Mommy Makeover FAQs
- To find out if you are a candidate for surgery please schedule a consultation with Dr. Max Polo by calling 305-595-2969 or e-mailing info@miamiplasticsurgery.com
- a. After a mommy makeover you want to avoid exercise, lifting, and any rigorous activity until your doctor gives you the all clear. You can expect to be back to work within 10-14 days and back to normal exercise and activities within a month.
- b. There is minimal scarring at the incision sites which can be further improved using topical treatments such as ScarGuard or BioCorneum. With the Mommy Makeover there is minimal bruising with residual swelling. A patient can expect soreness and pressure around the surgery sites.
- While downtime varies by procedure, you can expect to be out anywhere between 10-14 days after surgery.
- For over 17 years, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Max Polo has been in private practice specializing in body contouring procedures.
- Privacy, safety, and comfort are of supreme importance to Dr. Polo. All procedures are performed in Miami Plastic Surgery’s elite, fully accredited O.R. Suite which is located in Baptist Hospital’s Medical Arts Building, with only board-certified staff anesthesiologists from Baptist hospital.
- For body contouring procedures the patient is sedated and under general anesthesia. Privacy, safety, and comfort are of supreme importance to Dr. Polo and Miami Plastic Surgery, and use only board-certified staff anesthesiologists from Baptist hospital.
- Yes, all of our procedures are done as out-patient procedures. Most procedures will not need additional at-home care, but we do have nurses available for at-home care if necessary.
- Breast and abdominal procedures for mommy makeovers may be performed as combined or separate surgeries. Most of these elective procedures are performed in an outpatient setting on healthy patients with minimal anesthesia related risk. For that reason, there is generally greater added risk in combining procedures for a longer overall surgery and anesthesia time than there is in performing two separate but shorter procedures. Patients of course are often interested in combining procedures for a single and overall shorter recovery period. For many patients, breast and abdominal surgeries can be safely combined at our office surgery suite as an outpatient procedure. However for those patients who have added risk or who require longer surgical times, Dr. Polo may recommend performing their breast and abdominal procedures separately and/or in a hospital setting with overnight observation. Dr. Polo and his surgical team will determine each patient’s individual anesthesia/surgery risk and will recommend the safest treatment plan to meet their needs and goals.
- Combined breast and abdominal rejuvenation is not for mommies only. Changes in breast and abdominal aesthetics similar to those caused by pregnancy and breast feeding may also result from simple aging and/or from significant weight loss. Patients interested in combined breast and abdominal aesthetic surgery may have never been mommies or they may already be grandmommies. Dr. Polo will assess each patient’s needs and goals and prescribe an individualized treatment plan with possible modification of surgical techniques for these specific patient groups.
- With the rise in non-surgical treatment options, some patients may prefer to take that approach. For abdominal rejuvenation there are many non-surgical treatments that are FDA approved and may be indicated as alternatives to surgery for individual patients. For breast rejuvenation, some patients may be candidates for minimally invasive procedures such as reduction with liposuction or augmentation with autologous fat grafting. At the present time however, there are no commonly performed non-surgical options for the breast. At each consultation, Dr. Polo will discuss all surgical and non-surgical options and construct a customized treatment plan to fit every individual’s specific situation.
Click for more information on non-surgical options.
- Proper preparation for your Mommy Makeover procedures will help you to achieve the best possible results. For aesthetic breast surgeries, all women over 40 years of age should have a mammogram to establish a baseline for later comparison and to rule out any pathology before surgery. In order to achieve the best possible results from any body contouring procedures, including breast lifts and tummy tucks, patients should not be overweight (BMI<26). Supervised pre-operative diet and exercise programs may help patients reach their ideal weight before undergoing surgery. Use of Phentermine and related medications must be discontinued at least 4 weeks prior to surgery. All blood thinning medications and supplements including aspirin, ibuprofen and vitamin E should be avoided for 10 days before and 2 weeks after surgery. Normally it is best to discontinue use of all vitamins and supplements except those prescribed by Dr. Polo during this time period. Dr. Polo does often recommend use of vitamins, including A,C, and Zinc to assist in wound healing and use of Arnica Montana to minimize bruising and swelling after surgery. Use of tobacco and any other nicotine containing products creates a major risk for complications from surgery, particularly for the procedures most commonly performed for mommy makeovers. All nicotine use must be discontinued no less than 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after surgery. All patients will undergo routine pre-operative testing prior to surgery which will include blood counts and pregnancy testing at a minimum. Any pre-existing medical conditions must be well controlled with prescribed medication. Additional testing and medical clearance from the primary care physician may be required for certain patients. Finally, patients will want to make arrangements for proper post-operative care to assure the best possible outcome. Time away from work and freedom from child care and household responsibilities will be necessary to allow ideal recovery from surgery. Prescribed medications and bandage supplies should be available for use as soon as patients return home after surgery. Proper bedding and specialized equipment such as adjustable beds and recliners may also help to make convalescence more comfortable. Dr. Polo will prescribe a specific pre-operative plan for each individual Mommy Makeover patient.
- Dr. Polo will also prescribe a specific post-operative plan for each individual Mommy Makeover patient according to their particular circumstances. Positioning when lying down or sitting may be specified and/or restricted. With breast surgery, range of motion of the arms will be limited. Activity will be restricted to light for at least 2 weeks after surgery with weight bearing limited to no more than 10 lbs. With all surgical procedures, patients should be up and ambulating with assistance immediately after surgery and frequently every day. Once patients have recovered well enough to begin resuming normal daily activities, light cardio exercise will be allowed. For individual breast or abdominal procedures, recovery periods requiring prescription medication and time away from work and other responsibilities may range from a few days to as much as 2-3 weeks for a full abdominoplasty. For combined surgeries, recovery periods generally range from between several days to 2-3 weeks or more. Post-op recovery, including pain tolerance and medication requirement and return to regular physical activity vary widely with procedures performed and from one individual to another. Dr. Polo and all of the surgical team at Miami Plastic Surgery make every effort to assure that patients’ experiences before, during and after surgery are as positive as possible. These measures include taking every precaution to avoid post-op nausea, utilizing local anesthesia infusion pumps to limit post-op pain and offering skilled and experienced overnight home care from our trusted registered nurse associates. An example of the superior level and quality of service provided by Dr. Polo can be seen in his personal post-operative care. Dr. Polo sees all of his patients himself at every post-op visit. Generally patients are seen the day after surgery, then 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months and 1 year following surgery and then annually thereafter.