Is It Recommended to Have a Mommy Makeover in 3 Separate Surgeries?

Not only will this result in three operations, three times the (minimal) risks, and three time the recovery, it will cost you LOTS more. I hope that greed is not the motivation of your surgeon, but let's assume it's not. Why would a surgeon with proper training, board-certification (American Board of Plastic Surgery), experience, and skill recommend three separate operations when one can be safely performed with one set of risks and one time off work for recovery?

Depending on your size, a tummy tuck should take no more than 3 hours, perhaps less. This includes umbilical transposition, entire breast bone to pubic bone muscle plication, and layered closure with dissolving sutures beneath the skin (no staples or external sutures to leave marks). A full Wise pattern breast lift with similar closure technique should take no more than 3 hours, and implant placement adds another 45 minutes. With proper OR table padding, urinary catheter (removed before you wake up in the recovery room), Bair Hugger warming in the OR, and pneumatic boots to keep the blood moving in your legs (decreases the risk of blood clots), you are at extremely low risk for any operative-time-related complications. Three operations simply triples these same risks! I routinely do 6,7, and occasionally up to 8 hour-long operations as OUTPATIENT procedures, but this requires expert anesthesia and use of IV general anesthesia rather than inhalation gas anesthesia. It also requires enough surgical skill, experience, and celerity (speed) to do all of these operations expertly with minimal blood loss

Some plastic surgeons are uncomfortable doing full breast lifts AND implant augmentation at the same time. If his justification for doing the breast surgery in two operations is to decrease the risk of double bubble formation, perhaps this betrays a history of bad outcomes that stimulate this way of thinking. I accept nothing less than the best outcomes possible, and I must say that MOST plastic surgeons are not only capable, but prefer doing both parts of breast lift plus augmentation surgery at the SAME operation. (There IS a way to minimize double bubble formation, but this technique is not the way most of us were trained to do this (lift + implants) operation). I would be happy to discuss this technique with anyone interested--it's not magic, just good planning and technique.

In short, I sense extreme conservatism in your doctor, perhaps because of speed (slowness) of operating, lack of experience with one or more of these procedures, difficulty with anesthesia management for longer operations (sometimes out of the surgeon's control unless he/she own their own surgical facility as I do), or perhaps restrictions of the operating facility (some outpatient surgicenters require shorter procedures, or restrict the surgeon to specific "block times"). If your surgeon operates out of a hospital, perhaps he's trying to reduce the possibility of overnight admission, which increases the costs substantially (and makes the patient angry at the surgeon). Perhaps it's simply greed (the charges for three separate operations are invariably MORE than one combined operation). Perhaps it's truly a fear for your safety if there are complicating health issues, such as Factor V Leiden, diabetes, or cardiac issues.

My best advice: get at least one more opinion (two is better yet) from well-trained, experienced, board-certified (American Board of Plastic Surgery) plastic surgeons, and ask them about multiple procedures at the same time. Virtually all of us do things that way because it is safe, effective, and best for the patient overall.

It totally depends on each individual and what the surgeon recommends. Of course, combined surgery is cheaper and easier for patients. However, in some cases longer surgeries are more risky. I recommend you consult with couple of different surgeons and decide afterwards. Best of luck to you.

The mommy makeover is one of the most popular operations performed by plastic surgeons.  The procedure is a combination of cosmetic breast surgery, liposuction and abdominoplasty.  It has been designed to correct changes that occur normally with pregnancy.
There are multiple advantages in performing these procedures in combination.  These include an improved overall result, lowered cost and a single recovery.  Patients typically report increased self-esteem, self image and an overall improvement in the quality of their lives. For these reasons, the mommy makeover is one of the most popular operations that is currently performed in plastic surgery.
If you are in good health otherwise, there is no reason to stage the procedures.  This will ultimately result in more expense and more downtime.  Safety should be everyones priority.  If the procedure is done in an accredited facility, with a board certified anesthesiologist and plastic surgeon the risk should be low.
Every patient is unique and there may be other factors that have impacted the decision to stage your procedure.  If you have questions, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion.

Assuming you are in good health and there are no extenuating circumstances, it is "possible" and many times desirable to perform these surgeries in one setting. I frequently and safely perform "mommy makeovers" in an outpatient setting using one anesthetic. This allows mom to undergo one time off of work/child care, one anesthetic and certainly less costs. However, not all patients fit this description and not all surgeons are comfortable with this approach. Ask your surgeon for patients that you may contact to discuss their experience.

Some breasts need to be staged but the breast lift should be done first usually and then the augmentation.   The tummy tuck can be combined with either depending on your social schedule to recover.  I usually suggest the TT with the lift because the lift has minimal discomfort and the TT requires recovery (as does the augmentation).  Your choice.

There are different schools of though on this, but for a healthy patient I see no reason whay the 3 procedures shouldn't be done together. The benefits are obvious: lower cost and one recovery time. It would typically take no longer than 5 hours of surgery to do this, which is reasonable. The main disadvantage is that when a breast lift and implants are done together, there are a lot of things that have to heal harmoniously for a good long-term result, and so revisions are not uncommon. However, most of these are minor and can often be done under local anesthesia, which is better than planning 2 breast operations in the first place which is sort of like a 100% revision rate.

mommy makeover procedures are various surgeries designed to reverse the effects of a pregnancy:  belly stretching, stretch marks, abdominal muscle separation, residual fatty deposits, sagging breast, and any other change that happened during pregnancy.

These issues can be corrected all at once or can be broken down into stages, depending on your individual condition, and depending on your surgeon's set up.

Sincerely,

Martin Jugenburg, MD

The term "Mommy Makeover" generally refers to one surgical event that encompasses several different procedures done at one time to rejuvenate the woman's body after having children. The surgery usually takes 4-6 hours depending on exactly  what is done and is performed under general anesthesia in an accredited facility. I generally keep my patients in the hospital overnight when I perform these procedures together. It is certainly possible to perform them all together in one setting and I would say this is the norm rather than the exception. However, there are always extenuating circumstances that may dictate doing one or more at a separate time. This is really a question that is best answered at the time of a consultation with a physician who has experience doing these multiple procedure cases. I would rec commend you do some homework and find a surgeon you feel comfortable with and let them guide you.

The entire premise of a mommy makeover is that is corrects the effects of child bearing with one operation so that down time is limited and you can return to your family. A 3 stage procedure is not a mommy makeover at all! The procedures you describe can be dome in one stage by an experienced mommy makeover surgeon. Let me know if you have questions.

Dr. Trussler

If the patient is healthy, these procedures are usually performed at one setting.  The risk is quite low in published studies, and there is only one recovery time instead of three.

With all combined procedures, there is a theoretical risk that exceeds the risk for the procedures performed individually, at least that is what we typically tell patients.

However with experienced surgeons performing the procedures expediently in accredited surgical centers, I believe this risk is very low. 

For that reason, we would perform typical mommy makeovers at one surgical setting.

A mommy makeover generally involves abdominal and breast rejuvenation surgery to restore the post-pregnancy body.  This can be done as one procedure vs staged based on patient and surgeon preferences.  There are advantages for each.

Single procedure


One anesthetic

One recovery period

One facility fee

Easier scheduling


Staged procedure


Shorter operating times = lower risk of blood clots, pulmonary complications, or infection

Surgeon focus for each procedure

Easier recovery from each procedure


In my practice the breast procedure and the abdominoplasty would be done as separate procedures within a couple of days of each other.   This serves the patient almost every advantage with the only real disadvantage being more complicated scheduling. 

I have a certified in office operating suite and an additional facility fee is not passed onto the patient.  Without this, I would probably have to do a single procedure for cost considerations.   Read the post on the link provided for further details.