Mommy Makeover Houston, TX

Pregnancy, giving birth, and breastfeeding can drastically transform a woman's body. After giving birth and breastfeeding, some women can exercise and diet all they want, but their body may still hold onto excess fat, have loose skin, stretch marks, and breasts that have lost their shape and fullness. For women eager to recover their pre-pregnancy body, a mommy makeover is the best way to get the job done.

Women are proving they can still look and feel young through a transformation known as a “mommy makeover.” Serving Houston, Katy, Piney Point, and Pearland, TX, Dr. Leo Lapuerta can offer a personalized combination of liposuction, tummy tuck, and breast surgery techniques to correct the physical effects of childbearing.

The goal of mommy makeover plastic surgery in Houston with Dr. Lapuerta is for a woman to regain her pre-pregnancy form and confidence with a customized series of surgical procedures. This procedure is tailored to each individual patient, but a mommy makeover typically involves the breasts and abdomen. Dr. Lapuerta has decades of experience and expertise performing mommy makeover surgeries, helping moms throughout all of Texas reverse the physical toll of pregnancy on their bodies.

Mommy Makeover Procedures

Mommy makeover surgery is a combination of procedures that, together, transform the appearance of the body into a more youthful, pre-pregnancy version of itself. The two most common procedures included in a Mommy makeover are breast augmentation and tummy tuck. Though the most popular, they are by no means the only two procedures used in this type of surgery.

The surgery usually focuses on areas that have changed due to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Some women may opt for a breast surgery procedures to regain the shape and size they had before pregnancy. Others may just need a breast lift to reverse any sagging. Still, others may want smaller breasts as they had before getting pregnant.

Along with the breasts, a Mommy makeover typically involves the abdomen or lower body. A tummy tuck will remove loose skin and tighten up any abdominal muscles that have become loosened with pregnancy. Liposuction may be needed to remove any excess fat deposits. You may also decide you need a thigh lift or arm lift to remove loose skin or extra fat in those areas. Vaginal reconstruction can help with another area that is impacted by pregnancy.

Non-surgical procedures can also be included as part of a Mommy Makeover. You may want to fill out fine lines and wrinkles or improve the texture and appearance of your face. You can request dermal fillers or Botox along with skin resurfacing and other procedures. As you work with Dr. Lapuerta, you can let him know which are your areas of most concern and he will create a plan for your surgery that creates an end result you love.

Candidates for this surgery are women who cannot achieve their pre-pregnancy physique with diet and exercise alone. Simply put, they are not able to “fix” certain body parts. It is also recommended that patients undergoing mommy makeover surgery have completed their families and do not desire to add to their family in the future. While the surgery will not in any way limit a woman’s ability to become pregnant, have children, or their ability to breastfeed, the benefits of a mommy makeover will likely be lost if the patient becomes pregnant again.

If a candidate recently gave birth, she will be required to wait at least six months after the child is born or six months after she finishes breastfeeding before undergoing the procedure. A good candidate is one who meets the following requirements:

• She should be in good overall health
• She should not smoke – if she does, she should stop smoking for at least six weeks prior to the surgery to minimize complications from the surgery
• She should have realistic expectations of the surgery and the final results
• She should have a strong support system to assist her until she is able to take care of her daily routines
• She should be able to take off from work for at least two to three weeks

The mommy makeover procedure is uniquely tailored to each patient depending on what body part they want to improve. In most cases, the breasts and tummy are addressed together, though this is not always the case. The conditions addressed during surgery and the surgical technique used will vary, but below are some of the most commonly used surgical techniques for mommy makeover plastic surgery in Houston with Dr. Lapuerta.

Breast Surgery in Mommy Makeovers

The breasts can be severely impacted by pregnancy and breastfeeding, resulting in a variety of aesthetic issues that can be resolved with a mommy makeover. Some of the common breast conditions caused by pregnancy include a loss of volume and/or breast tissue, sagging and/or drooping breast, the development of excess skin (ptosis), as well as nipple/areolar complexes, and breasts that become too large.

To resolve these breast conditions, there are many different surgeries to consider. Some common surgeries to address breast conditions as part of a mommy makeover include breast augmentation with implants, a breast lift, breast augmentation combined with a breast lift, and breast reduction surgery. Some patients considering breast augmentation or a breast lift with implants may benefit from the use of an internal bra placed during their procedure.

An internal bra is a soft tissue scaffold that is placed during surgery to support the weight of an implant when a patient’s skin and/or tissue is determined to require support for proper healing and to achieve the desired cosmetic outcome. Currently, there are a few types of scaffold material available that are derived from silk, porcine, or that are biologically derived, monofilament materials. Dr. Lapuerta has extensive experience using these materials and will determine during your consultation if you would benefit from the placement of an internal bra.

Abdomen Procedures in a Mommy Makeover

The very nature of pregnancy means that the abdomen is rarely going to look the same after giving birth. After pregnancy, many women struggle with a variety of abdominal conditions, including the presence of excess fat and/or a persistent bulge in the abdomen, sagging and/or loose skin, stretch marks, and other unsightly skin irregularities. Also, some women complain of intermittent abdominal bulging. These women exercise and enjoy a fairly flat abdomen but are frustrated by abdominal bulging after eating a meal.

During pregnancy, the fascial tissue (which lies in the middle of the abdominal muscles) is stretched apart and creates a weak area in the midline of the abdomen. Unfortunately, once the fascial tissue is stretched or pulled apart it does not return to its original form, and while exercise may improve the abdominal muscles, it cannot correct the stretched fascial tissue which pulls and holds the abdominal muscles together.

Two surgical procedures are considered to address all of these abdominal conditions. As part of a mommy makeover, women will usually undergo either a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), liposuction of the abdomen, or both. A tummy tuck will address the problems of loose skin, sagging skin, excess fat, abdominal bulging, and stretch marks.

Secondly, liposuction helps with extra fat deposits in areas that have become stubborn and problematic for patients after pregnancy despite a healthy diet and exercise. Dr. Lapuerta frequently recommends a combination of these two procedures with the amount and areas of liposuction varying between patients.

Dr. Lapuerta believes in providing liposuction to the flanks in association with all of his tummy tucks in order to produce a feminine curvature and a more natural appearance. Frequently, women will also benefit from additional liposuction in problem areas that are common after pregnancy. These areas most often include the medial and lateral thighs and the iliac crests or hip area.

All mommy makeovers are performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility. Depending on the specific procedures recommended to achieve your cosmetic goals, surgery time will typically vary between four and ten hours. A typical mommy makeover surgery is approximately seven hours. The majority of these surgeries are same-day surgery done on an outpatient basis.

Dr. Lapuerta uses a form of local anesthesia that is injected into the patient’s abdominal surgery site that provides time-released numbing for three days after surgery. This technique greatly enhances the ability for a patient’s pain to be well controlled on oral pain medication and for them to enjoy the comfort of home for their recovery. Patients with complex medical problems or those having a significant amount of liposuction are recommended to have surgery in the hospital and stay overnight for observation.

Mommy Makeover Recovery

The full recovery time is typically six weeks, and returning to work depends on the nature of the patient’s work. Most women can expect to be able to return to work within two to three weeks. The results of the mommy makeover will be immediately appreciated. However, patients will notice a significant improvement in healing, scars, and swelling within six weeks and continue to improve with time with the final results generally being recognized within eight to 12 weeks.

Recovery time will vary based on which procedures are part of the Mommy makeover surgery. For instance, a breast augmentation will take up to two weeks of recovery time. During that time, you will be limited on which activities you can enjoy and how much weight you can lift. You won’t be able to sleep on your stomach for the first few weeks. The doctor will also recommend that you wear compression garments to aid with recovery.

You can expect swelling and bruising in the areas being treated during surgery. As such, you may have some discomfort that can be alleviated with pain medication. You should plan to take off from work for at least two to three weeks while you recover.

While a Mommy makeover recovery can be lengthier than that of a singular procedure, it still cuts down the total time compared to having each procedure done separately. Instead of separate surgeries with separate recovery times, everything is scheduled at once. You will need to follow up with your doctor to ensure the incision sites are healing and the swelling is subsiding correctly. While you will notice some results right away, it can take several months before you see the full results – once swelling and bruising have healed, your new body will be fully apparent.

Mommy makeover procedures will vary in cost depending on how many procedures are combined. The price can range from $7,000 to $28,000. A typical mommy makeover including breast surgery, tummy tuck, and liposuction averages $15,000.

In order to get an accurate quote for the cost of a mommy makeover in Houston, it is essential to meet with Dr. Lapuerta for a consultation. He will collaborate with the patient to determine which surgical procedures are needed to recapture her pre-pregnancy body, and then provide an accurate quote for the total cost.

Mommy Makeover by Triple Board Certified Houston Surgeon

If you’re ready to get a new body or regain the one you had previously, you only want to trust your surgery to a reputable, experienced plastic surgeon. Dr. Lapuerta is a triple-board-certified plastic surgeon who has performed thousands of these procedures on women. As a skilled surgeon, he takes the time to find out your unique goals for a Mommy Makeover to help you achieve the results you want.

Dr. Lapuerta has skillfully performed countless procedures to help women look and feel their best. He will answer your questions and put your mind at ease about what to expect both during recovery and with the final results.

Contact Us to Schedule a Consultation

Contact us today to schedule your free consultation. Let Dr. Lapuerta and the team help you look and feel your best with our Mommy makeover that is customized just for you.