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Mommy Makeover

Dr. John LeRoy Answers Your Questions About Tummy Tucks

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belly-being-marked-for-surgeryThe abdomen is an incredibly common “trouble area” for adults. When I say “trouble area”, I mean a portion of the body that is most in need of aesthetic rejuvenation for people as the years go on. Excess skin, stubborn fat, and damaged abdominal muscles that create the appearance of a belly “pooch” are common sources of frustration for people. Thankfully, tummy tuck surgery is designed to address all of these concerns and create a flatter and more healthy-looking abdomen for women and men. Today, I wanted to answer a few common questions about tummy tuck surgery and how it can help my patients.

Question #1: What is the difference between a tummy tuck and liposuction?

While these are both common body contouring procedures, they help patients in very different ways. During a tummy tuck, the focus is on repairing the abdominal muscle, as well as removing loose, stretched skin and tissue that has become lax over time. While fat removal is sometimes part of the procedure, that is not always the case. Liposuction on the other hand, is only intended to address excess fat and cannot help patients who need loose skin and tissue treated (as well as those who experience damaged abdominal muscles).

Question #2: Is there a less invasive version of the tummy tuck available?

I offer a minimally invasive tummy tuck variation known as my signature Band Aid Tummy Tuck. This alternative can be extremely helpful for patients who are within 5-10 pounds of their ideal body weight and experience excess fat deposits and/or mild to moderately sagging skin in the lower abdomen area. During the procedure, I am able to remove small amounts of excess skin and then refine the contour of the abdomen with liposuction (if needed). This option is performed in-office with gentle numbing.

Question #3: Is it true that a tummy tuck can improve my posture?

It is. In addition to the wonderful cosmetic benefits that it’s most known for, undergoing a tummy tuck can provide additional medical benefits like improved posture and reduced back pain as well. By correcting a protruding abdomen and tightening separated abdominal muscles, posture issues can often be addressed.

As a board-certified plastic surgeon, it’s important to me tha I be able to answer questions like this and guide my patients toward the best-possible surgical choices and outcomes for their unique needs. For more information about tummy tuck surgery, or any other cosmetic surgery procedure that I perform, contact me, Dr. John L. LeRoy, to schedule a plastic surgery consultation today. You can also follow along with me on Facebook for additional tips, practice news, and much more.

Tips For Exercising After Undergoing Plastic Surgery

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I completely understand the impulse to want to get back into your daily routine after undergoing plastic surgery. And for many people, regular exercise is an integral part of their daily routine. Exercising regularly is a healthy lifestyle choice that can help patients maintain their aesthetic results in the years following their cosmetic procedure. However, it’s important to understand when it will be safe and advisable to fully dive back into your workout routine after plastic surgery.

I wanted to begin by reminding readers that every patient is different and post-surgery recovery varies from patient to patient. There are many factors to consider before a recommendation like when to begin exercising again can be made. Speaking generally, a simple rule that I explain to my patients is that it is likely safe to begin lighter exercise one to two weeks after a minor procedure like a Band Aid facial surgery and two to four weeks after more invasive procedures like a tummy tuck or mommy makeover. Readers may find the following tips for exercising after plastic surgery helpful:

  • Wait six weeks or more before any more strenuous (high impact) physical activity or heavy lifting in order to give the body time to properly heal after surgery
  • Start slow and build back your strength over time instead of instantly going as hard as you did before surgery
  • Make realistic goals and stick with them
  • Wear supportive garments (if applicable to your surgery) while exercising if advised to do so by your plastic surgeon
  • Make sure to take rest days between exercises and not push yourself too hard too soon

In the video below, I discuss exercise after plastic surgery in more detail:

Showing patience in the short term during the plastic surgery recovery period can provide several long-term benefits for patients. If you would like to learn more about plastic surgery or to schedule a plastic surgery consultation, contact me, Dr. John LeRoy. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for more videos, tips, and updates from my practice.

Is Mommy Makeover Surgery Right for You?

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Common Myths about LiposuctionTime can affect the body in many ways. For women, especially those who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth in the past, it’s incredibly common to experience patches of stretched, excess skin in areas all over the body. And try as we might, it is virtually impossible to improve the appearance of some of these areas with diet and exercise alone. While there are several body contouring surgeries available that can help women look and feel younger by addressing these concerns, I thought it would be helpful to discuss mommy makeover surgery and the unique benefits that this plastic surgery combination can provide.

For anyone unfamiliar, mommy makeover surgery combines multiple body contouring procedures into one surgery to help provide outstanding and long-lasting aesthetic results to areas all over the body. Depending on each patient’s unique needs, a mommy makeover may include the following:

  • Liposuction to remove unwanted patches of stubborn fat from the abdomen, back, arms, thighs, or other areas.
  • Tummy tuck surgery to remove loose skin and repair damaged or separated muscles in the abdomen that create the appearance of a belly “pooch”.
  • A cosmetic breast surgery of the patient’s choice that may include breast augmentation, breast reduction, or a breast lift.
  • Band Aid Liposuction and Band Aid Tummy Tuck for patients who don’t require quite as extensive cosmetic rejuvenation.

The individual surgeries that make up the mommy makeover are intended to complement each other, and help provide more comprehensive benefits together than they ever could separately. One of the things that my patients generally love so much about the mommy makeover is how customizable it is. I pride myself on being able to offer my patients a wide range of options to better suit their needs, and the mommy makeover allows women to precisely target specific areas for aesthetic improvement.

In addition to the cosmetic benefits of a mommy makeover, the emotional benefits cannot be forgotten either. I understand that no one wants to look old before their time and how frustrating it can be to not feel like yourself due to not being confident in how you look. A mommy makeover can help women turn back the clock and bring out their best, most youthful selves once more.

It’s important to note that you don’t have to be a mother to undergo a mommy makeover. When performed by an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon like myself, undergoing a mommy makeover can provide incredible aesthetic results for any woman trying to look and feel her best. For more information about the mommy makeover, or any other cosmetic surgery procedure that I perform, contact me, Dr. John L. LeRoy, today. You can follow along with me on Facebook for additional tips, practice news, and much more.