Reader Question:
How long should new mothers wait before considering plastic surgery? Can a woman ever get her stomach back in shape after giving birth? You see so many celebrities who look like they’ve never been pregnant even after having several children. They have a flat stomach with no stretch marks and claim to have not had anything done. What do you think?
Plastic surgeons were doing “mommy makeovers” long before the term was coined. We just used to wait longer. Now in the pressure to not “lose the case” surgeons are letting their principles fall by the wayside more often. Some of the celebrities to whom you refer are under big time pressure to get things “fixed” to make them marketable in Hollywood quite soon after child birth.
In general I advise my patients to wait until the have stabilized their weight after having children before considering plastic surgery. I also usually advise my clients who are not yet completed with child bearing to take it easy until they are done…meaning save the tummy tucks and larger procedures until after the pregnancies are completed. It leads to fewer trips back to the operating room to fix things. Some celebrities don’t care about the cost and simply go ahead anyway. It is their choice. These are their bodies.
Plastic surgeons all have differing philosophies and being honest costs me money here at times, but speaking the truth is where I always start.
Best Regards,
John Di Saia MD
Dear Dr. Di Saia,
I couldn’t agree more. For a post-partum tummy tuck, I have similar rules:
* no more planned pregnancies
* return to a stable weight (ideally, the pre-pregnancy weight)
* at least 6 months since the baby was born
For post-partum breast enhancement, my rules are similar:
* no more planned pregnancies
* stable weight
* at least 6 months since completing breast feeding
(Note that most pediatricians recommend at least 6 months of breast feeding; hence, I try to delay most patients’ breast rejuvenation for a minimum of 12 months after the baby was born.)
I’m quite certain that a majority of us Board Certified Plastic Surgeons would not operate on Hollywood patients just after they have completed a pregnancy.
I must comment, on the other hand, that there are a few women who have babies and who, within a few months, do again have a flat stomach without stretch marks. Could a few of those Hollywood hotties be fortunate mutants?!?Too bad nobody has characterized what accounts for those ladies’ good luck!
Sincerely,
Michael C. Pickart, M.D.
Five doctors, a nurse and an administrator pleaded guilty in court to injecting a non FDA approved Botox like substance (Botulinum Toxin Topic A) without telling their patients.