Mommy Makeover

Pregnancy and childbirth can make drastic changes to a woman’s figure, which may leave her disappointed with the appearance of her breasts, abdomen, and other areas of the body. A Mommy Makeover is a special combination of surgical procedures that can restore a woman’s pre-pregnancy body or even improve it.

The typical Mommy Makeover usually includes a tummy tuck, a breast surgery like augmentation, reduction or breast lift, liposuction, and in some cases vaginal rejuvenation like labial reduction or fat transfer. Small hernias in the belly button, which are very common after pregnancy, can also be repaired. Some of these procedures, such are breast reduction or hernia repair, may be covered by your medical insurance. During your consultation with Dr. Capek, you will determine together what procedures are ideal to get you back to your pre-pregnancy body.

Patients throughout the Capital District areas of Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Saratoga trust New York Plastic Surgeon Dr. Lucie Capek to perform their mommy makeover surgery. Many of our patients also travel from New York City, Vermont, Massachusetts and beyond to receive her skilled and compassionate care.

 

Am I a good candidate?

If you are struggling to return to your pre-pregnancy figure after maintaining a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise, a Mommy Makeover could be right for you. Childbirth, and aging, may have left you with the following characteristics:

• Your breasts have become so much larger after childbirth and they are out of proportion with the rest of your body. You may be experiencing back, neck or shoulder pain.
• Your breast are sagging or have ‘deflated’ with loss of volume
• Your areolae are stretched out and nipples are drooping or too prominent
• Your tummy has loose skin and stretch marks and your waistline has become thick and undefined.
• You had a C-section and now you have areas of fat hanging over your surgical scar.
• You have excess fat in the love handle area as well as in the hips and thighs.
• You vaginal area looks deflated or the inner labia are enlarged and thinned out.
• You have early signs of aging in your face and around the eyes.

A Mommy Makeover is designed to address all of these concerns, often during one procedure, saving you recovery time and money. As always, safety is our number one concern so you must be in good health to be considered a good candidate. Realistic expectations of the results are also important and Dr. Capek will review this will you at your consultation appointment.

Your Procedure

Mommy Makeover surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia at a fully accredited surgery center. Since this is often a longer surgery, Dr. Capek usually recommends that your spend one night in the surgery center, where you will have one-on-one nursing care, a private room and lots of TLC.

During your operation, Dr. Capek will make incisions based on the type of surgical procedure combination selected for your particular needs. This is usually on the abdomen and breasts, with small liposuction incisions on the hips, flanks or thighs. For many of these procedures, Dr. Capek uses the state-of-the-art HARMONIC® scalpel, an ultrasound instrument that has been shown to be gentler on the tissues and results in less pain after surgery. For tummy tucks, she also uses the On-Q Pain Pump to minimize your post-surgical discomfort. For the Liposuction portion of your procedure, she uses the gentler VASER Liposelection to minimize bruising and discomfort. Explore all the details on our site!

After Your Procedure

Recovery time is very dependent on the procedures you undergo and your pre-surgical fitness level, but typically the Mommy Makeover has a significant amount of downtime.

After your one night stay in the surgery center, you will go home with the ON-Q® PainBuster Pump, drains and garments such as a bra, girdle or binder. You can shower 2 days after surgery and most people go back to sedentary work after about 2 weeks. After surgery, you should be moving around and walking frequently during the day but strenuous activities are restricted for at least 2 weeks. Full recovery, when you are allowed to resume core abdominal exercises and high impact exercise like running, takes about 8 weeks. Dr. Capek and her staff give you detailed instructions to follow after your procedure and their careful monitoring and care will help you recover as quickly as possible.

What are the risks?

In general, significant complications associated with Mommy Makeovers are infrequent and the satisfaction rate is high. Dr. Capek is an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon and has performed hundreds of Mommy Makeover procedures in accredited operating rooms with the collaboration of board-certified anesthesiologists. However, all surgeries carry some associated risks and complications. These may include bleeding or infection, wound healing problems, seromas (fluid collections), poor quality scars, blood clots and reactions to anesthesia. You can help to minimize the risks of surgery by following Dr. Capek’s recommendations and aftercare instructions.

Make your consultation appointment with Dr. Capek today to find out more!