CSP recently interviewed Gaurav Bharti, MD, one of the board certified plastic surgeons at Hunstad Kortesis Plastic Surgery + MedSpa (HK), on one of the most popular sets of procedures for moms – the “Mommy Makeover.” See our discussion below as well as a short video from Dr. Bharti with more details.
Tell us what’s usually involved in a “Mommy Makeover”?
A “Mommy Makeover” is a combination of procedures isolated by themselves or together, done after a woman has given child birth to regain where she once was or get to a place to where she is more confident with how her body looks after childbirth. Childbirth causes significant changes to a woman’s body so cosmetic surgery can help her get the body back she had prior to having children. Procedures included in the Mommy Makeover can range from breast augmentation, liposuction, or tummy tuck procedures. There are even procedures now done minimally invasive to help with feminine rejuvenation after child birth as well. Each mother is different and unique, and her body has changed in a different way, so each Mommy Makeover is customized for each mom that comes in to see me.
Who is usually the best candidate for this type of procedure?
All women who have birthed children are potential candidates. We do want the patient to have recovered from childbirth, no longer breastfeeding, and at a steady state for her weight and body. This varies between 3-6 months following childbirth and the cessation of lactation.
What’s the best time of year to have a Mommy Makeover?
The best time of the year is purely driven by the patient’s convenience. A patient will choose to have it over holidays because someone is home to help her, or she may want to have it in the beginning of the year so she can recover for the summer time to enjoy her new body at the beach. It really varies for each mom and what her timeline is like.
What types of questions should a patient ask when she’s trying to find the right surgeon?
– Is the surgeon is a board certified plastic surgeon?
– How many procedures do they perform on that specific procedure?
– Do they use board certified anesthesiologists – not a nurse anesthetist?
– Do they operate at their practice or in a hospital? If it’s at a hospital, it will affect the patient’s surgery cost, and she should be aware of that upfront. If they operate at an outpatient facility, are their operating rooms credentialed by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities?
We also have summary of things to think about on our website that patients can reference when deciding which plastic surgery office to have their surgery. Click here.
What’s recovery like?
Recovery depends on the procedure that is undertaken. General recovery for body contouring, breast augmentation or breast lift will be a period of avoiding high extraneous activity for about 4 weeks. Our patients are up and walking the same day of surgery and we want them to resume their normal activity as quickly as possible. It’s important for our patients to resume clean healthy diets after their surgery to enhance their results further. We utilize long term numbing medicine to make surgeries much more tolerable and the recovery process easier.
Should a mom consider doing both breast and tummy at same time? What if she only wants to do the tummy or can’t afford both?
The majority of the time when patients are interested in both areas they usually have the procedures done at the same time. This is done to avoid two recovery times and two anesthesia fees and facility fees. It’s purely driven on the patient’s desires and what will work best for the patient. Separating the procedures is completely acceptable and will lead to the same result.
Is it best to lose weight before a tummy tuck for optimum results? Do you offer nutritional counseling once a patient commits to the makeover?
It is always helpful to have the patient get to a regular weight amount before body contouring surgery. This will help with recovery and seeing results faster. At HK, we do offer two health programs to supplement the recovery process. We partner with Top Team Fitness Academy that is based on utilizing stretching activities before, during and after your surgery to provide you with a comprehensive fitness and wellness plan. Total Nutrition Technology is another partner of ours that specializes in nutritional analysis designed for each patients unique physiology, lifestyle and dietary behavior. Both partner programs help HK patients with the recovery process and to get our patients back to their lifestyle sooner than later.
Here’s a video with Dr. Bharti explaining a little more about the Mommy Makeover:
Thank you so much to Dr. Bharti for taking the time to answer our questions. To learn more about Dr. Bharti’s background, click here. To read patient reviews of Dr. Bharti on Real Self, click here.
More on Hunstad Kortesis Plastic Surgery:
Huntersville office:
11208 Statesville Rd., Ste. 300
Huntersville, NC 28078
SouthPark office:
4625 Piedmont Row Drive, Ste. 135B, Charlotte, NC
info@hkcenters.com
704-659-9000
Website
Facebook
HK Before and After Gallery
2 comments
I have to say… it makes me a little sad to see this on Charlotte Smarty Pants. We have all earned these “mommy bodies” and I think it sends the wrong message to market these types of highly invasive procedures. To each her own, and I truly don’t judge, but there is a difference between highlighting reputable plastic surgeons and advertising multiple procedures to reclaim past glory.
Jen, I completely get where you are coming from. And I hate that you feel this way. I think you either are up for this type of procedure or you’re wholeheartedly against it. I love all of our Smarty Moms in whatever skin they are in. Trust me, I’m in the warrior skin after four kids and twins to boot! But some people are very self-conscious and this may be the right route for them. Others see their “new mom bodies” as a right of passage of motherhood. We are partnering with Hunstad because we believe in what they do for those who choose to go this route. They are the best in the biz and the best this town has to offer. So if it’s not for you, please skim over and forgive us! We’re certainly not trying to tell everyone to go run out and redo their bodies!