Concerns with the physical changes to your body after pregnancy is not unusual for some women. You have tried everything—diet and exercise—to get back the body you had before. But to no avail. This is a time where you may consider post-pregnancy reconstruction.
What is Post-Pregnancy Reconstruction Surgery?
Post-pregnancy surgery is a range of surgeries designed to correct the changes in your body after pregnancy. Some of the procedures can include:
- An abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck, is a common procedure included in post-pregnancy reconstruction Sydney. Your surgeon removes excess fat and skin from your abdomen and tightens your muscles. To repair separated abdominal muscles.
- Mastopexy or augmentation mammoplasty. A mastopexy (breast lift) or augmentation mammoplasty (breast lift with implants) is also common after pregnancy. Your breasts may have a loss of firmness and volume so this procedure reshapes your breasts and you can add breast implants at the same time if that is what you want. These procedures can be done together or separately depending on your requirements.
- Liposuction removes stubborn fat that diet and exercise fails to shift.
It is important to understand that while you can get good results from surgery, it is important to weigh up the risks against the benefits.
What are the Benefits of Post-Pregnancy Surgery?
While there are risks to all types of surgery, some of the benefits of post-pregnancy surgery include:
- Addressing more than one issue at a time.If you need more than one procedure, you can combine several procedures at a time. For example, you can address stubborn fat, sagging breasts and excess skin in your abdominal area all at the one time.
- Individualised solutions.Post-pregnancy surgery is not a one-size-fits-all solution. You specialist plastic surgeon will create a plan and give you options that meet your individual needs.
- Results are long-lasting.Recovery time will vary depending on how many surgeries you have at a time. But if you look after yourself properly and follow your surgeon’s instructions for post-operative recovery, you can have long-lasting results.
Results are never guaranteed; however, selecting a skilled surgeon Sydney will help to get the best outcome.
Importance of Selecting Qualified Surgeon
In Australia, any doctor can do surgery without the benefit of additional training to specialise in one of the nine speciality areas recognised by the Medical Board of Australia. One of those specialist areas are plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Cosmetic surgery is not recognised by the Medical Board as a separate specialty nor does it recognise the term cosmetic surgeon. This is why your best choice of surgeon should be board certified. They have the training, knowledge and experience to know exactly what they are doing and earned the title of specialist plastic surgeon after years of specialised training.
However, there is nothing to stop doctors with no more than general practitioner training calling themselves cosmetic surgeons. So it is important to carefully select a surgeon to operate on you.
So how do you know who has the right qualifications. Ask to see a copy of their qualifications if not displayed in their office and even ask your GP for surgeon selection tips.
Timeline for Post-operative Recovery
When you have more than one procedure during post-pregnancy surgery at a time, your recovery will be different than having just one procedure. There may be more pain, discomfort and swelling because of the number and size of the incisions, and the amount of tissue removed.
With different surgeries you will need to restrict your physical activities such as limiting exercise and no heavy lifting. You may also need to wear support or compression garments to reduce the swelling to help your recovery. By having all the procedures done at once, you only need to go through the recovery process once compared to having two or three procedures separately.
For minimized complications of post-pregnancy reconstruction, it is vital to follow all post-operative instructions. Here is a brief overview of what you can expect at each stage of post-operative recovery.
Initial Stage of Recovery
After your surgeon completes your surgery, you will wake up in a recovery room your vital signs being monitored. When the surgeon is happy with your progress, you can go home.
During the initial recovery stage you need to rest and there will be some swelling, discomfort and pain. You will receive medication and antibiotics for pain management and to prevent infection.
Make sure you have a support person who can help you around the house so you can have complete rest for the first few days.
Early Stage of Recovery
The early stage of recovery can last anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks and you will continue to experience some swelling and pain. There may also be some tightness and bruising in the areas operated on, So it is important to continue to rest. Although you can walk around, do not do anything strenuous like running. It will put your healing at risk. You will still be wearing dressings or a compression garment to minimise the swelling to support the early stages of healing.
Late Stage of Recovery
After around four to six weeks, you enter the late stage of recovery. This can last for anything up to several months, depending on the procedures completed. During this time you will start to feel better and can start going back to your normal activities. Bruising and swelling will continue to go down and you will start seeing the results. But even though you feel better, it is important to continue following your surgeon’s instructions.
For more information about post-pregnancy surgery, book an appointment with an experienced specialist plastic surgeon at Pure Aesthetics today. Your specialist plastic surgeon will complete an in depth consultation and examination as well as explain your options, the risks and benefits to get a good outcome.
