So, you’re considering a mommy makeover for yourself because you’d love to have your pre-baby body back.
But … you’re concerned about safety.
This is actually a common topic that comes up during patient consultation appointments. Patients want to know:
- Should I be getting elective surgery?
- What are the potential risks?
- What’s the mommy makeover death rate?
- What could actually go wrong?
Up ahead, we’ll outline the basics of mommy makeover surgery safety. While we can’t provide exhaustive information specific to you and your personal health, we can offer a summary of the most important points you should know about when it comes to your safety and mommy makeover surgery.
Is Mommy Makeover Plastic Surgery Safe?
It’s important to note that all serious surgeries can be dangerous. There are potential complications that coincide with hip replacement surgery, heart surgery, C-sections, gallbladder removal, and literally every other type of surgery. Even a procedure as simple as getting a filling in a tooth comes with some risks.
Mommy makeover surgeries are no different. There are risks that it is important for patients to know about, and we will get to those later. But for now, it’s also important to remember a few things:
- Many medically necessary surgeries are performed on patients who are in ill-health. If your concern about the danger of mommy makeover surgery stems from the knowledge that other surgeries you’ve heard of sometimes have poor outcomes, remember that the entire point of performing many procedures such as heart surgery, appendectomies, endarterectomies (removing arterial blockages), or similar, is to help an ill person get better. Because of this, there is also, unfortunately, a higher chance of complications with ill people. Mommy makeover patients, on the other hand, are in good health. This makes it far less likely that they will experience problems during or after surgery.
- Patients must be thoroughly screened prior to surgery. Furthermore, all patients need to undergo many medical tests prior to being accepted as a patient for a mommy makeover. Plastic surgeons will carefully go through each patient’s medical history and talk to them about any issues they may be experiencing. Things like body mass index (BMI), physical activity, medication lists, blood pressure and heart rate, and other measurables will be taken into account to ensure that each patient is in good health prior to this major surgery.
- Plastic surgeons are highly skilled and take a massive amount of precautions. You may think you’re the only one concerned about your health and safety during and after mommy makeover surgery, but rest assured your board certified plastic surgeon is equally concerned. They do not want you to have any problems during your mommy makeover tummy tuck, liposuction, or any other procedure. They absolutely will not perform surgery on you if they think there is any likelihood that a complication may arise. In addition, know that your surgeon is taking far more precautions than you know about. They will explain the basic precautions they take during your procedure, but also know that at every turn, they are taking extra steps to ensure your safety.
Why Be Concerned About Mommy Makeover Safety?
Now, let’s talk about what could go wrong during a mommy makeover surgery.
For the most part, there are two main things that plastic surgeons are concerned about with mommy makeovers:
- It involves several different procedures combined into one surgery
- Patients have to remain under anesthesia for an extended period of time
Most mommy makeovers with a bbl, tummy tuck, liposuction, and a breast surgery (breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, etc.). Even if just a tummy tuck and liposuction are performed together, the fact that more than one procedure is being performed at one time means there is a higher risk of complications. That risk is moderate, but it is there.
Additionally, mommy makeovers take longer to perform than single surgeries. Some may take four hours or more. Generally speaking, when a procedure requires general anesthesia for more than four hours, the likelihood of complications may rise.
What Complications Could Arise?
All invasive surgeries that require incisions have the potential of causing excessive bleeding, fluid buildup, skin necrosis, hematoma, infection, loss of skin sensation, and other possible risks. As a general rule, however, the biggest concern with mommy makeover surgery is the risk of developing a blood clot.
This concern runs alongside the fact that mommy makeover surgery requires the patient to be under anesthesia for so long. Fortunately, your surgeon will take steps to ensure healthy circulation. This may include using special medications to slightly thin the blood and the use of compression devices to promote circulation.
Mommy Makeover Death Rate
When it comes to the death rate mommy makeover surgery is quite safe. According to a recent journal article entitled “Assessing Cosmetic Surgery Safety: The Evolving Data”, we can estimate the mommy makeover death rate 2022 – 2023 as a whole, but it’s easier to examine each procedure individually.
Why? Because every mommy makeover is different and involves a different combination (and extent) of surgery. In this way, it’s actually more valuable to review the specific cosmetic procedures that, though rare, have the most complications: tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) and liposuction. Recent data reveals that:
- Tummy tuck surgery has a 1 in 13,000 mortality rate (death rate).
- Liposuction has a 1.3 in 50,000 mortality rate (death rate).
Schedule a Mommy Makeover Consultation Today
We want you to feel comfortable and confident about your upcoming surgery. If you have questions or concerns about the safety of mommy makeovers — or you just want to find out if you’re a good candidate for this procedure — give us a call today and schedule your own private consultation with board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Matthew Schulman.
Proudly serving patients in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem, Lancaster.
References
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/mommy-makeover/safety
