Patient - Combined Body Procedures

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Before

This patient presented with two concerns. Her breasts were full and heavy and caused problems with her back, neck, and shoulders. She was also unhappy with the loose skin and bulge of her abdomen. I felt she would do well with a breast reduction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). This is a common combination, often referred to as a "mommy makeover", a term I dislike because it minimizes what is truly a major surgery, which can take up to 6-7 hours under general anesthesia. Our state-licensed facility allows us to safely perform these. 

After

Although I planned to do both operations at one time, as I usually do, she had more bleeding than usual and the breast reduction took more time. I was also worried about the unusual amount of oozing and so postponed the abdomen surgery. I removed about 500 grams (just over one pound) of tissue from each breast. Despite the oozing at surgery, she did very well. A workup for bleeding showed no abnormalities and after discussing this with her, she elected to go ahead with the tummy tuck. No unusual bleeding was encountered and she did very well. She is shown 6 months after the surgery. She demonstrates a tendency to form thickened, pink scars that will take more time to settle, but I am confident they will eventually flatten, soften, and fade away. Despite this, she shows a nice result and is happy.