Tummy Tuck Surgery and Liposuction: A Petite Mommy's Makeover
By C. Downey © 2008
PlasticSurgery.com Staff Writer
Los Angeles medical assistant A.D. (who asked to remain unidentified) was enjoying life immensely with her husband, a manager of several upscale Los Angeles nightclubs. Almost every evening, there was a trip to some posh club or another for business and of course, pleasure.
"I was 5'4" and weighed 105 pounds then, so I wore the latest fashions and fit in with the classy crowds and staff who worked at these clubs," says A.D..
But things changed after she gave birth to her son. Due to her post-pregnancy weight gain, A.D. tipped the scale at 182 pounds - and was not happy about it.
Breast Augmentation
“I had done a tremendous amount of work but there was too much loose skin on my tummy, so I could not wear anything too tight.”
Before getting married, she underwent breast augmentation in 2003 from Stuart Linder, M.D., a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon whose practice is devoted exclusively to procedures of the body. So, naturally, as A.D. thought about how she wanted to make a change, Dr. Linder came to mind. She hated that she often wore a large shirt over another shirt to hide her stomach. Plus, she no longer felt comfortable in fashionable night clubs.
Thus, A.D. made another visit to see what could be done about getting her petite, pre-pregnancy body back to where it was.
Mommy Makeover
"Dr. Linder's short answer was: 'First, go home and lose some weight. Then come see me in six months'," says A.D. who did not take the doctor's RX lightly. She soon hired a personal trainer, worked out with him three days a week and went to the gym another two days during the week to work out on an elliptical trainer. She also followed the advice of a nutritionist.
After six months, A.D. returned to see Dr. Linder, weighing 128 pounds.
Body Contouring & Breast Lift
"I had done a tremendous amount of work, but there was a lot of loose skin hanging on my tummy so I could not wear anything too tight," she says. "I had also lost inches and weight from my hips but they still seemed too wide to me."
So A.D. opted for tummy tuck, liposuction of her hips, and a breast lift that took her from a small B to a full B cup.
Tummy Tuck Surgery
The tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure that often requires the patient to remain overnight in the hospital. The surgeon makes a long, hip-to-hip incision across the lower abdomen and removes excess skin and some fat. The stomach muscles are also repaired during surgery because they have been stretched by the pregnancy and do not return to the normal shape. Results? A protruding tummy. To better conceal the resulting scar, most surgeons place the incision on the lower abdomen, where it can be hidden by undergarments and most beach wear.
"My mom helped me after the procedure because I couldn't lift anything - like my child -- after a tummy tuck," she says.
“The tummy tuck and liposuction spurred me on to continue working out so I now weigh 110.”
Now on her forbidden dining list are mayo, dishes with creamy sauces, and other high caloric foods. If she eats pizza, it's vegetarian pizza.
"I learned to eat everything in moderation, concentrating on a low carb, high-protein diet," she says.
"My confidence has returned and I can now go out with my husband wearing anything I want and fit right in," A.D. says. "The tummy tuck and liposuction spurred me on to continue working out so I currently weigh 110," she says.
"Now, I do really hard exercise and eat better to keep up the look of surgical rejuvenations."