Sharon Monsivais, MD, is a plastic surgeon at Salem Health. Part of her work is helping patients to feel confident again.

When they’re done growing their families, some mothers find themselves interested in what has come to be known as the “mommy makeover.”

So, what does that mean, exactly?

Types of mommy makeovers

“There is not a strict definition for a mommy makeover, but the most common procedures included involve the breasts and the abdomen,” said Dr. Monsivais. “With the breasts, it involves a breast lift plus or minus an augmentation, and the abdomen involves an abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck.”

A breast lift removes extra skin and repositions the nipple, and this can be combined with implants or done alone. A tummy tuck removes extra skin and tightens the stomach muscles. Some patients also consider liposuction to help define the waistline.

There are different variations for all these surgeries, so patients have options.

“If patients are interested in a fuller upper breast, an implant is the best choice to achieve this,” said. Dr. Monsivais. “If a breast augmentation is performed with a lift, the implant should sit underneath the pectoralis muscle. With the abdomen, the amount of extra skin a patient has determines what style of abdominal surgery they will receive. The most common incision is hip to hip, along the underwear line.”

Dr. Monsivais said patients tend to be satisfied with the results.

“Most often, women are happy to have a smaller, tighter abdomen again as well as perkier breasts,” she said. “It is definitely a surgery that increases confidence for many women.”

Expected recovery

Recovery is different for every patient, but as a general rule, Dr. Monsivais advises six weeks off from lifting more than five pounds. She also discourages cardio activity during this time, and swimming or soaking until incisions have healed.

“After an abdominoplasty, women have drain tubes for up to two weeks, which will limit activities outside of the home and may impact when patients return to work, depending on their job duties,” said Dr. Monsivais. “After a tummy tuck, patients need to wear an abdominal binder, or corset style garment, to help with swelling and shaping for six weeks after surgery.”

Best candidates for body contouring surgery

The plastic surgeon said the best candidates for these surgeries are healthy nonsmokers who have not had major changes in their weight for the previous year.

“If patients have any medical conditions such as diabetes, they need to have excellent control of their blood sugars to reduce the chance they develop infection or wound healing problems,” said Dr. Monsivais. “Any nicotine absolutely must be stopped at a minimum of four weeks prior to any surgery.”

Dr. Monsivais recommends holding off on body re-shaping surgeries if a patient still has weight to lose. She notes the best results with the lowest risks are in patients with a BMI of 30 or lower.

Quality care at Salem Health

Are you considering cosmetic surgery? From liposuction to breast reconstruction, click here to learn more about our team and the services provided at Salem Health Plastic Surgery.