The Piazza Center for Plastic Surgery and Advanced Skin Care
5920 W. William Cannon Drive
Mesa Oaks Building Seven, Suite 200
Austin, TX 78749
Phone: (512) 288-8200
Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Mommy Makeover
For many women, motherhood is one of life’s most fulfilling milestones. Although this element of a woman’s life can bring her untold joy, it can also affect her body in ways that diet and exercise can’t fully repair. A combination procedure called a mommy makeover by Austin plastic surgeon Dr. Rocco Piazza is fully customizable for each patient he sees from New Braunfels, Laredo, Wimberley, Dripping Springs, Kyle, and throughout Texas. The goal is to correct the areas of the body that are most affected by pregnancy and childbirth, including the abdomen and breasts.
Mommy Makeover
Before & After Photos
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Your Mommy Makeover Procedure
Every mommy makeover with Dr. Piazza begins with a private, personalized consultation. During this appointment, Dr. Piazza spends plenty of time talking to you to fully understand your specific goals for the outcome of your procedure. He also performs a physical examination to help him develop a surgical approach that safely and effectively addresses each of your needs.
A mommy makeover combines various procedures depending on your specific concerns and cosmetic goals. The most common procedures include:
Tummy Tuck: The physical toll pregnancy usually takes on a woman’s abdominal area can rarely be corrected without surgery. A tummy tuck performed by Dr. Piazza addresses excess skin, stretch marks, and, if necessary, abdominal muscles weakened and separated during pregnancy. Even women who lead active lifestyles after having children and are in good overall shape can benefit from a tummy tuck. That’s because exercise and eating a healthy diet can’t tighten loose stomach skin or repair abdominal muscles.
Dr. Piazza’s expertise in body contouring surgery, especially tummy tuck procedures, is one of the primary reasons so many women throughout the Austin area and beyond choose him for their mommy makeovers. He is keenly aware that each patient requires a surgical approach that’s unique to their concerns, which he explains from the perspective of a plastic surgeon.
Liposuction: Dr. Piazza often combines liposuction with mommy makeover procedures to sculpt optimal results. Liposuction removes pockets of unwanted fat and can contour your flanks, thighs, or midsection to ensure a smooth and even appearance.
Breast Enhancement: Having children changes the shape and size of most women’s breasts. Many women want to restore their breasts to their pre-pregnancy appearance, which may require breast augmentation, a breast lift, breast reduction, or a combination of breast enhancement procedures.
- Breast augmentation: Getting breast implants can restore volume to breasts that appear deflated after having children. Some women just want their breasts to look like they did prior to getting pregnant, but others want to increase their natural size. Dr. Piazza can help you choose the implants best suited to your goals.
- Breast lift: Breasts often sag after pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you’re happy with the size of your breasts but want them to look more perky, a breast lift can restore their youthful appearance. The type of incision used for breast lift surgery depends on if there is mild or severe sagging. Dr. Piazza may recommend combining a breast lift with implants to restore the shape or size of your breasts.
- Breast reduction: Overly large breasts can cause a physical and emotional strain. Neck and shoulder pain can make it difficult to lift younger children, and you may be self-conscious about the size of your breasts in work or social situations. A breast reduction can be a very satisfying part of a mommy makeover.
The particulars of your mommy makeover surgery vary depending on which procedures you and Dr. Piazza decide are best. Prior to your surgery, Dr. Piazza thoroughly explains the surgical process and recovery period, including incision locations and postoperative instructions. Mommy makeover surgery is an outpatient procedure, and Dr. Piazza performs it in a fully accredited ambulatory surgical center near our practice.
Mommy Makeover Procedure Options
Your Recovery
Recovery following mommy makeover surgery is highly dependent on the specifics of your surgery. In general, expect to spend between 10 and 14 days resting at home. Light activity, such as walking, is important early on to reduce the risk of complications, but mommy makeover patients should enlist extra help for chores and childcare. Discomfort is manageable with prescribed medications, and many patients are comfortable transitioning to over-the-counter pain relievers after several days. Most patients are instructed to wear compression garments to help minimize swelling. Prior to surgery, I outline your specific recovery timeline to ensure you’re prepared for a smooth and uneventful healing process.
Meet Dr. Piazza
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Rocco C. Piazza looks forward to meeting with you to help you discover how you can achieve your cosmetic goals and desires.
About Dr. Piazza
Your Mommy Makeover Results
The overwhelming majority of mommy makeover patients are delighted with their results. In the weeks and months following surgery, swelling and bruising diminishes, giving way to a smooth, tight abdomen and lifted, shapelier breasts.
Although the results of mommy makeover surgery won’t last forever, they can be maintained for many years by living a healthy lifestyle. Eating nourishing, healthy foods and getting regular exercise can go a long way toward maintaining your weight and your new body for years. Additionally, closely following Dr. Piazza’s instructions for caring for yourself after surgery enhances your results. To learn more about the details of this exciting option for postpartum body contouring, check out Dr. Piazza’s blog post that explains the reasoning behind the trend and important things to consider before surgery.
At The Piazza Center, we believe that beautiful surgical results are enhanced by a healthy lifestyle. Our aim is to help you achieve your cosmetic goals and desires. Our reputation for personalized care attracts plastic surgery patients from San Antonio and throughout Texas. If you would like to find out more information regarding mommy makeover surgery, you can request an in-person or virtual consultation online or call our office at (512) 288-8200.
Mommy Makeover at a Glance
Breast and Body Surgery to Correct Post-Pregnancy Changes
Breast Augmentation +/- Short Scar Mastopexy (Lift) Surgery & Recovery
Abdominoplasty & Waistline Liposculpting Surgery & Recovery
Goal: Enhance the appearance of the breast, tummy and waistline related to weight loss, gain and/or pregnancy. This is done through enhancing the shape and volume of the breast with or without a breast implant, repairing muscle separation (rectus diastasis), tightening the tummy skin, and removing diet-resistant areas of fat along the side of the waistline (flanks) to restore balance in the body.
Procedure: A Mommy Makeover is a highly customized procedure designed to meet your desired results. This can vary based on the changes the breast and body have undergone with pregnancy. If an breast implant is chosen to restore volume to the breasts, then an augmentation is performed. If a breast lift (mastopexy) is needed, then a short-scar lift is performed to tighten the breast skin. This can be done with or without a breast implant. The tummy and waistline are approached by repairing muscle separation, removing loose skin, and liposculpting the lateral waistline (flanks) to return the tummy anatomy to its pre-pregnancy state.
Anesthesia: General anesthesia.
Procedure length: The procedure takes between 4 – 6 hours.
After Procedure: There will be small white steri-strips on the breast incisions and on the tummy incision. The patient will usually be placed in a soft bra if a breast lift is performed. Foam compression pads are placed on the liposculpted areas. An abdominal compression binder is used on the waistline in order to prevent swelling and bruising. One or two small drains may be used in the tummy area. Dr. Piazza does not want his patients applying ice to the breasts or tummy, and he encourages his patients to shower once the foam compression has been removed (typically Day #4). If there is no foam compression, patients may shower the first or second day after surgery.
Recovery: During the first few days after these combined procedures, you will experience some breast discomfort and pressure at the areas treated. Most patients’ discomfort will be controlled with medications that focus on pain and on tummy muscle or chest tightness. Activity is important early after surgery, and Dr. Piazza wants all patients to be walking around their home 8 to 10 times daily starting the following day after surgery. A walker is often used to provide postural support for the first week. Most patients will return to work 2 weeks after these procedures and are back to full activities without restrictions after 6 weeks. If bruising should occur around the breast in the areas where the lift or liposculpting was performed, it usually resolves in 2 weeks. Rarely does any bruising occur in the tummy area.
Timeline
- Surgery
- Day 4: Foam compression removal
- Day 6 to 7: Steri-Strip removal
- Day 6 to 10: Drain Removal
- Day 7 to 10: Return to work/social life
- 6 weeks: 80% healed
- 3-6 months: 100% healed
Dr. Piazza Answers Common Questions
Should I lose weight prior to getting a mommy makeover?
For optimal safety and to maximize the life of your results, you should be at or close to your goal weight before having body contouring surgery.
Can I get pregnant after a mommy makeover?
It’s completely safe to become pregnant after mommy makeover surgery, but I recommend avoiding it if possible. The physical changes brought on during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding can permanently alter your surgical results, and you may require additional surgery. I discuss the timing and each patient’s unique background during the tummy tuck consultation to ensure it’s the right procedure for you at the right time.
If you’re not sure whether you’d like to have more children in the future, you may still have options for body contouring or breast enhancement. Be sure to share your plans with me during your consultation. We’ll work together to develop a reasonable timeline to help you achieve your goals.
Real Patients. Real Stories
Helping Our Patients to Live Confidently
Find out what it's like to be a patient of The Piazza Center. Review the stories and "after" photos of some of the plastic surgery patients who've shared their experiences with us.
View StoriesWhat are the advantages of combining surgeries into one operation?
There are several benefits of performing multiple surgeries at once. Today, this type of combined procedure is very safe. I take care to ensure that mommy makeovers don’t run excessively long or increase the odds of complications. Reduced overall cost is another reason some people choose to combine procedures. While the initial upfront cost may be greater than for a single surgery, certain fees, such as an operating room fee or anesthesiology fee, need to be paid only once. Similarly, patients appreciate having to go through only one recovery period, although it may be slightly longer.
Although there are several reasons some people prefer to combine their surgeries, this approach isn’t ideal for everyone. During your consultation, I ask you many questions about your lifestyle and health history. Depending on your specific circumstances, a staged approach may be safer or more convenient.
Can I just have skin removal instead of a tummy tuck?
Most moms who have excess skin and stretch marks on their tummies also have a condition called diastasis recti. This is a condition in which the abdominal muscles-which separate to accommodate the growing baby-don’t return to their original form. During a tummy tuck, Dr. Piazza sutures the muscles back together, which shrinks the waist and flattens the abdomen. If you were only to remove the skin without muscle repair, you’d likely be unhappy with the result.
Delivering an Exceptional Anesthesia Experience for Our Patients
At The Piazza Center, our patients come first. We have listened to our patients and in an effort to reduce the uncertainty with the anesthesia experience, The Piazza Center has developed a collaborative relationship with Dr. Cady to deliver an exceptional anesthesia experience for patients like you.
“By far the best anesthesia experience I've ever had. Thank you!!”
Learn more about Dr. Cady, D.O. and The Piazza Center’s approach to taking the fear and stress out of anesthesia.
Learn MoreIs the surgery worth it?
A mommy makeover’s comprehensive improvements to the appearance of the breasts and body make it worth a few weeks of recovery time for most patients.
Do I really have to wear a compression garment during recovery?
Yes. Compression garments minimize swelling and encourage smooth contours as you heal. Following Dr. Piazza’s post-op instructions closely is important to minimize complications and achieve the best possible results.
How many sizes do you lose with a mommy makeover?
While weight loss isn’t significant for most patients, many lose 2 to 3 clothing sizes after a mommy makeover because a tummy tuck removes excess abdominal skin and repairs bulging abdominal muscles.
How long will my results last?
Results are long-lasting when patients maintain a stable weight and do not become pregnant. The aging process continues, so some patients have subsequent surgery years later to tighten skin and remove fat pockets.