Mommy Makeover

The Mommy Makeover is a series of three post-pregnancy procedures combined into an all-in-one restorative operation.

Bringing a child into the world is always a worthy and noble endeavor. But that doesn't mean you have to live with the rumpled waistline, abdominal fat, and sagging breasts that come along with it.

The Mommy Makeover combines a breast lift, a tummy tuck, and liposuction for the perfect triple payback for the sacrifices put on your body. In some cases, the Mommy Makeover may even transform your body into something more beautiful than before pregnancy.

Breast Lift
A breast lift (or mastopexy) is a common procedure used to draw the breasts up the chest wall to a more youthful position, restore aesthetic cleavage, and feminine self-confidence.

There are three common techniques for breast lifts: periareolar, vertical incision, and a full wise pattern. The technique Dr. Shapiro, a Scottsdale Mommy Makeover specialist, uses will be determined on an individual basis. With each technique, however, both extra skin and breast tissue are removed. This reduces the size of the areolae and breasts in general. Skin is also tightened to better support the breast tissue.

During a breast lift, there is also the option for volume and shape enhancement with either gel or silicone implants, also called a mastopexy augmentation.

Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck (or abdominoplasty) realigns the abdominal muscles after they have been spread apart during child development; and removes extra fat, skin, and stretch marks from the abdomen.

During the procedure, the abdominal muscles are pulled into an athletic alignment using surgical stitches anchored into the fascia. (Fascia is a super-strong connective tissue that separates the muscle groups from the fat and skin.) Once the abdominal muscles have been re-aligned, extra fat and skin are drawn down to flatten out the tummy.

A mini-tummy tuck may be performed if there is a moderate laxity of skin and fat below the navel. The mini-tummy tuck uses a shorter incision and requires a shorter recovery period.

Body contouring with VASER liposuction (flanks)
After the breast lift and tummy tuck are complete, Dr. Shapiro will go back through and use VASER liposculpture techniques to remove extra unwanted fat.

Full body contouring is available, but most often in the Mommy Makeover, it is the abdomen, flanks (“love handles”), or thighs that are addressed with liposculpture.

VASER liposuction also activates the body's natural skin tightening responses. VASER is different than traditional liposuction in that it preserves important connective tissues in the skin that retract after the procedure.

Results from a Mommy Makeover
These combined procedures are highly effective for restoring a post-pregnancy body.

The breasts will be higher on the chest wall, with a youthful firmness and shape, with or without implants. Implants will produce beautiful volume in the breasts, especially at the upper poles at the top of the breasts.

The abdominal muscles will be pulled into a tight alignment and a lovely waistline will be contoured into shape.

VASER liposuction will activate skin tightening and pull the abdomen into a flat tummy. With tighter skin and less fat, the result is always a slender and feminine outline.

Recovery
Because all three procedures are performed at one time, there is only one period of recovery. Some swelling and discomfort is normal. Dr. Shapiro, a Scottsdale area surgeon, uses a pain pump that delivers medication instantly into the bloodstream for fast relief during recovery. Patients typically return to their normal routines within 2 to 3 weeks of a Mommy Makeover.