me? (photo)

Question

Considering cool sculpting or sculpture, what is the difference, and based on photos what would be recommended, also, are there any other non surgical options besides those two and will they provide noticeable and lasting results? I plan to lose more weight as I’ve just been cleared to exercise, should I wait to have anything done or is it safe to do soon?

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

BodyTite is a minimally invasive procedure that shapes, tightens and lifts without a larger scar that would be necessary in excisional procedures like TT.   Bodytite will create about 40% skin contraction or improvement, but it will not reproduce the tightness of a well executed excisional procedure like a TT.  Patients should not expect this type of result, and I emphasize this to patients very clearly prior to undertaking Bodytite procedures.
BodyTite uses RF (Radio-Frequency) technology that addresses some of the shortcomings associated with traditional liposuction or surgical body lifts. Bodytite is not liposuction and should not be thought of as such.  Liposuction can be combined with Bodytite for best results and frequently is used in combination.Obtain clearance from your OB/GYN and return to your pre-pregnancy weight prior to having the procedure.

Andrew Campbell, MD · Answer

We have found that Coolsculpt is very effective and consistent at permanently reducing unwanted fat, especially on the belly. You will want two sessions, and each session will require multiple applicators, but you should see a very nice improvement. Consider EMSculpt to improve the tone of the abdominal muscles. The two treatments work extremely well together.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Quintessa

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

If you have small problem areas you can use non invasive methods like Coolsculpting with Vanquish or trusculpt iD to get small areas of fat reduced. Skin also tightens if you combine this with Exilis Ultra, Venus Legacy, and Inmode Forma/Contoura radiofrequency treatments. You boost the results from Coolsculpting if you add in Kybella injections to melt fat as well.  We often combine Coolsculpting with shock therapy like ZWave, EVIVE, and Cellutone to get even faster results, more improvement, and less risk of combinations like nodules, swelling, neuropathy or paradoxical hyperplasia. Coolsculpting often takes a few treatments separated 8 to 12 weeks apart to get significant improvement.   However, to get the most fat removal, contouring, skin tightening and definition, a VASER HI-DEF liposuction / liposculpture procedure with ThermiRF, Renuvion (J-Plasma), InMode BodyTite and fat grafting is your best bet. This will give you the most toned result. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a body contouring and hi-definition physique expert. Best, Dr. Emer.

Richard E. Moore, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and posting your pictures. I would recommend waiting until you are at least 3 months out from your C-section/myomectomy. By that time, you will have allowed the tissue to heal from your prior surgery and you should be seeing the results of your weight loss efforts. At that time, you can have a better evaluation of your alternatives. Non-invasive treatments I would recommend are Vanquish Me or Coolsculpting combined with acoustic wave therapy (they can also be done in combo (Fire & Ice). Alternatively you could consider more invasive options such as Renuvion or a tummy tuck.Vanquish Me use RF energy to heat the fat cells to the point that they go into programmed cellular death. This is a painless procedure with no downtime and some modest skin tightening can be seen.Coolsculpting is the opposite of Vanquish Me in that it freezes the fat cells to the point that they go into programmed cellular death. Again this is a relatively comfortable procedure with no downtime. Coolsculpting does not have an FDA indication for skin tightening but modest skin tightening may be seen.Renuvion is a more invasive procedure that is usually accompanied by liposuction. Renuvion is the best tissue tightening device available today. It uses a combo of cold helium gas and RF energy to form Plasma energy. The plasma energy causes the fibrous network beneath the skin to tighten and also forms new collagen in the months following the procedure. It is the best alternative to a tummy tuck at the present time.A tummy tuck is the gold standard for reducing laxity in the skin. For the patient looking to get their pre-baby body back this will yield the best results in most cases where modest or significant skin laxity exists.I hope this was helpful - Dr. Moore.

Mary Beth Mudd, MD · Answer

Great questions and thanks for the photos - they were very helpful. I always talk to my patients about having potentially 2 problems when dealing with the abdomen - both unwanted fat as well as sagging skin. If you deal only with the fat, but not the skin, you will ultimately be disappointed in the results. Pregnancies definitely can create a problem with sagging skin after the skin had to stretch to accommodate the baby. Unfortunately, most of us are not rubberbands that can stretch and return back to pre-pregnancy skin status. Usually there is some looseness of the skin that remains. From your photos, (and by the way, you look great for having a c-section 7 weeks ago!) it would appear that there is some fat there, but there is also some skin laxity present that will likely look more obvious once more of the fat has been lost. (Think of a pillow - if you take some of the stuffing out, the walls of the pillow look looser or more flabby and you just can't make them stiffer). If you are looking only for non-surgical options, I would suggest CoolSculpting as the one that seems to give the most consistent results in removing fat permanently, but it will not help the skin laxity. I usually suggest for postpartum patients to wait for 3 months after having the baby before getting treatment to allow some time to lose some more of the baby weight and also allow you to see how your skin looks. I would strongly encourage you to consider a minimally invasive treatment such as BodyTite which would permanently remove fat but also tighten up your skin so you can treat both problems at once with only minimal downtime and not major surgery. If you do decide to proceed with non-invasive treatment only, you may need to consider a treatment to improve the skin laxity in the future.  Best wishes, Mary Beth Mudd

I had my 2nd c-section 7 weeks ago along with a myomectomy. What’s the best non surgical option for me? (photo)

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