Seeing deflated breasts and loose, sagging abdominal skin can be emotionally distressing no matter how much you understand the value of what a mother’s body has been through. Any woman’s body, regardless of whether she’s given birth, goes through massive changes over time so may develop similar cosmetic consequences. The Mommy Makeover is a great way to address these concerns but, as with any surgical procedure, it is necessary to determine the most appropriate timing for treatment. There are a few reasons this is so, and a few ways to know just when the time is right. Here, we want to discuss the issue of weight, in particular, as it relates to the Mommy Makeover, and why a surgeon may recommend holding off on surgery until the “ideal weight” has been achieved.
It isn’t only a Matter of Weight
When a plastic surgeon looks at a patient’s weight to determine the appropriateness of surgery, what they’re really assessing is the patient’s BMI, body mass index. Your BMI is the ratio between your weight and height, so what is seen as your ideal weight is based on a scale of underweight to obese on the body mass index table. You may feel that, at 5 feet 10 inches, you’d love to weigh 125, as you did in high school or college. However, at that ratio, your BMI would be considered underweight. At that same height, a weight of 150 would be considered normal. A weight of 185 would be considered overweight or obese, even if you only wear a size 12. In general, surgeons prefer to perform tummy tuck surgery, a pivotal aspect of the Mommy Makeover, when BMI is less than 30.
Why Does This Matter?
In our discussion about Mommy Makeover treatment, there are a few reasons that BMI and weight matter. One is that, if you were to continue losing weight after your breast and body procedures, there is a risk that your breasts may look droopy and your tummy might look wrinkled due to the loss of fat beneath the skin. Another aspect of being a healthy weight before surgery is that an elevated BMI is linked to higher surgical risks. One study showed that patients with higher BMI took longer to come out of anesthesia than those in the normal BMI range. More importantly to our goals, a higher BMI is associated with a weaker immune system. You may not realize it but your immune system plays a critical role in surgical recovery. You want this system to be strong so that your body is not more susceptible to infection, swelling, bruising, and prolonged tissue healing. Excess weight is also a contributing factor to chronic systemic inflammation, a problem that we’d like to not have before undergoing surgery.
A breast and body makeover can be incredibly beneficial to your emotional wellness. To find out if now is the best time for your Mommy Makeover, contact our Louisville office at 502-425-5200.