Pregnancy is an exciting time for new beginnings, and to bring a new life into the world can be a beautiful and life-changing experience for a woman. It is a blessing for a family and offers many joyful, exciting moments, as well as some challenging lifestyle adjustments.
Of course, life happens, and it’s not always possible to plan for all pregnancies. After you gave birth to your last child, believing you had completed your family, you had a tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty.
Now that you unexpectedly find yourself pregnant again, you start wondering how having had this procedure might affect not only the pregnancy itself or the delivery of your new baby, but also the results of your surgery.
Pregnancy After Your Tummy Tuck Surgery
Your health should not be a concern during your pregnancy. It’s essential early on to let your OB-GYN know about your abdominoplasty, as well as to inform Dr. Mussat that you are pregnant. Having taken care of this, you should be able to relax and enjoy the experience of preparing for the exciting arrival of your new baby.
Pregnancy and childbirth after a tummy tuck are safe for both you and your baby. Your precious little one will have plenty of room to grow and thrive. Avoiding gaining too much weight during pregnancy is the best way to preserve the results of your tummy tuck procedure well after the birth of your child.
Even after your abdominoplasty, your abdominal wall and tissue will still be able to stretch as usual to accommodate the new baby. You and your family and friends might even notice that your belly isn’t stretching out as much as it did before, or that your baby bump isn’t as prominent as it was during your previous pregnancy.
Should you have any concerns about experiencing a healthy pregnancy following your tummy tuck, contact Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, and schedule a consultation.
What Will Happen to Your Tummy Tuck Results?
During your consultation with Dr. Mussat, she will confirm that most of her patients who become pregnant after their abdominoplasty continue to be thrilled with the results of their surgery after the birth of their baby. Don’t be surprised if you look even better than the last time you were pregnant as a result of your tummy tuck.
Providing you don’t put on too much weight during the pregnancy, having had a tummy tuck, your midline connective tissue shouldn’t stretch very much. The strong scar tissue holding the abdominal muscles together from the previous abdominoplasty can still extend outward, allowing the baby to grow. Of course, another benefit of this strong scar tissue is that, after birth, it can retract again without causing the same gap between your abdominal muscles that you had before.
And even if you end up with some excess abdominal skin due to pregnancy stretch, Dr. Mussat will be able to remove it and tighten up this region of your body.
Will a C-Section Affect Your Tummy Tuck?
As the time arrives to give birth, there is a chance you might need a cesarean section. While your existing scar tissue can affect having a C-section after a tummy tuck, keep in mind that having a C-section after abdominoplasty isn’t much different from having a repeat C-section. Either way, your OB-GYN will still be working with scar tissue from the previous procedure, be it from an earlier C-section or an abdominoplasty. Of course, this possibility means you should let your OB-GYN know that you have already had abdominoplasty surgery, as sometimes the scar may not be noticeable.
One thing to keep in mind is that that sometimes, your OB-GYN might not be able to close your new cesarean section incision with the skill of a plastic surgeon, and this might affect the appearance of the scar. Consulting with both your OB-GYN and Dr. Mussat in advance can prepare all parties for this possibility.
Get Ready for Your Big Day!
As a mother with numerous responsibilities, self-care can often feel like a luxury; however, by putting yourself first, you’ll find you can look forward to the arrival of this baby just as you did the last!
To learn more about how to best prepare for the birth of your new child or to discuss your post-pregnancy tummy tuck, contact Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, to schedule a private appointment. As an innovator in abdominoplasty techniques, Dr. Mussat will be happy to work with you on your surgical plan.
Breast augmentation using implants remains the most sought-after cosmetic surgery procedure for women in the United States. However, every year, a small percentage of women choose to have their breast implants removed. The reasons behind this decision vary but typically are due to health concerns or the feeling that the breast implants no longer suit a patient’s lifestyle.
It takes an advanced set of surgical skills and training to perform breast implant removal that prioritizes patient safety and restores the original shape of the breasts.
Board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat has the training, skills, and experience to work with you to either return to your natural breast size or find a beautiful aesthetic alternative to your current implants.
For women who choose to remove their breast implants entirely, it is essential to gather all the facts, not only about the procedure itself but also about what their breasts will look like afterward.
What Is Breast Implant Removal?
Breast implant removal is a surgical procedure to remove the implants from a woman’s breast augmentation or reconstruction. Depending on the reason for implant removal, Dr. Mussat may also excise some tissue around the implant.
Women who have symptoms of a breast implant rupture or are experiencing health problems caused by the implant must be cautious about the type of breast implant removal technique their surgeon uses. Approaches for breast implant procedures are some of the most complex and sophisticated for breast implant removal, or explantation. Despite the challenges it presents, this procedure is also one of the most reliable ways to protect the patient from further complications. Dr. Mussat performs the procedure by carefully removing the implant together with the capsule that surrounds it as a single unit.
Why Might You Consider Breast Implant Removal?
If you’re thinking about getting breast implant removal, Dr. Mussat believes it’s a good idea to consider the reasons why women decide to undergo explant surgery in the first place.
- Changing activity levels: With the increasing popularity of intense cardio workouts like CrossFit and Bootcamp, women are choosing to have their implants removed in favor of creating a lean, toned physique.
- Keeping up with the latest trends: The increased demand for Brazilian butt lift surgery and a decreased desire for large breast implants is now becoming common. That’s not to suggest breast augmentation isn’t still popular, which it certainly is — women are just more likely to pursue a C cup than a DD cup. Likewise, some women who have had large implants inserted in the past are choosing to either downsize or have their implants removed altogether.
- Physical illness or discomfort: Some women report that their implants begin to feel painful or hard years after their initial operation. Also, they may experience a broad range of health issues, which could include breast implant illness that disappears after they have their implants removed.
- Return to a more natural look: Many slender women might have opted to have mid-sized or even large implants inserted. Because slim women often don’t have enough natural breast tissue to cover large implants, this might have resulted in an overly round, artificial look. Today, these women frequently ask to have their large implants removed and replaced with implants that better suit their frame.
Combining breast implant removal with breast lift surgery is an option that can address both medical and aesthetic concerns a patient might have. After the procedure, it’s possible for a patient to leave Dr. Mussat’s office with perkier, more even and attractive breasts compared to the way they looked before the enhancement.
What Happens in a Breast Implant Removal Procedure?
Dr. Mussat generally performs breast implant removal while her patients are under general anesthesia. Typically, to minimize scarring, she creates incisions along the same lines as the scars from the original implant surgery. Dr. Mussat will then remove the implants together with any damaged or inflamed capsular tissue.
What Results Can You Expect After Breast Implant Removal?
It will be necessary to plan for some downtime after your implant removal surgery, including a few days of rest before the gradual resumption of light activity. Dr. Mussat will provide you with specific recovery instructions, which might also include two full weeks without any strenuous activity or exercise and about 10 days without driving.
Be prepared to wear a surgical bra for several weeks while your breasts are healing. With these guidelines in mind, you should be able to return to office-type work within a week.
What Factors Will Affect Your Breast Appearance?
Dr. Mussat’s goal with breast explant surgery is to safely remove your breast implants while simultaneously maintaining or restoring an attractive breast contour and appearance.
If you opt not to replace your implants with a new pair (typically following the experience of symptoms of breast implant illness), Dr. Mussat will be happy to answer your questions about what your breasts will look like following explant surgery.
It’s useful to keep in mind that your breast implants will have stretched the skin, and their weight will probably also cause some sagging of your breasts.
Other factors can also cause variations in the shape, size, and position of your breasts following explant surgery. For instance, if you had gained a significant amount of weight following your initial breast augmentation surgery, your breast volume may be slightly higher than it was before you had the implants placed.
Aging, pregnancy, and genetic factors can also affect the quality of the remaining breast tissue, as well as skin elasticity. You might find these, too, will affect the appearance of your breasts.
Fortunately, working with Dr. Mussat will ensure a beautiful and natural breast appearance. When planning your explant surgery, she will consider your unique requirements, including the quality of your breast tissue, skin elasticity, and personal preferences, and discuss with you all the cosmetic treatment options for a beautiful breast shape after breast implant removal.
Will You Need a Breast Lift After Having Breast Implants Removed?
Dr. Mussat often recommends combining a breast lift with implant removal. A breast lift can reshape your breast contours and restore a younger look by removing excess skin from implant-related stretching, including aging, pregnancy, or weight changes.
Schedule a Consultation
No matter your reason for considering breast implant removal, as a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Florence Mussat can work with you and develop a personalized plan to either return to your natural breast size or find a beautiful aesthetic alternative to your current implants.
Now might be the right time to discuss your options with her, so please contact us today to schedule a consultation at our Chicago, IL, office, or give us a call at (312) 751-9000.
