Mommy Makeover in Scottsdale, AZ

For the abdomen, treatment generally requires either an Abdominoplasty or a Mini-Abdominoplasty. The Abdominoplasty allows us to tighten the abdominal muscle all the way from the ribcage to the pubic bone, and allows us to tighten the skin of both the upper and lower abdomen. The Mini-Abdominoplasty is similar, but only tightens the muscle and skin of the lower abdomen, from the belly button down. Either procedure results in a scar that runs along the lower abdomen, but the scar can be hidden within the swimsuit line. Other procedures can be designed to shorten or minimize the scar, but if there is excess or loose skin, tightening the skin will require a scar.

If there is excess fat of the abdomen, we may be able to address that as well. Liposuction is the surgical removal of fat through tiny openings, resulting in tiny scars. If we are doing a Mini-Abdominoplasty, we can use liposuction of the upper abdomen to reduce the fat there. If we are doing a full Abdominoplasty, additional liposuction at the same time can be problematic, but we can remove some fat from the abdomen using other techniques, and liposuction can be used at a second procedure to remove remaining excess fat.

Dr. Nachbar performs all of his tummy tucks using the No-Drain technique, and he uses EXPAREL® to provide long-lasting (four to five days) pain reduction.  The combination of the No-Drain technique, which eliminates the pain from the drain coming through the wound for several weeks, as well as the pain associated with removing the drain, and the EXPAREL® used in the tightened muscle, allow the patient to be comfortable and more active with less opioid pain medication, reducing the risk of complications.

For the breast, there are several options, depending on the loss of tissue, the amount of drooping, and the desire to replace the lost fullness and volume of the breast. Mild droopiness of the breast can be improved with breast implants, without a breast lift. If the nipple is not too low, the skin and breast tissue is not too soft, and the woman is willing to accept some increase in breast size, this can be a good choice. It is very important to understand the amount of improvement that is realistic in this circumstance, but many patients have been very happy with this technique. It generally takes several months following surgery to see the final result with breast augmentation, and that is particularly true if there is some drooping before surgery. To see the results of breast augmentation in patients with somewhat droopy breasts without breast lift, see our "Droopy Breast Augmentation" page.

Of course, breast lift, or "Mastopexy", can be done without placement of breast implants. Breast lift brings the nipples back up, generally along with tightening of the skin under the breasts. However, breast lift alone will not fix the loss of fullness of the breast, especially the upper breast, which occurs following pregnancy. Therefore, when breast lift is done following pregnancy, it is most often combined with breast implants, although relatively small implants may be used if desired. This allows recovery of the fullness of the upper portion of the breast. Alternatively, removal of droopy breast tissue combined with breast augmentation can allow the breast to achieve an improved shape without being enlarged (or even combined with reduction in breast size). The breast implant is placed under the muscle (Pectoralis Major), which helps hold the implants up.

Fat Removal (Liposuction):  Along with abdominal and breast surgery, the Post-Baby Tune-Up often includes liposuction, to reduce the localized collections of fat that can develop. Liposuction is the permanent removal of localized fat. This can be done at the same time to maximize the improvement from surgery. Although liposuction of the abdomen is not generally done at the same time as full Abdominoplasty, liposuction of other areas, such as the hips, thighs, and knees, can be done. Either standard or ultrasonic liposuction can be used, as appropriate. Other procedures we often add are lifting of the thighs or the arms.

Combining the Procedures:  Patients often ask about whether these procedures can be combined, and the answer is: it depends. Anesthesia has improved significantly in the past several years, improving both safety and comfort. Better monitoring devices and better medications have combined to make longer procedures safer. Blankets that blow hot air over the patient during surgery help keep her warm. As the various procedures are done on the various parts of the body, the blankets are moved so that the patient remains warm.

State-of-the-art facilities are used for these more complex procedures, and allow the patient to stay overnight following surgery. For an active, healthy woman, quite lengthy procedures are very reasonable, and allow her to achieve all or most of her goals with a single recovery period. Smaller procedures, such as abdominal liposuction, can be added later with very little additional recovery.

Children add many dimensions to your life. Fortunately, the Post-Baby Tune-Up can help you undo some of the physical changes pregnancy can cause. To find out more about what Plastic Surgery can do for you, call Dr. Nachbar at 480/289-5300.