Mommy Makeover: Is it Advisable to Stay n Hospital Overnight?

Our routine is to have all of our "mommy makeover" patients stay overnight in our accredited surgery center, with one-on-one nursing care.  This way, we can make sure that they are comfortable, that they are given DVT prophylaxis medications, and that their family doesn't have to worry about taking them home immediately after a major procedure.  I check them over in the morning before they are discharged home, and personally review all the instructions with the patient and their family member.

 

It is our policy at the Mommy Makeover Institute of Hawaii to keep patients overnight if the procedure goes over 6-7 hours.  We decided on this as a requirement after talking to several husbands who were overwhelmed by being responsible for their wives after a long surgical procedure.

Our surgery center is fortunate in having an outstanding overnight nurse, and the facility and building allow for overnight patients.  In the past, I have certainly sent patients home who had procedures lasting over 6 hours, and have fortunately never encountered any negative consequences.  Board Certified plastic surgeons experienced in the multiple procedures in a Mommy Makeover routinely send patients home with very few, if any, medical problems.  However, the emotional stress on the patient and their caregivers often requires an overnight stay at the surgical facility, and of course, also decreases the chance of complications from movement to and from the facility. 

In the rare instance of a complication such as a hematoma, the patient is already at the facility, the team can be mustered quickly, and the patient treated in a more expeditious fashion than if the husband has to drive the patient back to the facility.  All things being equal, if I had a long surgery with multiple procedures, I would prefer staying at the facility and getting professional care.   

The mommy makeover is an extensive procedure that combines cosmetic breast surgery, liposuction and abdominoplasty. In the vast majority of cases, I’ve performed the procedure on an outpatient basis in an ambulatory surgery center. Patients typically return home after surgery and are seen in follow up the next morning.

When cosmetic surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, certain criteria must be met. Patients need to be in good health otherwise and they must have a support system in place. Many mommy makeover patients have small children at home. This potentially complicates after care because both the patient and her children need care givers.

Safety should always be a priority. When patients have co-existing medical problems, they should undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation before surgery. Depending upon the results of these studies, inpatient surgery may be indicated.

Every patient’s situation is slightly different, and because of this, some patients should have inpatient surgery, while others should have outpatient surgery. This decision is determined by multiple factors. These include the overall health of the patient, the nature of the procedure, the surgeon’s preference, and the patient’s support system. The vast majority of cases can be done safely on an outpatient basis. This has the added advantage of significant savings and the convenience of home during recovery.