Plastic surgeon Dr. J. Timothy Katzen is proud to offer a comprehensive range of aesthetic procedures to women and men at his esteemed facilities, J Timothy Katzen M.D. Body By Katzen, in Beverly Hills, CA and Las Vegas, NV. Having been featured on a number of television programs, such as TLC’s The Real Skinny and Discovery Health’s The Incredible Shrinking Woman, he has gained recognition for his advanced after weight loss surgery techniques.

Haute Beauty sat down with Dr. Timothy Katzen to discuss having a mommy makeover.

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HB: What is a mommy makeover?

A mommy makeover is a plastic surgery procedure typically performed after childbirth, hence, the name “mommy makeover.” A mommy makeover addresses the areas ravaged by motherhood. There are two parts to the mommy makeover, the abdomen, and the breasts.

HB: Why do I need a mommy makeover?

The abdomen During pregnancy, an expectant mother’s abdomen is distended and stretched. Pregnancy distends the underlying abdominal muscles, stretches the tummy skin, and causes weight gain. During the tummy tuck portion of the mommy makeover, excess abdominal skin, stretch marks, and fat are permanently removed. The abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis) and associated rectus diastasis (separation of the rectus muscles) are repaired and corrected with permanent sutures. Sometimes, abdominal liposuction is also incorporated during a mommy makeover to remove stubborn pockets of fat and helps to define your underlying hourglass waistline. The goal of a mommy makeover is a flat or even concave abdomen.

The breasts During pregnancy, your breasts become engorged with milk. As your baby nurses, your breasts empty of milk. Thus, while nursing, your breasts are continually increasing due to milk production and continuously decreasing in size as your baby-nurses. Once you stop breastfeeding, milk production stops, and your breasts involute or deflate. For most women, this means loss of breast volume and further breast sag. During the breast portion of the mommy makeover, breast implants are often inserted to replace the loss of breast volume associated with nursing. Sometimes due to breast ptosis or sag, a breast lift is also performed. During a mommy makeover, not all patients require breast implants, and not all patients require breast lifts. However, most commonly, women need both breast implant insertion and a breast lift for optimal cosmetic results.

The end-result of a mommy makeover should be a flat abdomen, fuller, perkier breasts, and a more attractive hourglass shape.

HB: When should I consider a mommy makeover?

A mommy makeover is indicated for patients who are dissatisfied with their abdominal shape and have excess abdominal skin, fat, and loose abdominal muscles. The breast component of the mommy makeover is for patients who are dissatisfied with the shape and size of the breast.

HB: Am I a good candidate for a mommy makeover?

You are a good candidate for a mommy makeover if you are at a stable, healthy weight, do not smoke, have a positive outlook and realistic expectations of the mommy makeover procedure. Most patients who undergo the mommy makeover have had several children. However, suppose you have lost a significant amount of weight or are unhappy with your abdomen and breasts because of natural genetic or accelerated aging. In those cases, you may be the right candidate for a mommy makeover.

What happens during a mommy makeover?

The mommy makeover is performed under general anesthesia administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist. Once you are completely asleep, an incision is made in the lower abdomen. If you have a C-section scar, the tummy tuck incision is made below the C-section scar. Dissection is carried up to the heart and lower ribcage. The abdominal muscles are identified and sutured together. The abdominal skin and fat are pulled down and tucked into the pubic region, i.e., tummy tuck. The excess abdominal skin and fat are removed. A new belly button is created.

The tummy tuck or abdominoplasty portion of the mommy makeover procedure takes approximately 3 to 4 hours to complete. The breast component of the mommy makeover includes the insertion of FDA approved silicone or saline breast implants. Breast implants can be inserted above the muscle, below the muscle, or half under and a half over or dual plane. Then, a breast lift or mastopexy may be required to achieve perkier breasts. Different types of mastopexies include the crescent, 360 peri-areolar, doughnut, lollipop, or anchor mastopexy. The breast augmentation and breast lift component of the mommy makeover procedure takes approximately 3 to 4 hours, depending on the required amount of work.

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HB: Are drains involved in a mommy makeover?

Like most tummy tucks, two drains are inserted during the tummy tuck portion of the mommy makeover. Depending on the amount of fluid, these drains are removed seven to ten days after the mommy makeover.

HB: Is the mommy makeover permanent?

The mommy makeover is a one-time procedure. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle of eating right and exercising, your mommy makeover results should last a long time. Like anything, as we age, things change. However, it is unlikely that you will need a total revision of your mommy makeover. It is exceeding rare that the abdominal portion of your mommy makeover will need to be redone in your lifetime. On average, breast implant surgery may need to be revised once more in your lifetime. Future breast implant surgery is usually performed to exchange your breast implants for larger or smaller breast implants.

HB: When can I return to work after a mommy makeover?

Most patients can return to a desk job 2 to 3 weeks after a mommy makeover. If your work is more physical than a desk job, expect to return to work 3 to 4 weeks after a mommy makeover. Typically, you can return to routine exercise 6 to 8 weeks after your mommy makeover.

What does a mommy makeover cost?

The average cost of a mommy makeover varies. The cost of a mommy makeover varies depending on the length of your individualized mommy makeover surgery, the amount of surgery that needs to be performed, whether you need breast implants, the type of breast lift required, the cost of the operating room, cost of anesthesia, and your plastic surgeon’s fees. Due to variations in overhead, rent, operating costs, and malpractice insurance fees, mommy makeover fees vary by geographic region. A mommy makeover in a busy, urban center may be more expensive than a mommy makeover in a slower, rural setting. That does not mean that one location is better than another; it just means that one place is more costly. The two most important items to remember when searching for a mommy makeover plastic surgeon are that your chosen plastic surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and that your chosen plastic surgeon has significant experience performing the mommy makeover procedure. Board certification and experience are more important than price. If your plastic surgeon is not experienced, you may spend far more on costly revisions.

Haute Beauty is affiliated with the luxury lifestyle publication Haute Living. As a section of Haute Living magazine, Haute Beauty covers the latest advancements in beauty and wellness, providing readers with expert advice on aesthetic and reconstructive treatments through its network of acclaimed surgeons.

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