During pregnancy, which is physically exhausting for the expectant mother, the body makes an extraordinary effort to ensure the growth of the baby. It is natural to gain 10-14 kilos during this period. Some expectant mothers may gain even more weight. Most of the weight is taken from the abdomen and some from the hips. When factors such as postpartum, breastfeeding, hormonal changes, increased workload, changing social life, and insomnia come into play, it is likely that the mother will knock on the door of plastic surgeons in an effort to feel good. In fact, the most frequently performed combined operations in the United States “mommy makeover” operations, that is, the revision of the mother, rejuvenation operations. In these operations, tummy tuck+breast lift+thigh lift+liposuction combinations can be applied in a single session. Sometimes, surgeries can be performed to correct deformations in the vaginal structures.
Nothing can replace a conscious diet and regular exercise to regain the old form. In cases where these are not enough, we plastic surgeons, of course, step in. However, it would be correct to pass a certain time after birth for this. It is necessary to wait at least until the end of breastfeeding. After this period, the full recovery of the breast tissues and the recovery process can take approximately 6 months. The biggest deformation after birth occurs in the breast and abdomen. Surgery for these areas is usually performed in a single session and together.
After the lactation period, the breasts generally decrease in volume compared to pre-pregnancy. Depending on the enlargement and subsequent shrinkage of the mammary glands, cracks may occur in the skin. At the same time, as there will be excess on the skin of the breast, sagging of the breast is seen. In this type of postpartum breast aesthetics, it is necessary to do both breast enlargement and lifting at the same time. Sometimes the breast should be reduced and lifted. These operations can be easily performed 5-6 months after the end of the breastfeeding period. In our postpartum patients, we can sometimes encounter breasts that are completely emptied and almost “extinct”. In this case, simply removing the breast skin and performing the recovery process will not give the desired result. In these cases, we can use a silicone prosthesis to give the breast a volume and to lift it. Sometimes, because the breast tissue is sufficient, only a reduction / recovery operation can provide us with sufficient results. The scars of these operations may only be around the nipple, or there may be scars extending to the breast fold below. If a woman who decides to become a mother for the second time after breast surgery has had the operation done with a suitable technique, then it is possible for the mother to give milk to her baby again after the operation. In general, we preserve the breastfeeding functions since we plastic surgeons do not cut the milk ducts under the nipple in breast reduction procedures. After breast operations, it may take up to a week to start non-strenuous work, while returning to daily life may take up to 2 weeks. Excessive arm movements and bending down should be avoided for up to 2 weeks. Heavy sports exercises can be started after 10-12 weeks.
The most important point in abdominoplasty is to tighten the abdominal muscles sufficiently. In the abdomen that has given birth, these muscles are quite loose and disjointed. However, the first condition of having a flat and tight stomach is tight abdominal muscles. In tummy tuck operations, all the sagging and cracked skin and fat tissue under the belly button are removed; The muscle tissue in the mid-abdominal region and the abdominal wall is tightened. In this operation, the appearance of the saggy abdomen is dramatically improved, and the person has a flat abdominal contour. During the operation, after the loose abdominal skin and fatty layer are removed, the loosened abdominal muscles are brought close to each other with sutures. If there is a hernia, it is repaired. Thus, a thinner waist and a tighter abdominal wall are obtained. Excess skin and adipose tissue are cut and removed. Women who have given birth should wait at least 3 months for tummy tuck surgery. Since it is not appropriate to perform an operation during the lactation period, this minimal period can be extended to at least 1 year.
Abdominal stretching cannot and should not be done at the same time as the cesarean section. Because, considering that the uterus, which is normally the size of a pear, reaches the size of a basketball during pregnancy, it takes at least 45 days for it to shrink again and reach its prenatal dimensions. Performing a tummy tuck before the uterus and other intra-abdominal organs reach their normal sizes and before the hormonal balance returns to normal is similar to dressing a pregnant woman in a size 36 dress and the result is failure.
The patient, who is hospitalized for one night after the abdominoplasty operation, is lifted and carried out on the same day. After about 1-2 weeks, he can return to his light-paced business life or school life. Exercises with brisk walking can be started after 1 month. Six weeks after the operation, if the abdominal muscles are strengthened with exercises and weight gain is prevented by diet, more excellent results will be obtained from the operation.
Certain parts of the body, such as the abdomen, waist, hips, inner and outer thighs (upper leg), inner and outer knees, are areas of fat accumulation that are resistant to diet and exercise, especially after birth. Excessive exercise to remove excess fat in these areas will not yield results and may also disrupt the body’s general metabolism. The operations in which these resistant fat deposits are removed from the body by entering with a negative pressure vacuum are called “Liposuction operation”. These operations are definitely not slimming operations, but contour correcting operations. It is a very common operation, especially in conjunction with tummy tuck operations, in the postpartum period. After reaching the desired weight after birth (at least 3 months to 1 year), liposuction operations can also be easily performed.
Vaginal tightening operations, which we have heard frequently in recent years, and aesthetic correction of the anatomical structures at the entrance of the vagina, which we call the vulva, have become more popular due to the fact that women need this operation after childbirth and the media’s interest in the subject. Previously, women were hesitant to go to the doctor for deformity, asymmetry or disorders in the vaginal lips and even have them examined, now they demand an operation to correct it. There has been an increase in the number of patients who applied to plastic surgeons with this problem in recent months. Among our most common applications is the correction of the asymmetry or hypertrophy of the vaginal labia minora, that is, reduction procedures. In addition, the area above the vaginal entrance and under the abdominal fold, which we call “mons pubis”, is weakened by liposuction, shaped by liposculpture, suspended; Shaping and plumping the large vaginal lips with autologous (own) fat injection or other fillers are also frequently performed procedures. In addition, plastic surgeons perform procedures such as reduction of large vaginal lips and removal of excess skin around the clitoris.
