Body Reshaping After a Baby
With the increasing acceptability of cosmetic surgery, it is
becoming more common for women to enhance their bodies after the
changes that occur post-pregnancy. In fact, Sydney plastic
surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli says that up to 30 percent of women
in his practice come to see him because they would like to
improve their post-pregnancy body.
He stresses that before embarking on cosmetic surgery there has
to be a grace period after a pregnancy so that the body has time
to normalise. 'This period can range from 12 to 24 months,' he
explains. 'I would not recommend any cosmetic work within a year
after a pregnancy. Mums also need to keep in mind that they will
need support after their surgery because for a period of time
they will have difficulty picking up their baby.'
According to Dr Tavakoli, the top three procedures that this
group of women requests are breast enhancement, abdominoplasty
and liposculpture.
Breast Enhancement
Dr Tavakoli says the degree of change women experience in their
breasts depends on whether they have breastfed and the duration
of their breastfeeding. 'The more women have breastfed, the more
dramatic the changes that occur to their breasts are,' he
explains.'Two things that can happen to breasts are a reduction
of volume and a loss of shape. In assessing the breasts, these
two parameters need to be closely considered and adjustments
made accordingly. If a woman has droopiness, her main option is
to have a breast lift. The third problem is excess breast tissue
and this usually requires a breast reduction.'
Abdominoplasty
In Dr Tavakoli's practice, an abdominoplasty, also known as a
tummy tuck, is almost always combined with liposculpture because
this offers a better result. The procedure is designed to
tighten any laxity of the abdominal wall, which is a result of
skin stretching, by removing excess fat and skin. 'The women who
usually require an abdominoplasty are those who have had
multiple pregnancies and/or have had large babies in relation to
their body size,' he says.
Liposculpture
Some women request liposculpture as an isolated procedure after
their pregnancy. Often it is the case that the problem areas
were there before the pregnancy but the pregnancy has
accentuated these areas. 'In other words, difficult areas can
become more prominent,' he says.
Recovery
According to Dr Tavakoli, many women choose to have breast and
body surgery at the same time. The recovery time for a breast
enhancement, abdominoplasty and liposculpture is longer (about
three to four weeks) but the advantage is that the surgery is
all over and done with at once.
He adds that recovery from a breast augmentation takes 10 days
while more elaborate breast surgery takes from two to three
weeks.
Liposculpture requires two weeks recovery time and an
abdominoplasty requires three weeks. Abdominoplasty also
requires a hospital stay of two nights but the other procedures
can be performed as day procedures.'Cosmetic surgery after
pregnancy can have a very positive effect,' concludes Dr
Tavakoli. 'As long as the expectations are realistic, the
overall satisfaction rate in this group of patients is very
high.'