Am I a candidate for a Mommy Makeover after massive weight loss, or will I need separate body contouring procedures? (photo)

Congratulations on your weight loss success! It is best to undergo #MommyMakeover procedures when your weight has been stable for at least one year. 

The Mommy Makeover is a combination of procedures to bring a woman’s body back to the way she looked prior to pregnancy. Most commonly some variation of a #TummyTuck and #BreastSurgery are performed. Additional procedures can include liposuction, umbilical hernia repair.  The most common #breastprocedures include #mastopexy or #breastlift, #breastaugmentation, or #breastreduction. 

In addition to a one-on-one consultations with a board certified Plastic Surgeon, patients always need to be seen by their primary care doctor prior to such procedures.  We screen every patient and their medical records for risks of blood clots (DVT) and then take appropriate measures.  MWL (massive weight loss patients of  75 lbs or more) tend to have poor skin elasticity and will frequently need additional tightening even afte 6 -12 months regardless of who or how their surgery is performed. This is simply the nature of such body tissues and the ability to heal with the lack or limited elasticity. 

Good for you! You would benefit from many procedures for your arms, breasts, abdomen, thighs, and back. A good ,experienced , board certified plastic surgeon will assist you with these scenarios.

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.
#mommymakeover #candidateMM

It is usually more reasonable to divide the procedures with the tummy tuck/lower body lift performed first.Find a board certified plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of tummy
tucks and body contouring procedures each year. Then look at the
plastic surgeon's
website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can
deliver the results. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Based on your photo I would recommend a Fleur de lis Tummy Tuck which will involve a vertical incision down the midline of the abdomen in order to address the horizontal and vertical laxity of the skin. You also may require a circumferential incision that goes all the way around the waist. The arms can be addressed in a separate stage. Congratulations on your weight loss and don't worry if you can't get down to 140 lbs, as you will lose about 10 lbs of skin during surgery. Consult with a few board certified plastic surgeons for a more in depth examination before having surgery.Best wishes,Dr.Bruno

Dear BeTheUnicorn,Congratulations on the weight loss, and most of all on keeping it off. A mommy makeover is usually a tummy tuck with some sort of breast work, commonly a breast lift with or without implants done in one day.  When people lose over 100 pounds a tummy tuck alone is not enough as there is laxity all the way around the body and most patients benefit from a belt lipectomy (also called a circumferential body lift).  Given that the surgeries are more involved with this amount of excess skin, the numerous procedures are usually grouped into a few procedures at a time, so it usually takes 2-3 trips to the operating room to reach most patients goals.   As far as which procedures to group together and in which order to do them, depends on your goals and the surgeons comfort or experience in body contouring after massive weight loss. You should see a plastic surgeon to discuss which areas of excess skin you would like to address and what procedures you may benefit from and in which order. I hope this helps and best of luck. 

First of all congrats on your weight loss. I'm sure you feel like a new women even if you don't look like one yet. I feel strongly that you'd benefit from a belt lipectomy to correct the problems of your midsection. This procedure as you may know is essentially a 360 degree tummy tuck which will correct many of your problems both on your front side and along your hips and buttocks. Its a lot of surgery and plenty for one foray into the operating room. I'd do this first, it'll get you a long way to feeling more like a thin person and will actually help you decide what size you want your breast to be.

Dear BeTheUnicorn:  Congratulations on your weight loss.   I think you should consider a circumferential body lift as your first step.  A common first line of attack for patients who have lost weight is a
body lift procedure. Most plastic surgeons refer to a body lift as a
circumferential body lift = belt lipectomy = lower body lift.   This
procedure is essentially 3 procedures in one: extended tummy tuck +
waist/lateral thigh lift + buttock lift.  I often perform buttock
auto-augmentation at the time of a body lift.  Please visit with a
plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who
has extensive experience in body contouring after weight loss to learn
more about your options.  


Best wishes,



Dr. Basu
Houston, TX

Mommy Makeover typically refers to any combination of
procedures, which are also appropriate for our massive weight patients, which
tend to get the patient’s figure back into shape after pregnancy or dramatic
weight changes such as your weight loss of 175 pounds. A person with this
degree of weight loss typically would benefit from all of the procedures
typical for body contouring, including breast surgery, possibly with a lift and/or
breast augmentation depending on your preference as to whether you would like
to be larger, brachioplasty or arm lift, thigh lift, abdominoplasty with lower
body lift, and possibly some liposuction in the areas where you have not lost
the last of the lipodystrophy for optimal results. When this number of
procedures is recommended, they are typically staged; therefore, you will need
to see a board-certified plastic surgeon in order to determine your goals and
priorities and then, stage appropriately so that you can best plan.
Hopefully this information is helpful to you. Best wishes to you!

Congratulations on your weight loss! Typically when a patient presents with significant excess skin post massive weight loss, staged procedures are indeed required in order to address all the areas of concern you have outlined above. Depending on your primary concerns, you can discuss with your surgeon the best combination of procedures for each surgery and alter your treatment plan accordingly. Typically, these procedures can consist of a breast lift (plus or minus an augmentation), arm lift, fleur de lis lipo-abdominoplasty, lower body lift, inner thigh lift, and possibly additional liposuction if any residual fatty tissues need to be addressed. However, meeting with your board certified plastic surgeon will be important in developing a treatment plan specific to you and your cosmetic goals.