Mothers may love their little ones’ baby fat, but they tend to cringe at the thought of the fat their babies give them. That’s why women are waving goodbye to pregnancy plump and saying hello to taut tummies and va-va-voom curves — with Mommy Makeovers, one of the more popular plastic surgery trends to hit Scottsdale.

According to Dr. Robert Cohen, who owns the Scottsdale Center for Plastic Surgery, Mommy Makeover is a series of plastic surgeries that address areas of the body related to pregnancy, almost always including the breasts and torso. These surgeries include breast augmentation, breast lift, tummy tuck, liposuction and thigh lift.

The combination of surgeries a patient receives depends on the woman’s individual needs, Cohen says.

After losing 100 pounds in one year following the birth of her two sons, one recent patient, who asked not to be named, opted to undergo breast implants, a breast lift, a tummy tuck, and liposuction in the stomach, hips and thighs.

“I knew that I did not desire to have any more children,” she says. “I wanted to physically be able to enjoy my life — to go to the water park with my kids.

“After losing weight naturally, (my family and friends) were very supportive of the surgery. It was almost like my reward for going through the difficulty and the self-discipline of dieting and exercising.”

While these surgeries are not new, Mommy Makeovers allow a woman to undergo several procedures in one day, instead of through multiple visits.

Cohen says the advantages of having multiple surgeries in one day include convenience and lower costs, since the patient only needs to undergo anesthesia once and there are no duplicated operation fees. There is also less risk in going under anesthesia a single time, as well as the benefit of seeing the end result instantly instead of incrementally.
“When patients get their surgeries in one day, there is a greater chance that they will have instant gratification,” Cohen says.

Of course, there are also risk factors involved with having multiple plastic surgeries in a single day. According to Cohen, the longer a patient is in surgery, the chance of risks increases. Some of the risks associated with these procedures, though uncommon, include infection, bleeding into inner body pockets, tightened tissue around implants and blood clots.

Cohen says, Mommy Makeovers typically cost between $12,000 and $25,000, although prices range dramatically due to the variety of surgeries offered, and from doctor to doctor.

In Cohen’s office, the costs of surgery can be eased through financial services and plans. The office works with CareCredit, a medical and dental financing company, to find workable payment plans for patients who can reasonably afford the surgeries they desire.

The age of Mommy Makeover patients ranges from early 20s to mid-60s, according to Cohen. However, the most common age group is women in their late 20s to mid-40s.

Ideal candidates for this surgery are those who do not plan on having any more children, as tummy tucks can be affected after additional pregnancies and previous scar tissue, Cohen says.

So far, the surgery package has been a hit in Cohen’s office.

“Patients will come in very self-conscious, won’t get into bathing suits and won’t go to the pool,” Cohen says. “Afterwards, we get pictures of them on vacation in Hawaii, taking surf lessons, trying on clothes they could never fit into before; we hear stories of how relationships have improved. It’s not a life-or-death surgery, but it’s a quality-of-life surgery.”

For more information about Mommy Makeovers, visit www.scottsdalecenterforplasticsurgery.com.

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Scottsdale Center for Plastic Surgery

5410 N. Scottsdale Road
Suite A-500
Paradise Valley, AZ, 85253
(602) 702-5380
www.scottsdalecenterforplasticsurgery.com[/stextbox]