A “mommy makeover” refers to a combination of procedures that can be performed together to help mothers regain the youthful look of the abdomen and breasts, which are often severely compromised during pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and nursing. The procedures can include a tummy tuck, liposuction, and a breast augmentation, breast lift or breast reduction. Dr. Jeffrey Ptak achieves the best possible result for his Arizona patients as he keeps in mind each patient’s natural proportions and balance.

About Mommy Makeovers

Women’s bodies often change after giving birth, sometimes in small ways but often in more substantial ways. The breasts can droop, stretch, and lose or gain volume, and abdomen muscles may separate along with loose skin on the stomach. Diet and exercise are unfortunately often not enough to get back to your pre-baby body. The mommy makeover is designed to help with just these issues.

Combining popular cosmetic surgeries such as a tummy tuck, liposuction, breast augmentation, reduction, and/or lift, rejuvenates the breasts and torso for a younger looking aesthetic.

Procedure Options

Tummy Tuck

Post-pregnancy, it is nearly impossible to get the abdominal muscles to contract back to their original state, even if you’ve reached your pre-baby weight. And no amount of exercise can counter loose skin. A tummy tuck will work to tighten abdominal muscles for toned definition and remove excess skin for a contoured, sculpted appearance. The standard tummy tuck procedure utilizes an incision near the pubic line running from hip to hip to address the entire abdominal area, suturing muscles for a more even contour and redraping the skin. In some cases, an additional incision around the belly button may be necessary to offer the most comprehensive results. In addition to the aforementioned standard tummy tuck, there are various tummy tuck techniques which will all be at your disposable as part of the mommy makeover package. These include:

• Mini Tummy Tuck: Designed for a more subtle transformation, this option leaves the smallest scar just above the public line, flattens the lower abdominal wall, and removes excess skin from the area. This technique is reserved for mothers whose problem area is the lower abdomen below the bellybutton.
• Modified Tummy Tuck: This technique is designed for patients who only have minimal concerns that need to be addressed, focusing on either adjusting the muscle wall or excess skin.
• Extended Tummy Tuck: The extended tummy tuck not only covers all problem areas corrected by the standard tummy tuck but also focusing on removing the loose excess skin from the flanks, also known as love handles.
• High Tension Tummy Tuck: The high tension tummy tuck was designed to not only flattened the abdominal wall but cinch it as well, resulting in a “corset” or “hourglass” look.

Liposuction

Sometimes exercise and dieting are not enough to diminish unyielding fat deposits. Liposuction is specially designed to suction unresponsive localized fat deposits from almost anywhere on the body. At Silhouette Surgical Spa, we offer 3 types of liposuction:

• Traditional Liposuction: Traditional liposuction is the gold standard for fat removal procedure.
• SmartLipo: SmartLipo uses the same procedure process as traditional liposuction, but the advanced technology makes the suctioning portion easier by using laser energy to initially melt the fat deposits and cells down.
• Vaser Hi-Def Liposuction: A newer generation of liposuction, Vaser Hi-Def Liposuction also makes the suctioning portion easier but uses ultrasound wavelengths to break up the fat deposits.

Breast Augmentation

For patients who wish to increase their breast size, a breast augmentation can be a good procedure choice. A breast augmentation typically uses implants to amplify the volume of the breasts, although fat grafting is also available. Please keep in mind that breast augmentation does not work to correct breasts that are drooping, which would require a breast lift operation as well. At Silhouette Surgical Spa, we let you choose from both silicone and saline breast implants. Silicone implants have a gelatinous quality, while saline implants have a solid silicone outer shell that is inserted into the breast pocket and then filled with a salt water solution. Some women report that silicone implants feel more natural, although there are many other factors in determining the right implants for you. Some of the other factors to consider when choosing a breast implant include:

• Size: Measured in cubic centimeters
• Shape: Round or teardrop
• Surface: Textured or smooth
• Profile: projection of the implant from the body

Breast Reduction

Breast reduction surgery reduces the volume and size of a woman’s breasts. It not only improves proportions and aesthetics, but it can help improve or correct breathing issues, pain, and soreness in the back, neck, and shoulders, restricted physical activity, as well as self-confidence. In a breast reduction procedure, incisions are made from the nipple-areola complex down to the bottom fold of the breast. The nipple and areola will be moved up to an attractive position and the size of areola may be reduced in order to preserve proportion. Our method preserves sensation in the nipple and still allows for breastfeeding, in case you decide to have more children in the future.

Breast Lift

A breast lift, also known as mastopexy, helps correct sagging and excess skin that may develop over the course of pregnancy and after childbirth. A breast lift without a breast augmentation or reduction will give the breasts a perkier, more youthful feel without changing the actual size of the breasts. There are four different breast lift techniques to choose from, each named after the shape of the incision they require:

• Crescent Lift: Utilizing a small incision around the top portion of the areola, a crescent lift delivers subtler results for women with minimal sagging.
• Donut Lift: This incision technique wraps around the circumference of the areola. This procedure is a good option for women with little sagging who also want to decrease the size of their areolas.
• Lollipop Lift: A lollipop lift uses the same incision of the donut lift with a second incision running from the base of the areola down to the lower breast fold. The lollipop lift offers more comprehensive results for women with more significant sagging.
• Anchor Lift: This technique is designed for women with more drastic sagging and requires an incision from the base of the areola down to and along the lower breast fold.

Post-operative Recovery

Depending on the procedures chosen and the individual’s ability to undergo anesthesia, Dr. Ptak may elect to perform a mommy makeover over the course of two sessions. Your recovery after these sessions will, of course, depend on the procedures you choose. In general, Dr. Ptak recommends that you rest for 7-14 days after a mommy makeover. You will be sent home with a surgical compression bra that should be worn at all times except in the shower for two to three weeks. A compression garment will also be wrapped around the abdomen and liposuction locations if undergone. Patients should avoid all strenuous activity for four to six weeks. The most common side effects include swelling, bruising, and mild discomfort, which can be controlled with pain medication. In order to alleviate swelling, we recommend sleeping with your head elevated and using a cold compress. Avoid alcohol, smoking, and anti-inflammatory medications for the prescribed amount of time as these can negatively impact your ability to heal.

It is important that you attend any follow-up appointments so we can ensure you are healing properly. Prior to your surgery, Dr. Ptak and his staff will prescribe a personalized full recovery program in order to help you achieve your prime results.

Ideal Candidates

The mommy makeover is designed for mothers who need a little extra help getting back their pre-baby bodies. If you feel like you would benefit from two or more of the aforementioned procedures, then a mommy makeover may be a good choice for you. In general, a mommy makeover may be a good treatment option for women in good health, without any medical conditions or allergies that make them unsuitable for anesthesia or can affect their ability to heal properly. It is also important that patients have a full understanding of what to expect from a mommy makeover procedure and have realistic expectations. A mommy makeover will not impact your ability to get pregnant or carry a child in the future, but we do recommend that patients wait until they are done with childbearing to undergo a mommy makeover treatment. Future pregnancies will likely reverse your results.

Your Consultation

Cost

A mommy makeover is a highly customizable procedure where the patient, along with Dr. Ptak, will have to decide the best techniques for their body. All of these options can affect the cost of the overall procedure. After the consultation, Dr. Ptak and his highly trained staff will be able to provide the most accurate cost estimate.