Restoring a pre-pregnancy body shape, body contouring surgery combines a breast augmentation or reduction with an abdominoplasty, and potentially liposuction as well. Women’s bodies can change a lot post-pregnancy, which can impact confidence and comfort levels.

When it comes to any surgical procedure, not everyone is necessarily a suitable candidate. In this blog, we’ll outline some factors that you should consider before booking your consultation that can impact whether or not you may be a good post-pregnancy body contouring candidate. However, use this blog as a guide, as only your surgeon can ultimately determine your suitability for a surgery.

What makes a suitable candidate

A body contouring surgery is not a one-size-fits-all procedure – every woman’s body is different, and the detailed steps of the surgery will be tailored to meet each patient’s individual needs. However, to ensure the best results and to put your wellbeing first, you’ll have to make sure that you are a good candidate for the procedure before getting started.

A good post-pregnancy body contouring candidate should be in good general health, such as not currently struggling with any serious illnesses or severe nutrient deficiencies. Before going through with the procedure, your surgeon might recommend to go through some medical tests to check that you’re in good shape. A surgical procedure will require your body to do a lot of healing, so you want to make sure that everything is okay health-wise first.

Next, you should make sure that you are within a healthy weight range before having a body contouring surgery – not only does being at a healthy and stable weight help to prevent complications, but it puts you in the best position to achieve ideal results. The abdominoplasty component of a mummy makeover is designed to remove some excess fat pockets and excess skin around the tummy, tightening the area, not necessarily to remove high amounts of fat and act as a weight loss procedure. So, being at a good weight first will set you up for success.

When it comes to ensuring the best results, ideal candidates will also have good skin elasticity in the treatment areas, particularly on the abdomen. Good skin elasticity means that your skin will be able to retract after having excess skin and fat removed, creating a toned and flat result and preventing loose skin. It can be a little tricky to determine if you have good skin elasticity on your own, so wait to see what your surgeon thinks during your consultation.

Since a body contouring procedure will include a breast procedure of some sort, such as an augmentation or lift, suitable candidates shouldn’t still be breastfeeding at the time of undergoing the procedure. Not only will this prevent any issues that could interfere with the breastfeeding process, but waiting until your breasts are at their final size and shape will improve the surgical outcome.

What you can do to be a good candidate

Before your consultation, you can put some things in place to help you have a better chance of being considered a good post-pregnancy body contouring candidate.

Apart from making sure that you are in good physical health, taking care of your mental health is highly important, as you will need to be ready to handle your recovery period and be away from work for the recommended amount of time. It needs to be the right time in your life to undergo a major procedure, so you should carefully consider whether or not you are ready for the journey ahead.

You should also make sure that you can make the temporary changes needed in your life to go through the recovery process. Make sure that you can take time off work at this time, that you can get enough rest and avoid strenuous exercise, and closely follow your recovery instructions, such as managing the healing of your incision sites.

Having a support network around you during recovery is essential, so it is a good idea to arrange for a family member, friend or carer to be available to help you when you need. After your surgery, you’ll need to be picked up from the hospital, as you will need to be patient when it comes to resuming driving. You also may find some tasks, like overhead lifting or bending more difficult than usual, which is normal is your body is tender and healing. Having somebody around to help you perform household tasks and anything else you may need to get done during your recovery will make your life a whole lot easier. Although this is your personal responsibility, as medical professionals, we consider these factors when it comes to determining whether or not someone is a suitable candidate, as we want you to have the best, most successful surgical journey possible.

Dr Yunaev: Specialist Breast and Body Surgeon based in Sydney

Fit with the right level of experience and knowledge needed to perform successful and effective body contouring procedures, Breast & Body Clinic’s Dr Yunaev takes a patient-centred approach to ensure each candidate can achieve the results that they desire.

During a consultation, you can freely discuss your body contouring procedure goals, personal health concerns and lifestyle factors, so that your surgeon can decide if you are a suitable post-pregnancy body contouring surgery candidate and put together a personalised procedure plan.

Whenever you’re ready to book your consultation at our Sydney clinic, or if you have any questions, contact our friendly team at Breast & Body Clinic.