A combination of breast and abdominal procedures following childbirth.

A Post Pregnancy Surgery is made up of two procedures performed at the same time – breast surgery, and a tummy tuck/abdominoplasty procedure. Both will be performed by Dr Hunt under general anaesthetic at your chosen hospital. To learn more of what’s involved with a breast surgery, click here. To learn more about what’s involved with a breast lift mastopexy surgery, click here. To learn more about what’s involved with a tummy tuck/abdominoplasty surgery, click here.

The size of the growing baby needs the tissues of the tummy to stretch to make room during pregnancy. After giving birth the tissue will spring back to a certain extent, but sometimes this isn’t the same as pre-pregnancy resulting in stretched or split abdominal muscles and excess loose skin. An abdominoplasty or tummy tuck procedure aims to tighten stretched and split muscles, remove excess fat, and tighten the skin by removing loose skin below the belly button.

Types of Tummy Surgery/ abdominoplasty

• Mini abdominoplasty – a smaller abdominoplasty addresses excess skin below the belly button but will not allow tightening of the muscles. The advantage of this surgery is a shorter scar.
• Endoscopic abdominoplasty – allows the skin to be tightened below the belly button as well as tightening the muscles. This is often done through a shorter incision.
• Full Tummy Tuck – Full Abdominoplasty – a full abdominoplasty will involve all of the skin below the belly button being removed and the split tummy muscles being tightened. It can be combined with liposuction of the abdomen to remove fat and achieve the maximum tightening of the abdominal tissue. The scar usually runs from hip to hip.

Changes in breast volume during pregnancy and breastfeeding can leave the skin deflated and drooping. The solution may be a breast implant to restore volume, or a lift to elevate the nipple position or a combination of the two.

Types of Breast Surgery

• Breast Augmentation Mammoplasty – uses a breast implant, either silicone or saline, to restore lost breast volume. Replacing the volume will also give a degree of lift to the nipple.
• Breast Lift – Mastopexy – usually done through the “lollipop scar” the nipple is elevated, and the loose skin of the breast is tightened.
• Breast LIft with Implants – Augmentation mastopexy – uses a breast implant to restore volume in combination with a breast lift.
• Breast Reduction Mammaplasty Surgery – to reduce the size of heavy or sagging breasts

A Post Pregnancy Surgery is a procedure that addresses concerns in the contour of the abdomen and breast after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Any of the above procedures may be combined to achieve a patients desired result. Each person is an individual with specific needs and Dr Hunt ensures each procedure is tailored to address the individual patients needs.

If you are considering a Post Pregnancy Surgery, book your one-on-one consultation with Dr Hunt today.

As a Post Pregnancy Surgery involves a combination of procedures, the key to success is to seek the opinion of an experienced plastic surgeon who can guide you to the most appropriate procedure. The abdominal component of a Post Pregnancy Surgery may involve liposuction, mini-tummy tuck/ abdominoplasty, full tummy tuck/abdominoplasty procedure or an expanded abdominoplasty to address excess skin, lax muscles and disproportionate deposition of fat. The combination of any of these abdominal procedures with breast surgery in the form of a breast reduction mammaplasty, breast lift mastopexy or breast augmentation mammoplasty would make a Post Pregnancy Surgery.

Medicare does not cover purely cosmetic procedures, only those deemed to be medically necessary.

Medicare and Breast Surgery

In terms of breast surgery, procedures that cause functional limitations such as excessively large breasts can be covered by a Medicare item number. There is also a Medicare Item Number for Breast Lift of Saggy Breasts.

Operations that involve breast implants are rarely covered by Medicare. If the procedure addresses a functional limitation, such as significant breast asymmetry, then this will be covered by a Medicare item number.

In relation to Post Pregnancy Surgery, Medicare item numbers can sometimes be applied to these procedures if certain criteria are met. These procedures would include breast reduction, correction of congenital breast disease and of course, breast reconstruction after cancer treatment.

Medicare and Abdominal Surgery

Medicare item numbers are designed to be applied to medical problems that require medical correction. In terms of abdominal surgery, Medicare item numbers do apply if there has been a significant weight loss that has resulted in excess skin that creates functional problems, such as skin chafing.

This is assessed by the degree of drop in a patient’s BMI or body mass index which is the ratio of their weight to their height.

If there has been a significant drop in the BMI that has created laxity of skin, then Medicare item numbers could potentially apply.

If a Medicare item number does apply to a surgical procedure, it means that private health care (depending on the level of cover) will potentially cover hospital and operating theatre costs.