Mommy Makeover: Info, Photos, Rewiews, Q&A

Mommy Makeover Anesthesia administered by a board certified anesthesiologist in a certified/regulated facility is safe and well tolerated by most patients.

Modern anesthetic techniques using the latest medications allow patients to wake quickly and regain clear thinking in a short period of time.

Most patients will stay in the recovery area for 30 – 60 minutes and then spend a few minutes longer in a step-down area until their thinking clears.

For some patients these times will be a little longer while for others it will be shorter.

Time is not the important factor but the health and stability of the patient is. You’ll be monitored throughout the recovery process just as you were during surgery to ensure that everything is progressing well.

When the anesthesiologist determines that it is safe, you can be discharged from the recovery area.

Be aware that anytime that you have general anesthesia, you may not drive and should not make important decisions within 24 hours of the anesthesia.

It is also important, if the procedure is performed as an outpatient, that an adult spend the night with you so that if there are any issues, someone is available to make a phone call for help.

Although this circumstance is exceedingly rare, it is a matter of prudent precaution and safety. (Alexander G. Nein, MD, MS, FACS, Nashville Plastic Surgeon)

Anesthesia for Mommy Makeover surgery
Mommy makeover surgery can take several hours since there are often multiple procedures which need to be completed.

A breast lift and or breast augmentation along with an abdominoplasty with liposuction are usually required to improve contour after pregnancy and breast feeding.

I perform these operations under general anesthesia with a board certified anesthesiologist to maximize safety.

In qualified hands patients wake up soon after the procedure has been completed and are fully aware in the recovery room. Depending on their unique needs some patients will stay overnight in a recovery facility and others may go home. (Andrew Goldberg, MD, Fairfax Plastic Surgeon)

The anesthesia used today is actually out of your body relatively soon after the surgery. Anesthesiologists are so skilled and the anesthetics selected to minimize lingering effects and unpleasant side effects.

You will talk to the anesthesiologist prior to surgery and they will go over this in more detail. (Ronald J. Edelson, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

My patients begin waking up as soon as they arrive in the recovery room following a mommy makeover. They are monitored for 60-90 minutes prior to discharge. Most patients doze a little longer in the recovery room but are easily awakened upon calling their name.

We advise our patient to go directly home from our surgical facility and plan to stay in bed the rest of the evening and take the pain medications as prescribed. (Christopher J. Morea, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

You will often see by the other answers here that if a surgeon operates in a setting that utilizes a certain type of anesthesia more commonly than others, this will be the “recommended” type of anesthesia. Prior to 1991, our office surgical facility utilized only local aneshtesia or IV sedation, and my partners and I touted our anesthetic regimen as “safer and superior” to “going completely asleep” with a general anesthetic.

Since 1991, when we started offering full mommy makeover anesthesia options, including monitored sedation and general anesthesia (but using total intravenous anesthesia drugs rather than inhalation anesthetic gases), we have had less postoperative nausea, vomiting, and reoperation for bleeding!

So now I truthfully believe that for many patients, our total intravenous general anesthesia regimen is better for patient comfort, safety, and allows me to do my best work without having my patient endure any discomfort!

Our patients routinely leave our facility in 1 to 1 1/2 hours in the recovery room, having visited the restroom, sipping a soda, and being dressed! This is the rule, rather than the exception. If your board-certified plastic surgeon works at a hospital, an anesthesiologist (MD who practices anesthesia) may supervise the anesthesia; ask if he or she will be present for the entire operation, or if your anesthetic will be actually delivered by a CRNA. Also ask what type of mommy makeover anesthesia is going to be used, as most hospitals and many outpatient surgical centers use inhalation anesthetics (gas) rather than IV general anesthetic exclusively–gas is safe, but substantially cheaper.

Unfortunately, gas also causes nausea and vomiting in as many as 25-30% of patients, causing longer recovery room stays, and occasionally requiring unplanned overnight admission, or at least a more uncomfortable recovery with a higher risk for bleeding. You can see for yourself which I believe is better, but ultimately, you are best advised to ask these questions of your plastic surgeon and your anesthesia provider! (Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS, Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon)

If you are in an accredited facility being cared for by qualified MD’s and nurses, mommy makeover anesthesia is very safe and the recovery is relatively quick and predictable. Most patients are awake enough to converse and start drinking something within 2 hours after the procedure. There are of course individual differences based upon your anatomy and physiology. (Bryan Correa, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Many factors can play into how long your wakeup will be. I would anticipate approximately an hour or so before you are awake enough to transfer either home or to an overnight recovery center. (Joseph C. Berardi, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)

The amount of time that it takes you to wake up after surgery is affected by multiple factors.  These factors include your overall weight, length of surgery, how much narcotic you received while asleep, and what other medications were used during surgery and their dosages.

In general the goal is for you to be awake and breathing on your own within the first 10-15 minutes after surgery has been completed.  The one caveat that I forgot to mention is that in my opinion it is super important that you are put asleep by a board certified anesthesiologist!  (Christopher J. Davidson, MD, FACS, Boston Plastic Surgeon)

You’ll wake up in the OR before you enter recovery. That means you’ll only be out for the time the actual surgery is going on, plus a few minutes after that. Your surgeon and anesthetist will be there for the whole time and for a bit after that to make sure you’re okay. (Michael Constantin Gartner, DO, Paramus Plastic Surgeon)

The time taken to wake up for anesthesia is dependent on the technique. You will need general anesthesia. You will be able to converse and walk within an hour. You will start to feel like yourself again by the next day. (Jason Mussman, MD, Phoenix Plastic Surgeon)

Generally speaking, most patients wake up following a Mommy Makeover surgery within a few minutes of the surgeries completion.  As the surgeon is finishing up and bandages are being placed, the anesthesiologist will typically begin to lighten the anesthetic drugs, thereby allowing the patient to wake up quickly and gently.

Most patients do not actually remember the anesthesia wake up but instead remember waking up in recovery more alert and less sleepy.  I hope you find this helpful! (Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, Woodbury Plastic Surgeon)

Waking up from general anaesthesia is a process that is related to the anaesthesia technique. How the anesthetist puts you to sleep and keeps you asleep during the surgery and how you are awakened determines the time required. at least for the initial phase of recovery.

There are many drugs and techniques that go into the cocktail an individual case requires, and mommy makeover anesthesia is as complex a decision making process as any aspect of medicine.But when you awaken from the anaesthetic it isn’t a black and white affair.

You may be able to open your eyes and respond to commands and swallow, protect your airway from fluids, but aren’t yet fully awake and you likely will remember nothing of what is said to you during the next couple of hours. Even then, anaesthesiologists will counsel you in advance not to drive, operate machinery or do anything requiring legal judgment over the next 24 hours because you are still impaired. (Benjamin Gelfant, MD, Vancouver Plastic Surgeon)

many women have concerns about undergoing elective surgery and recovery from mommy makeover anesthesia. Typically you wakeup from anesthesia within 15 minutes after which time you will leave the OR for the Recovery Room.

We typically recover our patients for about 1.5 hours for outpatient surgery. It may take up to almost 4 days to feel like the anesthesia has completely worn off – hydration helps. (Michele A. Shermak, MD, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)

As soon as your surgeon is done with the surgery you will wake up from anesthesia within a couple minutes.

You will then spend about an hour in the recovery room before you will be allowed to go home. (Tyler Angelos, MD, Columbus Plastic Surgeon)

Actually, waking up from anesthesia usually happens within a few minutes of the end of the procedure. Once dressings are in place, and postoperative stability of the wounds and dressings is established, the anesthesiologist will usually wake the patient up within a few minutes.

However, this is not a full wake-up with full consciousness; this happens over twenty to thirty minutes, sometimes even up to one hour before the patient is fully aware that they are awake from anesthesia. Even then, they may not remember everything that goes on. Modern anesthesia techniques are much lighter than in the past. The drugs and technology are superior and a much lighter touch is used, particularly without patient surgeries like Mommy Make Overs.

With the addition of pain pumps, which dramatically diminish pain and in fact the pain pump medication is administered well before the patient is awakened from mommy makeover anesthesia, the idea in my practice is that patients should wake up without pain and this hastens the recovery from mommy makeover anesthesia, dramatically reduces the need for narcotics, both in the immediate postop phase and in the longer term recovery.

This is important to busy moms with children and families to look after. Even though they may be limited in their activities after surgery, they are alert and able to supervise because their need for narcotics is almost eliminated. This makes for a much more productive recovery. (Richard A. D’Amico, MD, FACS, Englewood Plastic Surgeon)

Most patients wake up within a few minutes of the procedure being complete. They then spend about an hour (give or take) in the recovery area. (Grant Stevens, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

The key predictor is the attitude and practice of the surgeon and anesthesia provider. When I perform these procedures, I combine local anesthetics both short and long acting in combination with general anesthesia. Basically, I have a discussion with the anesthesiologist about limiting the amount of inhaled anesthetic and opioid pain medication. I try to be as meticulous as possible with my injections and allow adequate time for the local anesthetic to take effect.

By limiting the inhaled anesthetic and opioid, my patients wake up at the completion of the case in a few minutes and are not nauseated and are comfortable due to my infiltration of local anesthetics which include Exparel for 3 days worth of relief. (Stephen M. Chen, MD, Richmond Plastic Surgeon)

Most people wake up quickly after mommy makeover or other operations of similar length. There is a period between waking up and being completely alert and oriented to your surroundings. Generally within about 30 minutes after leaving the operating room, I find that my patients will remember our conversations. (William Andrade, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Most of my patients awaken immediately following the completion of their mommy makeover.  At that point the patient is typically groggy but has a smile on their face.  Over the course of thirty minutes most awaken completely. We typically observe them for another hour in the recovery room before transferring them to the overnight care facility.  I prefer for my patients to be monitored by a nurse for the first night following a mommy makeover that includes a tummy tuck. (David Stoker, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

Recovery from anesthesia
Following 4 hours of general anesthesia, most patients spend around 1 hour in the recovery suite before going home. This allows the anesthetic agents to clear from the system and coherence to return. It takes up to an additional 24 hours for the full effects of the anesthetic drugs to wear off – it is therefore advised against making major decisions for this period of time. (Joshua D. Zuckerman, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

After four hours of surgery, patients usually are ready to go home in about 2 hours.  This does vary with patients and some may require more time in recovery after surgery. Your surgeon’s recovery nurses will determine when you are able to go home.  (Shim Ching, MD, Honolulu Plastic Surgeon)

This is an area where many moms worry: waking up from the surgery. Mommy makeover anesthesia is very well controlled and will be timed right to allow you to gradually awaken right after surgery. You will be groggy and may sleep the rest of the day, but that will be in the comfort of your own bed or in your room at the hospital if your surgeon decided to keep you overnight. (Michael Burgdorf, MD, MPH, Nashville Plastic Surgeon)