Will a 90 minute flight 9-10 days post op compromise my results (reduce fat cell viability rate)? My doctor says I can fly after 7 days but everything I read is different.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Prolonged sitting right after Brazilian Butt Lift may not be the best idea, but there is nothing about flying itself that should hurt your results. In a pressurized cabin, your oxygen saturation should be plenty high for optimal fat survival.

I would like a to add a large amount of enhancement to my buttocks. Can both implants and fat transfer be performed at the same time?

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Fat Grafting and Buttock Implants can be done at same time.

Generally, most people have enough fat to allow buttock augmentation with fat grafting alone. If there is not enough fat, buttock implants are an option. I see no reason why fat grafting could not be added to the implant procedure.

What is recovery like with a mommy makeover?

What is recovery like with a mommy makeover? I have scheduled both a breast augmentation with lift and a tummy tuck and am pretty scared. I am worried that the pain will be unbearable.

I know medication will be provided but I do not want to be comatose. I have 2 small children and a wonderful husband that will be taking 100% care of all 3 of us but I also want to be coherent. Will I be alert and will I be in so much pain as to scare my children? I have had 2 c sections and the pain was completely bearable.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

New techniques make Mommy Makeover recovery quicker.

The Mommy Makeover consists of abdominoplasty, breast lift and frequently breast augmentation. These procedures used to require several weeks of downtime. Modern surgical techniques have reduced the recovery significantly. Care is taken during the surgery to cause minimal trauma to the tissue. Long-lasting local anesthesia is injected at the time of surgery and pain pumps are used. If these techniques are used, most people are back to desk work within 5-7 days and are feeling good by 2 weeks. Traditional teaching limited people to lifting no more than 10 pounds for 6 weeks. With current techniques of muscle repair, I allow patients to lift up to 25 pounds starting at one week and have had no difficulties.

What Can I Do to Get The Waist I Had Before Children? I Don’t Want a Tummy Tuck, But My Muscles Feel Loose.

If I get lipo on my back and tummy will I look ok (not saggy)? I have 1 11mo son. I began 140-150 and was 216 when pregnant and down to about 180-185 now, I fluctuate back and forth when bloated. I am not sure the reason my belly feels loose. Might have separation in muscles? I definantly would love to avoid a TT (tummy tuck). I love my curves and dont want to be super skinny. I wouldn’t mind losing 20 lbs because its hard to find jeans however. I just want that tiny waist I had before the baby.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Liposuction can help with isolated areas of accumulated fat, but cannot fix the damage that has occurred from pregnancy. Most women who have had a pregnancy have stretched out muscles and frequently separation of the rectus muscles called diastasis. This cannot be fixed by exercise and abdominoplasty is the best treatment. Loose skin and stretch marks can also only be removed by surgery. There are several varieties of abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) depending on how much loose skin needs to be removed. The standard abdominoplasty removes the most skin and involves an incision from flank to flank and an incision around the umbilicus. Lesser amounts of loose skin can be removed by what is called a modified abdominoplasty where there is a much shorter incision and no incision around the belly button. The mini tummy tuck is good for tightening loose muscle but does not remove a significant amount of loose skin. A consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon will help you understand all the options available.

Has the Keller Funnel Caused a Decrease in Chance for Capsular Contraction?

In your experiences have you seen a decrease in capsular contraction incidents after using the Keller funnel on areola incisions?

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

The Keller Funnel insertion sleeve reduces capsular contracture.

Capsular contracture has been the number one complication of breast augmentation. Nationally this has occurred in up to 30% of breast augmentation surgeries. This is a complicated process with many factors to consider. The best current theory is that trace bacterial contamination of the implant stimulates white blood cells to release factors that over time can cause the capsule to contract. This can cause the implant to feel hard and look round and elevated. Other factors such as bleeding around the implant can also cause capsular contracture, but this is a minority of the cases. The current standard of practice is to make every attempt to reduce the chance of bacterial contamination of the implant during surgery. Even after a surgical prep, there are still bacteria on the skin and there are normally bacteria in the milk ducts. To minimize the risks of contamination, intravenous antibiotics are given at surgery. The implant and surgical field are irrigated with a combination of several antibiotics. The Keller funnel is a device much like a pastry bag that allows the implant to be inserted without contacting the skin or breast tissue. Since the milk ducts are normally colonized with bacteria, I recommend avoiding the peri areolar incision and use an inframammary crease incision to reduce the chance of contamination. Using these techniques, the incidence of capsular contracture has been reduced to less than 5%. If you are adamant about a periareolar incision, I think you may have a higher risk of capsular contracture but it would still make sense to use an insertion sleeve such as the Keller funnel.

How Severe is the Pain after a Mommy Makeover?

I am asking the questions because I’ve seen lots of complaints the pain after surgery for a mommy makeover is really painful? And pardon my French but they sound like they been to hell and back. I have a very high tolerance pain level and even when in pain usually don’t complain and suck it up. So should I truly be concern with the pain level according to some reviews?

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Pain after Mommy Makeover is much less than most expect.

The mommy makeover typically consists of abdominoplasty, breast lift and occasionally breast augmentation and liposuction. The way we do the surgery now, the pain is very manageable. We inject local anesthesia around the nerves at the time of surgery and also use a pain pump for the abdominoplasty. I have had several patients who have used pain pills for less than 2 days and have been very comfortable with just Tylenol and Advil. Most people are driving and doing errands by 5-7 days.

Is a Certification From ABCS the same as ABPS For a Mommy Makeover?

I found a Dr. that I really like with an American Board of Cosmetic Surgery Certification. Is that adequate, or does he need to be a member of different societies? He is also a faculty member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Physicians. I’m doing a Mommy Makeover, and only want to do it once.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) certifies only surgeons who have completed both General Surgery and Plastic Surgery training in accredited residency programs and have passed a rigorous series of written and oral exams. They then may apply for membership in The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Those who specialize in cosmetic Plastic Surgery may apply for membership in The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). You can be assured that surgeons with these credentials are well trained. The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and several other so-called boards with similar sounding names are not recognized boards. They accept and credential physicians who do not have residency training in plastic surgery. In some cases they have no surgery residency training at all. This can result in a family practice doc doing your breast augmentation or tummy tuck. Bad idea! Look at credentials closely. Insist on ABPS and ASPS or even better, ASAPS in the credentials.

I Have Never Been Able to Fill an A Cup and I Don’t Want my Implants to Look Hard or Fixed – So What Do I Ask For?

I want the natural sag of a breast. I don’t want to look like I have had implants, I just want to look like I naturally have breasts that fit my frame.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Achieving a natural appearing breast augmentation result is very possible in a small breasted woman. The key is to select an implant that is not too large for your frame. Sub pectoral silicone will give the most natural result. In my practice I have patients select what they want to look like from my pre and post op photos. Dimensional planning with chest and breast measurements and trial of sizer implants in a bra further refines the implant selection. At surgery, I sit the patient up and try in temporary sizers to make sure she gets the result she wants. This has been an extremely effective process for giving the patient exactly the results desired.