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

There have been no reports of unsuccessful pregnancy after tummy tuck. However, why chance it and why chance ruining a tummy tuck with a pregnancy?

You should wait until after the second pregnancy to do your tummy tuck. Your breasts may also change with a second pregnancy, which could change your needs regarding implants and/or breast lift.

If you absolutely cannot live with yourself in your present state, you could temporize with a mini, skin only tummy tuck to remove any loose hanging skin. Save the full tummy tuck until you are finished child bearing. (Kenneth R. Francis, MD, FACS, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Wait until your family is complete before tummy tuck

There can be no question that it is always better to have one operation rather than two. Therefore, I would recommend that you finish your family before having surgery, in order to avoid having to have a revision procedure. With regard to teardrop (anatomic) implants- my opinion is that they have absolutely no benefit to the breast augmentation patient (they sometimes are useful in breast reconstruction after cancer) and often do cause problems with the outcome. (Armando Soto, MD, FACS, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)

I wil give you my blunt opinion. First, if you need a lift, get the lift. My professional opinion is that I don’t care for the teardrop implant or the subglanduar placement, though many others do, and they are acceptable choices. Regarding the diastasis recti, and tummy tuck option. If you have ANY laxity of skin, or muscles above your navel, you need a full tt. The term mini refers to a tummy tuck in which the “muscle” tightening is below the navel.

The scar is not mini at all and may be as long as a traditional tt. Finally, do not get these procedures if you are going to get pregnant first- unless you wish to make your doctor wealthy. (Scott E. Kasden, MD, FACS, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

I would suggest waiting until you are done having children prior to having surgery. While you could certainly have children after your surgery, your results will be more predictable if you wait until you are done with childbearing. (Nina S. Naidu, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Most women need a full tummy tuck. And if you need a breast lift, you need a real lift. The surgery is safe, and women accept the scars very well if they love their new shape. But mini surgery will generally get you mini benefits. I know this is not what you want to hear! (George J. Beraka, MD (retired), Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

It is always better to finish having children before having a tummy tuck

Is a teardrop shaped implant over the muscle the best choice for breast augmentation in “mommy” breasts.

The over the muscle implant placement is often used when the patient does not want a lift, but has a lower nipple position than is ideal.

There are also diffenent opinions among surgeons about using shaped implants. I generally don’t unless there are specific reasons to use them. Without seeing you in person, I can’t really comment on the best approach for improvement of your breasts.

Your consultation with your surgeon should provide you with information about your choices, above or below the muscle, lift or no lift, shaped or round implants, saline or gel filled, textured or smooth. There is no one way to do anything, and each of the choices will have pros and cons.

I think you will find that there is clear agreement among surgeons that tummy tucks should be done when you are done having children. (Elizabeth Slass Lee, MD, Bay Area Plastic Surgeon)

If you are planning on having more children in the near future, I would defer a tummy tuck until you are completed with haning children.

This could potentially “undo” the results of the muscle repair. (Otto Joseph Placik, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

Wait till you are finished having children. Your body will change with second pregnancy and breast feeding. It is a major surgery and you want to have the results last. (Samir Shureih, MD, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)

Tummy tuck, future pregnancies, and implant options

It is best to wait until after you are done having kids before doing the tummy tuck. Secondly, the decision on a mini vs a full abdominoplasty will depend on how much loose skin there is; it isn’t a matter of perference for the shorter scar, it is a question of what is being treated. finally, I would weigh in with what you have heard about teardrop implants especially over the muscle.

There are specific anatomic conditions that favor the use of these implants, and only about 15% of women are good candidates for them. (Richard Baxter, MD, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

Family first, then tummy tuck

If you are indeed considering second pregnancy there is no reason to hurry to tummy tuck, mini or otherwise, to correct your diastasis now. Wait. Concerning the teardrop implants, this is an area of choice and controversy. I prefer a round implant, silicone or gel, in breast augmentation.

Augmentation should be viewed as an enhancement of the natural breast and the round implant is ‘neutral’ in that is does not produce any artifact within the breast, no matter what position you are in.

I know in Canada the anatomic cohesive gel implants are popular, yet they are stiff, lack natural flow, and the shape is good in one postion only. Plastic surgeons will debate the issue, yet ultimately you should take time to understand what you will be wearing for a very long time. (Peter E. Johnson, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

If you are having kids in the near future, then I would suggest waiting on the tummy tuck and the beast augmentation until after you are done having children. As for a mini-tummy tuck, the incision is basically the same as a fully abdominoplasty, with less remarkable results – so, I would really suggest considering a full abdominoplasty.

In most cases round implants placed under the muscle is the best option. (David Shafer, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Mommy makeover timing and specifics

You should wait to have a tummy tuck until you’re confident that you’re through having children. Second pregnancy could take away from the final results of surgery and, in a worst case scenario, require you to have additional surgery in the future.

I’m not a big fan of tear drop implants to create a slight lift. My preference is to use smooth, round implants, usually behind the muscle, and to make an incision around the areola.

It’s possible to achieve a nice scar with this approach, achieve a nice lift, and give more upper pole fullness to the breasts, which is what most of my patients seem to want.

Given your diastasis recti, a mini tummy tuck doesn’t seem like a good option for you. Mini tummy tucks yield mini results, and with significant muscle separation, the results won’t be very good. I know you don’t want a long incision, but failure to correct the muscle separation and to remove all of your loose skin will yield unsatisfying results.

Instead of focusing on the length of the incision, talk to your surgeon about keeping the incision low, so it’s not visualized in a bathing suit. (Sam Jejurikar, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)

Considerations for children after “tummy tuck”

I understand that you are considering a breast lift (AKA, Mastopexy) and a tummy tuck, with repair of diastasis recti (muscle laxity/ separation). As far as the consideration of future pregnancies.

The best choice is to wait until you are done with any further pregnancies. If this is a case of you are not certain that you have more children, I think then that the take away points are that these procedures can impact a second pregnancy.

In particular, a mastopexy involves mobilizing the position of the lower half of the breast/ nipple area- this procedure can result in scar tissue affecting the delivery of milk (lactation), and thus make it difficult, or unable, to breast feed.

As far as the abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) it is the plication, or reinforcment of the underlying muscle/fascial tissue to correct the laxity/ split of the muscle plane that may make it difficult to allow proper later expansion of the abdominal wall in the event of a second pregnancy. (Sergio Pasquale Maggi, MD, FACS, Austin Plastic Surgeon)

Hold off on the tummy tuck until after kids

We as surgeons frequently use different techniques and sometimes have different opinions as to which techniques are best for individual patients. Without seeing you, it is difficult to give you an opinion as to what is best in your case.

Although I agree with you that teardrop implants are sometimes a problem with shifting/rotating, as well as the fact that they are usually textured which can make them more palpable, they are still a reasonable implant to use in some situations.

If you have a good volume of breast tissue, then they may be well covered and not very palpable (which is not the case in most breast augmentation patients or they wouldn’t be wanting implants).

A good alternative in most cases is placing the implant under the pectoralis muscle and having a lift.

That way you get all of the benefits of the muscle coverage and in my opinion a better overall result. As far as the tummy tuck. if you are planning having more kids in the near future, I would recommend waiting on the tummy tuck until later. (Daniel P. Markmann, MD, Baltimore Plastic Surgeon)

Finish your family then have the surgery. I do not like tear drop implants and after a 4th child don’t argue over the length of the scar, have a full tummy tuck.

You will look great. Also loose all the weight before tummy tuck. (William B. Rosenblatt, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)