What is considered to be an extremely exciting and all consuming time in a woman’s life, pregnancy and motherhood can also bring many bodily and physical changes that can affect how women look and feel about themselves. Some women find that due to skin stretching and weight-gain during pregnancy, it is not possible to correct bodily changes with diet and exercise alone, particularly the breasts and abdomen. It can often be hard to shift weight that has been gained, particularly in stubborn areas such as the flanks and abdomen.
For women who are unhappy with how their body has changed post pregnancy and who wish to restore it to its pre-baby shape, there are several surgical options available.
At David Dunaway and Associates, we treat you as an individual and recognise that each woman’s surgical needs are different and require a bespoke approach. We also recognise that mothers are time-poor, so require the shortest recovery period possible. As such, we provide you with advice and treatment plans that focus on assisting you to go back to your usual day-to-day activities as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common post-pregnancy plastic surgery procedures include Breast Uplift (Mastopexy) with or without Augmentation (Implant), Breast Reduction, Abdominoplasty and Liposuction.
This treatment is performed by Justine O’Hara, who is a highly skilled female plastic surgeon, specialising in female plastic surgery.
This surgery involves two to three surgeries performed in one sitting and as such carries some risk. Risks can be general, including general anaesthetic risk, bleeding and wound healing issues and the addition of scars. Specifically, the breast surgery may have some wound healing issues, asymmetry of the breasts or the nipples and if implants are added, infection or loss of the implants are rare but possible. Most patients wish for re-volumising and a natural appearance such that large implants which increase the risks are not requested.
Abdminoplasty or a tummy tuck addresses the excess skin and fat on the lower abdomen frequently expanded during pregnancy. The surgery to reduce this has general risks as above but additionally includes a collection of blood or fluid in the space under the skin requiring drainage, injury to the nerves creating some numbness and injury to the bowel which is extremely rare. The addition of liposuction to the abdomen and flanks which is frequently performed carries the included risks and bruising, infection and collection of fluid in the areas addressed.
Risks are not greatly increased by having the procedures performed in one sitting but allow one preparation and one recovery away from your children.
Depending on the individual patient, the combined surgery takes 5 to 7 hours and on waking there is some discomfort, which is controlled with pain relievers. Additionally, you may wake up with drains, which are tubes to remove swelling fluid, and dressings which stay intact for a week. An abdominal binder greatly improves the discomfort and stabilises the abdominal muscle repair. Most patients stay in hospital for 2-4 days to recover and return home when comfortable and drains are removed.
You will be recommended to do no heavy lifting for 6 weeks and to take 4 weeks off strenuous exercise. Most patients take 2 weeks off work but are without much restriction by 7-10 days. You will be reviewed regularly in your post-operative period.
