What is recovery like with a mommy makeover?

Mommy makeover is a term that implies some surgery on the breast, some surgery on the tummy.

The mommy makeover one patient get may be a simple scar revision of their  C-section and a small breast implant; another patient might need a full breast reconstruction with a full tummy tuck and flank plasty.  

Some patients are young and bounce back, others are older and take longer to recover.

So the recovery is quite varied.  For an 'average' mommy makeover, patients can usually drive by 1 week, walk five miles on a flat surface by two weeks, and run by 4 weeks.  Hard workouts generally start at around 6 weeks.

Pain pumps have dramatically altered the recovery from abdominal and breast surgery. They reduce pain without sedating patients. Their safety profile is also much higher than in the past, with no need for Marcaine, a long acting anesthetic that has been associated with heart block in some patients.

The difference between patients who go home after their surgery and those who stay in an aftercare with pain pumps is night and day.

It is actually possible to have a pain pump for both the breasts and the tummy tuck at the same time.

Also, a night or two in an aftercare facility also helps recovery.

Small children less than two years of age are the biggest impediment to an easy recovery. It is often nice to get some help if kids less than 2 years old are at home.

All in all, the satisfaction rate for an expertly performed breast surgery and tummy tuck, customized to the patient's needs, is very high.

Patients should not over schedule during their recovery period.  It is a time for recovery and healing.

 

Mommy makeovers are one of the most popular procedures in the U.S. because of the transformation that is possible from the surgery.    

Mommy makeover is a broad term that describes a tummy tuck and breast surgery which could include breast augmentation, breast lift or a breast lift with augmentation.  The broad definition of the procedure makes the recovery time variable for the surgery.    

There are several new advancements in the procedure that has decreased the recovery time after the mommy makeover.

 

The use of Exparel – a long acting local anesthetic that is injected during the procedure to provide discomfort relief for three days. 
Drains are often rarely used as well.  Special suturing techniques can prevent the need for these drains.   
These two advancements have allowed patients to have a more comfortable and swift recovery from their mommy makeover. 
The recovery for the breast portion of the mommy makeover is variable depending if a person has a breast augmentation alone, or a breast lift and augmentation.

In general patients, should give themselves at least two weeks to recover from the procedure so that they can maximize their results.

Please consult your Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon to discuss your mommy makeover options! 

A properly performed mommy makeover by a board certified plastic surgeon with many years of experience in cosmetic surgery and thousands of patients can result in a beautiful outcome with moderate discomfort. The pain should last 2 to 4 weeks and require narcotics for comfort during that time.  The procedure is done in an outpatient surgery center, and the patient can typically return to work at two weeks. We see patients in follow-up at 1 day, 5 days, 7 days, 9 days, 14 days, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, and every year after that forever (all of this is free). Pain is moderate, though pain medicine is provided. It takes about two months before one can resume exercise. Overall, it is a safe operation with high patient satisfaction rates.

The limiting time factor is the tuck, because it is more involved then the augmentation. The fascia over the rectus muscle is tightened from breast bone to pubis and extensive amount of skin will be removed. The resulting scar will be within your bikini lines. The first day after surgery you can be up, but in a flexed position, same when you are in bed. I use 2 small drains attached to a suction bulb to decrease fluid build up. I also use a pain pump that will administer xylocaine every hour for 3-4 days. You will be coherent, alert, and the pain will be less than your c-sections. It is a great combination, but follow your instructions!

Hello and thank you for your question.
The recovery from a mommy makeover is highly dependent on the individual patient. Patients tolerate different degrees of pain and if you have had more than one C-section without significant difficulty than this procedure will not be very different. 
Typically, the first five days are the worst in terms of pain and discomfort. With the appropriate medications to include a narcotic pain medication, a stool softener, and muscle relaxant, the pain and discomfort are controlled and you can continue your activities of daily life. 
I always encourage patients to take at least seven days off after surgery and none of them ever regret doing so. As a plastic surgeon, it is important for my patients to strictly follow their postoperative instructions and this procedure is no different. I provide my patients with a specific list of things to avoid and things to do during their recovery. 
It is a procedure that provides an immense amount of patient satisfaction because the change in their body is instant and can be life altering. I would highly encourage any patient considering a mommy makeover to visit with a fully trained plastic surgeon to learn more about the specific details of their individual recovery.
Hope this helps. All the best!
Alex Zuriarrain, MD, Plastic Surgery

Hi there,
I think it's important to be realistic about your expectation of what recovery involves in any major elective surgery such as Mommy Makeover with concurrent breast implant lift and tummy tuck.
Depending on both your physical and psychological preparation for your surgery, the quality of your recovery time can vary widely between patients. In general, the post operative swelling is worse for the first 1-2 weeks with you being in a compressive garment for swelling control. You'll also feel very "tight" during this period of time due to the inherent nature of the surgery in "tightening" you in both vertical and horizontal dimensions from the tummy point of view as well as "filling" & "lifting" your breast shape & volume. Quite often you'll be put on some appropriate pain relief to alleviate the associated discomfort while you recover from this major surgical transformation.
It would be wise to take 2-4 weeks off your regular work or home duties as you'll not be advised to be involved in any form of heavy lifting or strenuous physical activities. Be prepared for the possibility of taking up to 6-8 weeks in some patients before feeling completely comfortable again with your new self. 
This is understandably a massive investment in your new self physically, mentally and financially. So it's prudent to be best prepared for the most optimal recovery involved.
Hope that helps.
Best Wishes
Ellis Choy

The combination of breast and tummy surgery is very common today.  I inform my patients that the recovery is basically based on the tummy tuck.  I do no expect patients to be in sever pain, as a matter of fact, with the right pre and post operative medications patients are usually very comfortable and pleasantly surprised.  I expected 7 to 10 days of very limited activity.  By 2 weeks back to most normal light activity.  By 5 weeks may resume most activities. 

I use this as a guideline which is rough. The true time will be variable. I allow aerobic activity in four weeks.

Recovery after mommy makeover can vary significantly from
patient to patient, but in general, the limiting portion of the recovery will
be the abdominoplasty or tummy tuck. Because of the muscle tightening that is
usually necessary in this area, patients can be somewhat sore after surgery.
There are multiple things that can be done to help improve this. First of all,
the relatively delicate dissection and precise suturing can help reduce trauma
to the tissues. Additionally, I use a medication called Exparel, which is a
long-lasting numbing medication that can stay in effect for up to three days
and can dramatically reduce the discomfort from the abdominoplasty. Patients
also get a combination of narcotics such as Percocet and a muscle relaxant and
a temporary medication, which is Valium to help them with their discomfort.
Most of my patients stay in overnight recovery for one night and are fine to go
home the day after surgery. I definitely tell patients to expect a fair amount
of general discomfort when moving around and many patients report that they
feel like they have done the worst workout ever and have significant muscle
tightness and soreness, but very few patients would describe their pain as
“unbearable”. Particularly for patients who have undergone prior C-sections,
the type of discomfort will be in the same range and most patients handle it
very well. There is a fine balance between enough pain medication and too much
and the patients need to adjust their dosing to stay comfortable, but not feel
like they cannot wake up or cannot think clearly. Generally, it may be a good
idea to keep the children at their grandparents or somewhere else for the first
day or two after their return home while the discomfort is improving. However,
many of my patients have children at home and have not had any issues of their
children being scared by their parent or their soreness level. I hope this is helpful, best of luck!

Yes
mommy makeover's are uncomfortable because of the abdominoplasty. It is the
tightening of the fascia (that encases your muscles) that causes the most
discomfort. Most patients are feeling much better after 2 weeks. In our
practice we use what is called a pain pump to help decrease the initial pain.
This assists the pain medication for the first 48-72 hours. Everyone handles
pain differently however. Some patients require significantly more pain
medicine than others but you should not ever be incoherent! Everyone does
recover eventually and most are back to all normal activities in 6 weeks.

Much depends on the type of surgery you are having.  A breast augmentation is typically moderately painful, about 5 on a scale of 1-10.  If the implants are placed above the muscle, the pain is less, but usually it is preferable to have the implants placed below the muscle.

 

Fortunately, adding a lift at the same time does not increase the pain level for your breast surgery.  Be sure your surgeon performs a vertical lift, because it offers the best shape results without excessive scarring.  If he or she does an inverted-T or "donut" lift, that is generally not a good option.

 

Tummy tucks do hurt.  Our survey revealed a pain level of 7.5 out of 10.  You will need painkillers.  However, usually women who have had children have a pretty good pain tolerance.  No, don't overdo the painkillers because this would be unsafe and possibly cause you to be nauseous, which is not a good thing after a tummy tuck!  Yes, you need your husband around 24/7 for at least 3 or 4 days.  Be sure you have looked at a number of before and after photos of your surgeon's work so you are satisfied with the results you see and the level of scarring.  I've attached a link to my own website to show you the results from vertical augmentation/mastopexy, which I think is the ideal combination for sagging breasts.