13 April 2022

When can I have Surgery after Pregnancy?

Congratulations! Your little one has arrived! For many women, it is time to focus on their family and calm recovery after childbirth, but many moms want to know when it will be possible to undergo plastic surgery after giving birth to remove excess skin, correct the separation of the muscles or lifting the breasts which appear drained and sagging. So, how long after giving birth to a baby is it possible to have breast or body surgery? Let's see in this article the various temporal indications to undergo surgery after childbirth without problems and obtain excellent results.

When can sagging breasts be replaced after breastfeeding?

Of course, during breastfeeding, under no circumstances will it be possible to undergo surgery as it could damage the health of the newborn. As a general rule, I would say at least 3 months after finishing breastfeeding. In some cases, it can take up to 6 months. For breast surgery this is particularly important, because in this period the breast will have time to eliminate the milk present in the milk ducts and the breast tissues will be able to reach their final appearance after childbirth and breastfeeding. These indications also apply to breast augmentation and breast lift (breast lift) or the two combined operations. In the months following breastfeeding, the patient's breasts may evolve differently. Many times, the breast empties and becomes weaker in the tissues that make it up. In this case, the suitable intervention for the patient is that of breast lift or breast lift with breast augmentation . In other rarer cases, the breasts tend to remain the same size as when the baby was breastfeeding. In these cases, the recommended intervention to decrease the size and weight of the breasts is called reduction mammoplasty. It is also important to undergo the surgery when you have achieved a stable weight after pregnancy. In fact, many women struggle to lose the weight gained during pregnancy. In the case of breast surgery it is important to avoid significant weight fluctuations for about 3-6 months after surgery to allow the tissues to heal without excessive changes.

When is it possible to perform a tummy tuck after pregnancy?

As for the abdominoplasty, I recommend waiting at least six months after giving birth as the muscles must be able to stabilize in their new position. In fact, after a pregnancy, the central muscles of the abdomen called rectus abdominal muscles move away from the center, leaving the abdominal wall not very continent.A part of the abdominal continence is recovered in the first 6-12 months after childbirth and for this it is necessary wait some time before undergoing abdominal surgery. Furthermore, usually the woman in the first months after having the baby has quite frequent variations in weight that can cause an excess and a flaccidity of the skin in the moderate to long term. For this reason it is recommended to undergo an abdominoplasty with a stable weight for at least 3 months. Usually after a single pregnancy, diastasis will be present mainly in the lower abdomen along with a modest amount of excess skin. In this case, as an alternative to a traditional abdominoplasty, a mini-abdominoplasty can be performed with the right indications, which will be able to resume the scar of the caesarean section.

Are you ready for your intervention?

In addition to considering the indications of the plastic surgeon, you must consider whether you can take a few weeks to recover from the surgery with peace of mind. You will definitely need to take a break from overexertion either by undergoing breast or abdominal plastic surgery. For about 1 month, you won't be able to be completely yourself. You will have to be careful to avoid blows from your babies and in many cases you will not be able to pick them up for about 1 month. Also consider that for the first 2-3 weeks you may feel some pain and therefore you will have to get someone to help you with the housework and you will have to accompany you to appointments at least in the first 2 weeks. If you do not perform too strenuous work you will be able to return to work after about 10 days from the surgery but for about a month as mentioned you will have to be careful to avoid excessive efforts. In conclusion, before choosing to undergo an operation, consider that you are ready and organized for a few weeks after the procedure.

When to schedule the visit with the plastic surgeon?

Surely it is advisable to schedule a first visit shortly before you intend to undergo the desired surgery. A month before could be enough time to finally be convinced to have the surgery, organize the post-operative. Performing a visit not long before the desired date to perform the abdominoplasty or mastopexy surgery will also give the surgeon the opportunity to analyze the specific and definitive situation of the patient's body and be able to listen to her wishes.