A new trend in plastic surgery is offering mothers a chance to regain their pre-baby bodies. The “mommy makeover,” a trifecta of surgeries, is gaining popularity across the nation and here in Oklahoma.

A mommy makeover often consists of a breast augmentation or a breast lift, a tummy tuck and liposuction. Last year, doctors nationwide performed more than 325,000 mommy makeover procedures on women ages 20 to 39, up 11 percent from 2005, according to information from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Juan Brou, whose practice is based in Oklahoma City, said he has also seen a rise in mothers seeking these types of procedures.

Tummy tucks are another common procedure that can eliminate both stretch marks and a condition known as diastasis. Diastasis occurs when a woman’s abdominal muscles become separated, which sometimes happens in women who are carrying large babies. This condition leaves a woman with a lower tummy that cannot be exercised away.

Brou pointed out that it is important for women considering having their own mommy makeover to be sure they don’t intend to get pregnant again.

Press

This has been in the news quite a bit this past week, but the science isn’t what people seem to think it is–at least, what the headlines are proclaiming it is.  A study has been done that says that children who have had 2 or more surgieries by age 3 often end up with learning disabilities. 

But it has not been shown to be a causal relationship between anesthesia and learning disabilities.  I mean, there’s no evidence that learning disabilities are caused by the use of anesthesia.  Kids who need multiple surgeries so early are already facing serious health problems–their learning disability could simply be one of those.  Or, whatever went wrong in their pre-natal development could also have affected their brains.  Or, the trauma of invasive surgery could have provoked a chemical imbalance that led to the learning disability.

Parents, please don’t be afraid to get your child the medical care he or she needs.  Nobody takes lightly the decision to subject a baby or toddler to an operation.  Do your own research, and don’t let headlines scare you.  All in all, we are very blessed to live in a time when we have access to these treatments at all.