 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 
|
The largest segment of body contouring and breast augmentation patients that Dr. Teitelbaum sees are young women who simply want to get their bodies back after having children. Child bearing extracts a huge toll on the breasts and the abdomen, but thanks to modern plastic surgery, a woman can have children and still feel as beautiful as she did before her pregnancies. A similar process occurs in the breast and in the abdomen. On the outside, the skin stretches in both places, but sometimes does not contract back all the way, leaving it loose. On the inside, volume can be permanently lost in the breasts, and the muscles of the abdominal walls stretched and splayed apart. The extra breast skin combines with the decrease in volume to create what can be a detrimental change in the appearance of the breasts. The extra stomach skin - and perhaps the presence of a Caesarean section scar - drapes loosely over the expanded underlying muscle to dramatically change the appearance of the stomach. Diet and exercise will improve these areas to some extent, but the reality is that some of the changes from pregnancy are structural, and can only be improved by plastic surgery. A wide array of surgical options is available to these patients. The ultimate choice of operation depends on three factors: how pregnancy changed their bodies, how they want to look, and what scale/cost/recovery/risk profile of an operation makes the most sense to them personally. Many of these patients undergo both a breast and abdominal plastic surgery procedure at the same time, while others have the procedures done at different sittings. The breast can undergo an augmentation, a lift, or a combination of both. Generally, patients that describe themselves as "deflated" or "collapsed in" and are willing or desirous of more volume are candidates for augmentation. Women that are more "droopy" or "hanging" are more typically candidates for a breast lift (mastopexy). If they want more volume, then they may choose to have an implant in addition to the breast lift. There are many different types of lifts, and women need to choose together with the surgeon which trade-off of scar for shape is right for them. And some women that are deflated do not want implants and choose to have a lift. There are others that are droopy but do not want the scars of a lift, and they can choose to have a larger implant to fill them up (though they may sag more in the future.) Various permutations of implant type, size, and pocket location, combined with various techniques for breast lift, result in a large number of plastic surgical options for these patients. For the stomach, some women merely have a little excess skin after their pregnancies that is immune to diet and exercise. On the other end of the spectrum, some women have loose, redundant, and stretch-marked skin, a bad caesarean section scar, and a very lax abdominal wall. Most women fall somewhere in between, and a variety of abdominoplasty techniques are discussed with the patient to determine which one is most appropriate for her. Nothing distinguishes the specialty of plastic surgery from the remainder of the surgical disciplines as much as this category of patients. While orthopaedic surgeons can look at an x-ray of a broken bone and decide the best method of treatment without ever meeting the patient, the formulation of a surgical plan for these post-pregnancy patients can only be done through close discussion with the patient of her particular wishes.
Post Pregnancy Patient 1
Perhaps because she was young when she had her babies, her body was barely affected by her pregnancies. Still, her breasts were smaller and looser feeling than they had been, and she still retained some fat around her trunk that she could not get rid of. Breast augmentation combined with liposuction was able to put her back into the body she had before children.
Post Pregnancy Patient 2
She is a perfect example how even if a woman remains as thin and fit as possible, pregnancy can still make changes that can only be fixed with surgery. Her breasts did not only get smaller and deflate, but they dropped as well. She did not want to be any bigger, merely pulled up and tightened, so she had a breast lift. Her stomach skin became loose and "crepey", and the muscles of her abdominal wall became splayed apart. A tummy tuck removed the loose skin so that the surface would be smooth and tight, and it also tightened her tummy muscles so that her stomach would be flat and firm.
Post Pregnancy Patient 3
This woman had always had a "head-turning" body, but after children her breasts drooped so much that they would fall out of a bikini top. She had loose and stretch-marked skin on her stomach, and her muscles were so loosened, she always had a "pooch" in her lower stomach. Even though she was highly athletic, her shrunken loose breasts and hanging stomach skin made her no longer feel sexy. So she underwent a breast augmentation with a crescent lift (to tip up her nipples), as well as a tummy tuck
Post Pregnancy Patient 4
Even before having children, this patient had very small breasts. However, since the babies, they became even smaller, and felt empty and flaccid. And though she was always very thin her entire life, since the babies, she developed new fat bulges in her tummy, love handles, and outer thighs, that would not go away, no matter what she did. As a conservative professional woman, she did not want a dramatic change. But note the cumulative effect of the moderate breast augmentation with a relatively small volume of liposuction. It converted her appearance from one of being bottom heavy, to of being much more balanced and attractive. At first, there is not an obvious difference, but as you look at the picture longer, you will realize that she really has a dramatic change.
Post Pregnancy Patient 5
The relatively large breasts she had before children were left empty and pancaked against her body. She did not want any lift scars at all, but she did want all the slack skin of her breasts to be taken up. This meant a larger implant, one that may not look entirely natural, but it was her choice. She also gained weight in her hips and outer thighs that would not go away. Liposuction of these areas, combined with the breast augmentation, restored to her a youthful and sexy appearance. In the enlarged image, note how much smoother the curve is around her hips and thighs.
This website also has photographs of breast and tummy patients in the breast augmentation and abdominoplasty before and after photo sections.
|
|
|
Dr. Teitelbaum |
Philosophy |
Our Center |
Our Team |
Procedures |
Photos |
Imaging |