The Plastic Surgery Channel

3 Modern Improvements Make The Mommy Makeover Better Than Ever

Stephan J. Finical, MD

A mommy makeover is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures, attracting hundreds of thousands of patients every year. The procedure (or actually, combination of procedures) is traditionally aimed at women who are finished having children, or women who have lost a substantial amount of weight and are ready to get their body back. Through the combination of a breast augmentation, breast lift, tummy tuck and/or liposuction, results show that women can find dramatic results. Dr. Stephan J. Finical of Charlotte, North Carolina tells us about 3 improvements modern medicine and technology have made to make the mommy makeover procedure better than ever before.

By: Stephan J. Finical, MD
and Adam McMillon
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

An Easier Return to a Mother’s Youth

While the procedures have modernized and crafted great results, the patient experience aspect of a mommy makeover has been dramatically improved. “There are three things we’ve added in the last few years to mommy makeovers that really help the patient experience,” says Dr. Finical. “The first is we use Vectra, which is a 3D camera. We can take a picture of a patient and do a simulation of either the breast lift or breast augmentation on a computer.  It’s great that a patient can look at pictures of their own body and get an idea of sizes.” The 3D technology that powers Vectra allows a patient to feel more comfortable by getting to see a simulated image of what they make look like.

“The second thing we’ve done is added a medication called EXPAREL, a long-acting local anesthetic injected at the time of surgery,” says Finical. “EXPAREL works to eliminate pain for about 72 hours following surgery. This medication is injected at the time of surgery and helps patient get up and move around quicker. They’re much more comfortable and active. When they’re up moving around, they’re breathing better and their circulation isn’t an issue. The other thing that happens by using EXPAREL is patients will use less narcotics. Narcotics have side effects that can cause many patients stomach sickness and nausea. If we can avoid that, particularly after a tummy tuck, then that’s great. By the time those 3 days are up and the Exparel wears off, people are usually doing pretty well and the worst is over!”

Utilizing Skin Care to Help Heal Scars

As transforming as a tummy tuck can be, all patients are wary of the scar that comes with the surgery. Dr. Finical employs a variety of modern scar treatment options that help the scar to heal in the best way possible, meaning it will be less noticeable. “The final thing that we’ve added is the use of scar recovery gel after the procedure,” says Finical. “There’s a new one out called Scar Recovery Gel by SkinMedica. It addresses 4 different variables to help the scar heal:

The Change Moms Want, Made Easier by Modern Technology and Science

“A mommy makeover really is a confidence builder,” says Finical. “There’s certain things that you can cover up in clothing, but there are some things that you can’t. When you get that contour back, where you can have an hour glass figure and wear a nice dress and feel comfortable and confident, that’s really important.”