Scottsdale mommy makeovers restore your figure.

A mommy makeover is a comprehensive set of procedures used to treat all the areas which change during pregnancy. There are 4 major variations of the mommy makeover we offer to our patients at the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center including tummy tuck with breast augmentation, tummy tuck with breast lift, tummy tuck with breast reduction and tummy tuck with Brazilian butt lift. We recommend that patients prioritize the areas important to them, so we can appropriately discuss your interests and create a reasonable treatment plan that addresses your needs. The goal of Scottsdale mommy makeovers is to use combinations of body contouring techniques to help mothers return, as best as possible, to their pre-pregnancy body.

Most commonly, a Scottsdale mommy makeover is performed in one stage and consists of a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), and a breast enhancement with implants (breast augmentation) or implants and breast lift (mastopexy). A mommy makeover can also include a tummy tuck with a breast reduction. The last option for mommy makeover includes a tummy tuck with liposuction and buttock enhancement, usually via fat grafting of the buttocks. Some patients chose to split their surgery into two operations. A true mommy makeover, however, occurs when all the surgery is completed in one stage. Each Scottsdale mommy makeover performed at the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center is unique and is tailored to your individual needs.

Typical breast changes after pregnancy.

Many mothers are concerned that breastfeeding will ruin their youthful breasts. Breastfeeding is not the only culprit. Other factors such as weight gain, cup size and smoking can make the breasts sag after pregnancy. Pregnancy, however, always affects the breasts. As the breasts prepare for milk production, the milk glands swell, replacing the natural fatty breast composition. After pregnancy and lactation, this expanded system of ducts can atrophy to varying degrees. As a result, the three most common changes seen are increased elasticity, increased softness and increased sagginess. Some patients can become so elastic they actually sag and require a breast lift to establish a better breast shape. Others can loose volume, and loose a cup or two after pregnancy. Some women gain volume and require breast reduction to achieve a pre-pregnancy size. Stretchmarks are common for all patients. The changes that affect the breasts are typically permanent and cannot be reversed without plastic surgery.

Your body stores more fat after pregnancy.

Weight gain is an expected outcome of pregnancy. Not all women are able to lose the weight they gained during pregnancy. Some need a little help via liposuction or lipo to erase the evidence of pregnancy. With liposuction many of these fat pads are reduced. Normal hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy create permanent effects on the ability of the body to store localized fatty deposits on the hips, back, tummy, love-handles, buttocks and thighs. Depending on how much weight you gained, you may continue to store sizeable fat pockets in undesirable areas. The result from this weight gain may never go completely away and the fat pads can remain long after the delivery of your child.

Liposuction is recommended for these stubborn fat pockets. Liposuction is the removal of fat from deposits beneath the skin using a hollow tube, called a cannula, with the assistance of a vacuum device. Liposuction can be performed under general, IV sedation, and/or local (tumescent) anesthesia. I prefer to use a modified version of tumescent liposuction which combines tumescent anesthesia and add some systemic anesthesia (general or IV sedation), administered by an anesthesiologist, to increase your comfort and make your experience better. The modified tumescent Scottsdale liposuction refers to a technique that uses large volumes of dilute local anesthetic medication and adrenaline, injected into the targeted fat pads until we see the tissue swollen and firm. This technique allows for safe, maximal fat removal with minimal blood loss.

Pregnancy, babies and your body.

The reason mommy makeovers are popular is that many women are having children. We all know the changes. The body of a woman who has been through pregnancy is never truly the same. Just about everyone who has given birth develops the same problem areas: the breasts, the tummy, the buttocks and the fat pads. Many women cannot recognize themselves and others feel like their body no longer belongs to them. Unfortunately, the body does not easily snap back into shape. As women attempt to regain their previous lifestyle, they find this to be a significant challenge.

There is no doubt that having a child is one of the most fulfilling experiences a woman can have. Some women, however, feel self-conscious about the effects of pregnancy. Pregnancy takes its toll on a mother’s body, especially the breasts and tummy. Stretching of the stomach muscles and tummy skin is normal with pregnancy and is variable. The breasts are usually affected by increasing elasticity and softness. Areas like the hips, back and thighs may accumulate fat that may not go away completely after pregnancy. The buttocks, may soften up too, become flatter and less round and in some cases begin to sag.

Your tummy changes with pregnancy.

Your tummy changes the most with pregnancy. The combination of growing uterus and pregnancy-related hormones culminates to stretch and increase the abdominal girth. These changes are normal and serve to allow the abdominal wall muscles to stretch allowing your baby to grow comfortably. This phenomenon typically creates a separation of the tummy muscles, called rectus diastasis, in order to accommodate your baby. The skin of the tummy also stretches under the same influences, and may develop stretchmarks. In some women, the abdominal tissues return to their pre-pregnancy state, but most do not. Many women have loose, sagging skin, and disfiguring stretch marks, with a bulging abdominal wall to varying degrees after pregnancy. If a C-section was performed, the hanging may be quite pronounced. Diet and exercise typically do not help with these changes, which are often permanent, and cannot be reversed without plastic surgery.

There is going to be three basic tummy tuck options after pregnancy. If your tummy only developed minimally saggy skin, we will likely recommend a mini tummy tuck with or without liposuction. If the normal amount of tissue excess developed, then a standard tummy tuck is recommended with or with out liposuction. For those patients who developed very excessive amounts of hanging skin after pregnancy, an extended tummy tuck with or without liposuction is recommended. Our ultimate recommendation can only be made after a full cosmetic surgery consultation and physical examination of the abdominal area and fat pads by Dr. Guerra. More information on Scottsdale mommy makeover and Scottsdale tummy tuck is available at the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center.

Your buttocks change after pregnancy.

Having the pregnancy butt, is something women dread. Just because you have it, does not mean you have to keep it. There are two types of pregnancy butts. In the first case, the buttock may enlarge after pregnancy and appears tall and full, but lacks an attractive shape and may be flat. The second type, is a smaller version of the first, with less associated fat pockets, but is also flat and a little saggy. Attributes of an attractive buttock usually include a smooth inward sweep of the lower back area and a slim waistline, a feminine V-shaped cleavage between the buttocks achieving maximum projection in the mid to upper buttocks, a smooth and uniform skin cover separated from the thighs by a crisp, short and well-defined infragluteal crease, demonstrating no droop above this line. The changes that affect the buttocks after pregnancy, are typically permanent, and cannot be reversed without plastic surgery.

The Scottsdale mommy makeover, combining a tummy tuck, liposuction and buttock fat grafting can enhance the size and appearance of the buttocks by fat injection. When performed by itself, the buttock enhancement, also known as, the Brazilian buttock lift, is an excellent way to contour the shape and size of the gluteals. For the procedure, living fat cells are removed by gentle liposuction from a donor fat pocket. The fat cells are then reintroduced into the buttocks using a delicate injection technique. Patients who are concerned about a flabby tummy with stretched out skin after pregnancy, fat deposits in the thighs, back, and hips and lack the desired volume and shape in the buttocks, are the best candidates for this combination surgery. More information on Scottsdale mommy makeover and Scottsdale buttock augmentation is available at the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center.

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