Mamacita Makeover: Lifted Breasts, Flat Tummy and Shapely Derriere

The “Mommy Makeover” is a term that plastic surgeons came up with to describe a combination of procedures that rejuvenate the areas on a woman’s body most affected by child birth — the breasts and the tummy. Traditionally, it would include a breast lift either with or without an implant, and a tummy tuck. That is until 1999 when Jennifer Lopez wore that infamous plunging green dress to the Grammy’s and “sparked a tsunami of interest in the derriere” says Dr. Constantino Mendieta of Miami, FL. All of a sudden, women were wanting more shapely buttocks to go with their lifted breasts and tight tummies and the “Mamacita Makeover” was born.

by Katherine Stuart
and Constantino Mendieta, MD

The Mamacita Makeover Adds Shape and Contour to the Buttocks

Pregnancy is a truly beautiful thing, but childbirth can cause a myriad of issues for the mother’s body such as stretch marks, loss of volume in the breasts, drooping breasts, and sagging skin and muscle in the stomach, making them feel both unattractive and self conscious. The traditional Mommy Makeover was designed to restore the breasts and tummy, making the mom feel sexy again. However now, thanks to Ms. Lopez and that dress, the derriere is also on the menu. In the Mamacita Makeover, Dr. Mendieta will address the breast and tummy, yes, but he’ll also remove fat from your hips, thighs or abdomen and use it to shape and contour your butt to make it prettier. Think more Jessica Biel and Pippa Middleton than Kim Kardashian.

It’s about taking a 3 dimensional approach to reshaping the body so that a woman looks just as good walking out of a room as she does walking in. Where Dr. Mendieta puts the volume is going to vary. “Culturally, some people want a very wide lower buttock. Some people want a very narrow buttock. Some people want a taller buttock because it makes their legs look leaner and taller. Others want to have more volume.”  The beauty of the Mamacita Makeover is that Dr. Mendieta can reshape a patient’s backside to suit her individual needs and desires. “What’s fascinating is that every culture has its different nuances as to what they find attractive.” But so does each individual so in his Miami practice, Dr. Mendieta has done it all. “I’m restoring and rejuvenating these mothers self esteem. I’m giving the sexy back.”

The process of rejuvenating the derriere is pretty simple. Dr. Mendieta removes fat from the waist, lower abs and outer legs, which are typically trouble spots for most women, and adds it to the buttocks in very strategic ways.  “Fat has become the liquid gold in plastic surgery. We’re using it to rejuvenate the face, to rejuvenate the hands… and reshape the buttocks.”

Is it Safe to Have All These Procedures Done at Once?

“Safety is our number one concern.” says Dr. Mendieta. All patients must get medical clearance from himself, the anesthesiologist and a third party. If the patient has certain medical conditions or is overweight, Dr. Mendieta will split up the procedures in order to ensure safety. The recovery process is generally about 10-14 days to get back to work, a month to feel normal and 3-6 months to see your final results. It requires patience. You’re going to be swollen. You’re going to have asymmetric healing. One day, your tummy will bloated. The next, it will be flat. This may go on for 3 months and then suddenly, the whole body just shrinks up. For Dr. Mendieta, the Mamacita Makeover is a truly life changing procedure for his patients that he finds incredibly rewarding.  “You do these procedures and it’s transforming. It rejuvenates the soul.”