Planning for a Mommy-Makeover? Helpful Hints to Get You Through It By Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery of Columbus, Inc.

COLUMBUS, OH, September 20, 2012 (Press-News.org) Fall is always a busy time for our office. As the kids head back to school many moms schedule consultations for mommy-makers (a tummy-tuck with breast augmentation or a tummy-tuck with breast lift surgery). Although your surgeon will provide you with detailed instructions for your surgery, we have helped hundreds of patients through mommy-makeovers and we have some suggestions to make your life easier while planning and preparing for your surgery.

Find a good plastic surgeon

This is job #1. Ask friends for a referral or search the Internet, but only trust a plastic surgeon who is board certified in plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Many doctors who are currently offering cosmetic surgery procedures are board certified in other specialties such as gynecology, family medicine, etc.--not plastic surgery. Please check carefully. For more information on choosing a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon, visit www.abplsurg.org. To search for a highly qualified plastic surgeon in the Columbus, Ohio area visit www.surgery.org/consumers/find-a-plastic-surgeon/us/ohio/columbus.

Schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon

In Ohio and in some other areas of the country, it is not unusual to wait 3-4 weeks or more for a consultation with an experienced, well-respected plastic surgeon, so you will need to plan ahead for this. It is helpful to bring a list of questions to your consultation so you do not leave your appointment with unanswered questions. At you consultation you will discuss your medical history as well as the physical changes that you would like to make. The plastic surgeon will let you know what type of results you can expect and discuss the surgery and recovery with you. In addition to questions about results, possible complications, and recovery, you may want to ask:

- Where will my surgery be performed? If the surgeon uses a surgery center or surgical office suite, is it fully accredited and by which accrediting agency? The two agencies with the highest patient safety standards are are the AAAASF--The American Association of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities and The Joint Commission - JCAHO. ABPS board certified plastic surgeons only operate in accredited facilities.
- Do the quoted fees include the surgeon's fees, anesthesia, facility fees, and follow-up care?
- Am I the correct weight for my surgery? Most board certified plastic surgeons recommend that a patient be near her ideal weight and that she is maintaining a steady weight before she has a tummy-tuck or breast augmentation / breast lift surgery.

If you are smoking, now is the time to stop! Smoking not only compromises your health but it also can compromise the results of your surgery. Smokers should also stop smoking for at least 2 weeks AFTER surgery to reduce post-operative complications caused by smoking. This includes use of nicotine in any form (tobacco, nicotine patches or gum.) Skin loss is 8 to 10 times more likely in smokers. Smoking may cause poor or delayed healing - even death of skin (gangrene) in addition to lung complications and bleeding.

Scheduling your surgery

Surgical schedules in busy plastic surgery offices are often booked out 6-8 weeks. You will want to reserve your surgery date early in order to get the surgery date that best fits your schedule. Because a mommy-makeover typically includes surgery on both the abdomen and the breasts, recovery is a bit more intense than if you were only getting one procedure at a time. However, many moms prefer to have the procedures in one surgical visit because there is only one recovery period.

Your surgery and recovery

On the day of your surgery you will need a responsible adult to drive you to your surgery and to pick you up after your surgery. You will also need someone to stay with you for the 24 hours following your surgery.

If you have young children at home you will likely need extra help with them for two to three weeks, especially if you have an infant or toddler who requires lifting. You will not be able to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk for 3 weeks.

Moms with older children usually ask about restrictions on driving. You should not drive while you are still taking pain medication. For many mommy-makeover patients, this will be about one week to ten days. If you will be returning to a job outside the home you will probably want to wait a week to ten days (this will depend on how your recovery progresses and how physically strenuous your job is).

Prior to your surgery you should stock up on healthy and easy to prepare foods. Although it is important to eat nutritious foods it is also important to get your rest. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully and you should be on the road to a smooth recovery and back in your bikini by summer.

Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery of Columbus, Inc is located on the north side of Columbus in Westerville, Ohio. Dr. Robert S. Houser is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a Member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Houser is also a Member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Only about one-third of ABPS Board Certified plastic surgeons are elected to this prestigious organization.

Website: http://www.drroberthouser.com