Dr. Mark Barlow MD, Plastic Surgeon in Houston, Clear Lake, Texas

450 Medical Center Blvd., Suite 207, Webster, Texas 77598

(281) 333-8999

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Mommy Makeover

Many women wish to reverse some of the changes associated with pregnancy, including loss of breast volume and tone, and abdominal laxity with skin excess. Most commonly, a combination of breast and abdominal procedures are required for a mommy makeover. Breast augmentation with or without a lift (mastopexy) combined with an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) serve to restore a more youthful appearance to the breasts and abdomen. In addition, liposuction may enhance the contour improvements possible with the above procedures. Women come from nearby cities like Houston, Friendswood, League City, Pearland, Pasadena, Seabrook and Kemah as well as from farther away (e.g., Baytown, Galveston, Sugarland, Conroe, Spring, and many others) for this and other procedures.

A brief synopsis of the breast and body procedures is contained below. For a more thorough description, please refer to the appropriate sections of this website.

A breast lift, technically known as a mastopexy, is a surgical procedure to lift and reshape a woman's breasts. It can be performed alone or combined with an augmentation to both lift and enlarge the breasts. At the time of your initial consultation, you will meet with Dr. Barlow, discuss your concerns and goals, and have an examination. At this time, the extent of lift required and the possibility of adding volume with an implant will be addressed. Dr. Barlow uses either saline or silicone implants manufactured by Mentor. Pre-operative photographs will be made to facilitate surgical planning. Of course, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and to have them answered. There are many variations of a mastopexy depending on how far upward the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) needs to move and how much skin needs to be removed. Some women are candidates for a crescentic or peri-areolar mastopexy. Both of these techniques offer only modest lifting but also have minimal incisions, which are located at the border between the areola and the adjacent breast skin. A vertical scar mastopexy adds a vertically oriented scar along the lower meridian of the breast and permits a much larger lifting of the NAC. An incision is still required around the areola. Because of the round areolar shape and vertical closure line, this technique has been called the "lollipop lift." For larger lifts, a full-scar mastopexy is indicated. As the name implies, the closure lines are longer than the vertical scar mastopexy. With this procedure, an additional incision line is placed in the inframammary fold.

Abdominoplasty, also known as a tummy tuck, is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin from the abdomen and to tighten the abdominal wall. Incision lines are placed low to be hidden behind a bathing suit; a circular scar is made around the umbilicus since it must be transposed to a new location when the excess skin is removed. Laxity of the abdominal fascia overlying the rectus muscles (these muscles form the "six pack") is common, especially following pregnancy. Sutures are used to tighten the fascia. The sutures act as an internal corset to significantly improve abdominal wall tone.

Liposuction, formally known as suction-assisted lipectomy, can be used to treat localized areas of adiposity (fatty collection). Fluid is first injected into the areas to receive treatment. The fluid contains lidocaine for pain control and epinephrine to minimize blood loss. Next, liposuction is performed to reduce the fatty content of the areas being treated. Liposuction is used for localized fatty deposits and is not appropriate for global fat reduction.

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