Plastic surgery done at A school of plastic surgery (LSU) I'm a mother of 3 5'11 170? (photo)

Question

I love the size of my breast 38 c I don't want to be any bigger just want them to be perky like they use to be;( I will be having a tummy tuck with lipo also not sure if I will get a full TT or a mini, I like the recovery time of the mini. I can't be outta work for no longer than 6 weeks , I have a appt set for this Friday 11-22-2013 at Lsu school of plastic surgery I will be having my Bl/ TT and lipo done by a chief resident.

Lisa J. Peters, MD · Answer

With regard to your breasts, a lift (mastopexy) would be a necessary part of any procedure to make your breasts perkier.  With a lift, the excess skin would be removed and the nipples would be moved to a higher position located in the center of the breast.  Since only skin is removed during a lift, such a procedure would keep you at about the same size you are currently.  With just a lift, your breasts will be much perkier than they are now, but they’re unlikely to have fullness in the top of the breast.  If additional fullness in the upper portion of the breast is desired, you may require an implant as well, which would make you larger than your current size.  Either option is appropriate, but I would caution you that an augmentation mastopexy (implant and lift) can be a very complicated procedure that even in experienced hands has a higher risk of complications than either procedure alone.  Considering that you’re having your surgery with a resident, I would advise you to err on the side of caution and go with just the lift at this time.  If you later decide that you really need that additional fullness in the upper breast, you can always have implants placed at that time, and doing those procedures separately has a lower risk of complications.As far as your abdomen is concerned, a mini tummy tuck really only addresses excess skin and fat below the belly button and if you were to have a mini, I expect it would make your upper abdomen look disproportionately large compared to your lower abdomen even with the liposuction that is planned.  You are much more likely to be happy with the results of a full tummy tuck.  While every patient is different, I advise my patients that they should be able to return to a sedentary office job 2-3 weeks after a tummy tuck, so I wouldn't choose an operation that's unlikely to make you happy based on your 6 week recovery period.  If your job requires more vigorous work, you should speak with your doctor about how long they expect it will be before you can safely perform the work you do.

Amy Simon, MD, FACS · Answer

Most of my Melbourne, FL, plastic surgery patients who present
with a case such as yours would benefit both from the breast lift or mastopexy
and also a complete abdominoplasty. The
mastopexy will not change the size of the breasts. It will simply take the tissue you already
have and reshape it to your advantage to a more youthful and rounded
shape. A full abdominoplasty would be
most beneficial as it includes the muscle tightening, which in my experience is
a key part of the improvement of the contour of the abdomen after an
abdominoplasty. In fact, for many
patients, I think, that doing the abdominoplasty without the muscle tightening
can be a waste of time. Further, I would
encourage you to be sure that your surgery is being done by a board-certified
plastic surgeon. Best wishes to you!

Grady B. Core, MD · Answer

My answer addresses two things. First of all the procedures and then the situation. In regard to the procedures you need the full tummy tuck although it is possible you may be able to do without muscle plication. That way you can still still have a shorter recovery and most people still get an outstanding result as we are finding muscle plication less necessary on most women. The pain of a tummy tuck comes from the muscle plication.A mini-TT on you would result in a less than acceptable result and you would not be happy.  In regard to the breasts you need lift and a small implant for upper pole fullness. In regard to the situation wherein a plastic surgery resident is doing it, that is all well and good as long as you remember you tend get what you pay for in plastic surgery as well as other things and doing this in the resident's clininc usually is much less. While you may very well have a nice result (since the residents should be doing this with attending supervision anyway) , on the other hand this is not the same as if you were having a board certified plastic surgeon with years of experience who specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery doing the case. However, If not for people such as yourself who put themselves under the care of doctors in a training situation we would not have the great surgeons we do and so we appreciate your contribution to this surgeon's education.. LSU is a fine school and has produced many excellent surgeons and the odds are you will do fine. I used to teach at Ochsner and we had many good reidents rom LSU that I met while there.

Plastic surgery done at A school of plastic surgery (LSU) I'm a mother of 3 5'11 170? (photo)

Answers (3)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Mommy Makeover

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Plastic surgery done at A school of plastic surgery (LSU) I'm a mother of 3 5'11 170? (photo)

Answers (3)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Mommy Makeover

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.