Mommy Makeover for Yorktown Heights, NY

Two to six weeks — and what decides where you land

Bellava’s answer to “how long is the recovery?” for a mommy makeover is two to six weeks, depending on the combination. That is a wide range, and the reason is simple: each procedure in the plan brings its own healing and its own rules. Done in one session they run side by side, so for any given activity you follow whichever part is strictest. Knowing them one by one lets you see where your own plan is likely to fall. Dr. Chang Soo Kim builds that plan at Bellava in Bedford Hills, around eight miles from Yorktown Heights, about 18 minutes without traffic.

Part by part

A full tummy tuck. You stand and sit a little bent at the waist for about the first week while the muscle repair settles, wear a compression garment for around six weeks, and are typically back at a desk after two to three weeks. If drains are used, they come out at the office seven to ten days after surgery. Strenuous exercise waits for about six weeks and Dr. Kim’s clearance.

A mini tummy tuck instead. When the loose skin is only below the navel, the shorter operation usually means work and light activity within one to two weeks, with hard exercise held back for four to six. See the mini tummy tuck.

A breast lift. Most patients are back to regular activities within one to two weeks.

Breast augmentation. A supportive surgical bra is worn around the clock for several weeks, and exercises that work the chest, such as push-ups and presses, wait at least six to eight weeks.

A breast reduction. Light activity usually returns in one to two weeks; strenuous exercise can take four weeks or more.

Liposuction. Of the waist, hips, thighs or stomach; the treated areas heal under a compression garment.

What this means at home

• Line up help with lifting children and carrying shopping for as long as the strictest part of your plan says.
• Expect to see improvement within weeks and to keep seeing it refine over several months.
• Count on check-ups in Bedford Hills. From Yorktown Heights they are a short drive, but early on someone else will be at the wheel.

The surgeon

Hundreds of mommy makeovers have been planned and performed by Dr. Chang Soo Kim, who trained at the Yale School of Medicine and Yale–New Haven Hospital and is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. You go home the same day from Bellava’s Joint Commission–accredited suite.

Yorktown Heights mothers ask

Can I shorten recovery by leaving something out? Sometimes. Dr. Kim will tell you which parts matter most for your goals and which could wait or be done another way.

Who is a good candidate? Women who have finished having children, are healthy and hold a steady weight, and have changes that diet and exercise have not fixed.

How do I begin? With a free, private consultation, requested through the website, by phone or by text; Bellava’s patient coordinator then contacts you to arrange it. The main mommy makeover page and Dr. Kim’s results are good reading beforehand.