Can I Get A Mommy Makeover At The Same Time As My Hysterectomy?

Q:  Dr. Eppley, I am a 38 year old mother with 3 children. Needless to say, three pregnancies and breastfeeding them all has taken qute a toll on my body. It looks like the proverbial life has been sucked out of me. My breasts are flat and droopy, I have a small skin amount of belly skin that hangs over my waistline and I recently found out that I need a hysterectomy due to chronic bleeding. Other than these issues, I am actually in good health. Since I have to have a hysterectomy anyway, I thought that getting breast implants and a tummy tuck at the same time would be a good idea.  It would be great to get a while new body along with fixing my gyn issues. Do you think all of this can be done at one time and is it safe?

A: Combining breast augmentation and a tummy tuck with a hysterectomy procedure is  perfectly safe provided you are in good health and have no significant health risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, or high risk for blood clots. Tummy tucks and hysterectomies are very commonly done together as it provides unparalleled access for the Gyn doctor to do the hysterectomy and provides solutions to many body problems in one operation. Adding a breast augmentation to this combined abdominal procedure does not add significant operative time, risks, or recovery. This would be the ultimate ‘Mommy Makeover’, correcting all issues that are associated with one’s pregnancies. Your most challenging aspect in getting this done is to be able to coordinate a plastic surgeon and a gynecologist’s schedule as well as the economics of doing it in a hospital environment.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana