Mommy makeover risks do exist despite the surgery being overall safe when performed by a board certified plastic surgeon. As a patient seeking a mommy makeover, it is important to know about these risks before setting your surgery date.
A strong understanding of possible complications can help you better prepare for your surgery and ensure you are in a good place emotionally and physically as you move forward. Below, we’ll discuss the risks of mommy makeover surgery you should be aware of. But first, what is a mommy makeover?
What Is a Mommy Makeover?
A mommy makeover is a combination of plastic surgery procedures designed to improve a woman’s appearance after she’s done having children.
Not every woman feels the need to undergo surgery after going through pregnancy and childbirth, but many women do lament the loss of their pre-baby bodies. Sagging breasts, loose skin, separated abdominal muscles, and unwanted fat in all the wrong places can make it hard to feel confident and self-assured about your appearance.
A mommy makeover can change all that.
Mommy makeovers include whatever procedures you want them to. If your breasts are sagging and you’d like to have them be larger and lifted, you’ll need breast enhancement surgery (a breast augmentation and/or a breast lift).
If excess skin on the abdomen and separated abdominal muscles are a major concern, a tummy tuck surgery can help. Tummy tucks get rid of loose skin on the abdomen and tighten the muscles.
Liposuction can help get rid of unwanted fat. And other procedures can be added to enhance your physique even further.
Is a Mommy Makeover a Safe Surgery?
All surgeries come with risks. Mommy makeover surgery is no exception.
Most of these common surgical risks include things like excessive bleeding, infection, or poor healing. We’ll go over more of these below. Fortunately, overall, complications tend to be very rare.
Still, most of the biggest risks for mommy makeover surgery in particular are associated with how long these procedures can take in the operating room. Overall, the longer a patient must be under anesthesia, the more potential complications there are.
Likewise, more procedures require more incisions. This means more chance of bleeding, blood clots, incision reopening, infection, etc. Recovery times are longer, and the intensity can be hard on some patients.
Ideal Candidates Only
In addition to choosing from only board certified plastic surgeons, to avoid the potential risks of mommy makeover surgery from becoming actual complications, it is of the utmost importance that all patients are properly screened. Only mommy makeover patients who are in good physical health without major health concerns should be selected for a mommy makeover procedure.
This is for your own health and safety. So, when it comes time for your consultation appointment, be sure to be completely honest. Talk about any health issues, past surgeries or treatments, and current medications and supplements you are taking. Some patients will require additional screening tests in the form of imaging scans or blood draws.
What Are the Risks of a Mommy Makeover?
1. Surgical Risks
Like any surgical procedure, a mommy makeover carries inherent risks such as infection, bleeding, and adverse reactions to anesthesia. A skilled plastic surgeon can mitigate these risks, but it’s important to be aware of them.
2. Hematomas and Seromas
Hematomas (blood pooling within the skin tissue) and seromas (fluid accumulations) can develop after surgery. These are rare, but they may require drainage. Patients should be vigilant about monitoring themselves so that they can catch a hematoma or seroma because further complications occur.
3. Altered Sensations
Some patients may experience altered sensations, including numbness or hypersensitivity. These sensations are usually temporary but can persist in some cases. Not uncommonly, changes in nipple sensation can occur after breast surgery.
4. Asymmetry
Achieving perfectly healed symmetry with a mommy makeover can be challenging for plastic surgeons who must anticipate swelling and settling of the skin, fat, and tissue as the patient heals. Patients should understand that subtle differences in the appearance of the treated areas may occur.
5. Infection
While infection is a rare complication, it can occur. Proper wound care and adherence to your post-operative instructions will certainly help prevent this risk. Be diligent about caring for yourself, and you will be rewarded by avoiding potentially life-threatening risks.
6. Delayed Healing
Healing times can vary after mommy makeover surgeries, and some patients may even experience delayed healing. Unfortunately, this may lead to prolonged discomfort for the patient and even temporary changes in appearance.
FAQ: Mommy Makeover Risks
How hard is recovery from mommy makeover surgery?
Recovery from mommy makeover surgery depends on which individual procedures you actually underwent. An exhaustive mommy makeover that includes a tummy tuck, liposuction, breast augmentation, and fat transfer to the buttocks (BBL or Brazilian butt lift surgery) will certainly result in more risks, more discomfort, and a longer mommy makeover recovery time with more soreness.
On the other hand, you can also just have liposuction and a modest breast lift as your full cosmetic surgery, which will result in a less extensive recovery and less difficulty healing.
Is a mommy makeover worth the pain?
This is really highly subjective. If you are someone who has struggled for a long time with the effects of pregnancy, childbirth, and aging, you may benefit.
For some women, these issues can be truly debilitating, both emotionally and physically. For many of these women, despite the pain and discomfort of mommy makeover recovery, it is worth it.
What are the mommy makeover and breast implants risks?
If you opt to get breast implants with your mommy makeover, the overall risks are usually the same as with any mommy makeover procedure. There is a rare but potential risk for excessive bleeding, blood clots, seromas, hematomas, infection, and poor healing, among other risks.
Set Up Your Consultation Appointment Today
The best place to learn about the specific risks mommy makeover surgery may present is at your plastic surgeon’s practice. As soon as you decide you’d like to learn more about mommy makeover surgery, we invite you to book a consultation appointment.
Female board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Smita Ramanadham has performed this procedure on numerous patients. Dr. Ramanadham is exceptionally skilled and always puts her patients’ safety and wellbeing first.
To start your mommy makeover journey today, give our New Jersey office a call and schedule your consultation appointment with Dr. Ramanadham. We look forward to your call.
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