Mommy Makeover (doctor J. Hayek)
Mommy makeover surgery
Plastic and reconstructive surgery doctors at Kardiolita Clinics perform Mommy Makeover (MMO) – a complex surgery, which aims to correct changes of the body following pregnancy and breastfeeding period, thus restoring the patient's lost shapes and self-confidence, as well as solving existing health problems.MMO is also relevant for women who have lost a lot of weight - especially after a bariatric surgery.
Which patients are pertinent for MMO?
Increasingly, the doors of the plastic and reconstructive surgery doctors at Kardiolita Clinics are being opened by women, who are unhappy about their bulging abdominal wall after giving birth,experience formed hernias, relaxed abdominal wall muscles after a caesarean section, large excess of skin, sagging abdominal skin fold or breasts. Such changes can affect not only psychological well-being and self-confidence, but also lead to the development of health problems.
Body changes are also influenced by genetics, weight gain during pregnancy, and how active a woman's life was before and after pregnancy; whether after the first year after childbirthconservative treatments such as compression corsets, lymphatic drainage massages were applied or help of a kinesiotherapist has been requested.
What body adjustments are made during MMO?
During Mommy makeover several areas can be corrected in a single surgery, helping to restore body shapes and quality of life:
- Abdominoplasty - removal of excess skin and fatty tissue, abdominal rectus abdominis muscle diastasis sutured, abdominal white lines or umbilical hernia repaired. Abdominoplasty can be combined with liposuction - suction of fat from the waist and backareas, for an even more pronounced and defined waist; or to perform mini-abdominoplasty if the woman complains of a slight excess of skin in the area below the belly button (relevant after a caesarean section);
- Correction of breast shape and size – depending on the patient's expectations, the breasts can be lifted, enlarged (either with the patient's own fat or with implants) or reduced in size;
- Suction of excess fat.
As needed and in line with the patient's complaints and expectations, other areas of the body can also be trimmed during the surgery - thighs, upper arms, etc. Every woman's body and needs are individual, thus the best way to assess the situation is to consult a doctor, discussing expectations and results that can be achieved.
What's important to know before the surgery?
As a reminder, it is important to pay attention to several aspects before the surgery:
- It is important to consider home support during the post-surgeryperiod, because weight lifting is restricted for the first couple of months after the surgery;
- The best time for MMO – the cold season, when there is less discomfort from wearing compression corsets patches, protect the wound from sweating and limit active movement;
- Blood tests and an electrocardiogram should be carried out before the surgery in order to assess the patient's overall healthcondition;
- Body weight should be as stable as possible;
- Not smoking or significantly reducing the intensity of this habit,as smoking makes healing more difficult and increases the risk of complications;
- MMO can be performed one year after childbirth and the patient must have finished breastfeeding a baby.
Optimal time to perform MMO – after all planned pregnancies, as each of them can lead to certain body changes. However, if necessary, MMO can be performed after another pregnancy.
When the surgery is not performed?
- If less than 1 year has passed since giving birth or if the patient is still breastfeeding a baby;
- If body mass index (BMI) is above 30, as this increases the risk of complications.
When the MMO effect is visible?
The post-surgery period is being assessed after 2 months, during a meeting with a plastic and reconstructive surgery doctor, when the compression garments that helped maintain the shapes created during the surgery are removed.
The first results, such as a change in waist circumference or changes in the breasts, are observed immediately after the surgery. However, the final result is revealed after 6 months, when swellings are fully subsided and body lines are formed.
