Body Procedures
Mommy Makeover
One Surgeon
One plan
Comprehensive
Body restoration
Balanced
Natural contours
A mommy makeover is a combination of surgical procedures designed to address the physical changes pregnancy and breastfeeding cause to a woman's body. For many women, diet and exercise alone cannot restore the abdomen after muscle separation, remove excess skin after significant stretching, or reverse breast volume loss after months of lactation. Surgery is the only option that reliably addresses these changes, and a mommy makeover allows multiple issues to be corrected in a single, coordinated surgical plan.
At this practice, every mommy makeover is planned and performed entirely by Dr. Joseph Racanelli, a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 40,000 procedures performed in New Jersey and New York. All procedures are performed in a fully accredited hospital operating room with a board-certified anesthesiologist. Dr. Racanelli performs one surgical case per day, and every postoperative visit is with him directly.
The most common combination of procedures at this practice is tummy tuck with VASER HD liposuction, combined with breast augmentation. Every plan, however, is specific to the patient, Dr. Racanelli will assess your anatomy and goals at consultation and recommend the combination that is right for you.
What Sets This Practice Apart
Dr. Racanelli performs every procedure personally.
Every component of your mommy makeover, the tummy tuck, the liposuction, the breast augmentation, is performed by Dr. Racanelli from start to finish. No residents, physician assistants, or other surgeons participate in the operation. When multiple procedures are combined, the same standard applies to each one.
Hospital operating room. Board-certified anesthesiologist. Every time.
All surgical cases at this practice are performed in a fully accredited hospital operating room. A board-certified anesthesiologist administers general anesthesia, not a nurse anesthetist. This is the standard for every procedure, regardless of length or complexity.
A firm 6-hour surgical limit for patient safety.
Dr. Racanelli does not perform mommy makeover surgery beyond 6 hours of operative time. This limit exists for patient safety, longer surgeries carry meaningfully higher risks of complications including blood clots, fluid imbalances, and impaired healing. The 6-hour limit shapes which procedures can be combined in a single session and in what sequence. At consultation, Dr. Racanelli will tell you exactly which combination is achievable safely within that window for your specific anatomy.
VASER HD liposuction is a standard component of every tummy tuck.
When the tummy tuck is part of your mommy makeover, VASER High Definition liposuction is included, it is not an optional add-on. Dr. Racanelli uses custom-made smaller cannulas alongside VASER energy to contour the surrounding areas and improve the overall result beyond what a standard abdominoplasty achieves alone.
Intraoperative sizers determine your breast augmentation size, in the OR.
When breast augmentation is part of your mommy makeover, Dr. Racanelli does not predetermine your implant size before surgery. Instead, he places temporary sizers inside during the procedure and assesses the result live, evaluating how each size looks and feels relative to your anatomy and stated goals before selecting the final implant. This approach eliminates the guesswork of pre-surgical sizing and is one of the clearest differentiators between this practice and practices that use a one-size-fits-all or measurement-only approach.
Multi-layer hand closure on every incision.
Every surgical incision, tummy tuck scar, breast augmentation incision, is closed by hand in multiple layers, minimizing tension from deep tissue up to the skin surface. This technique is designed to produce the finest possible scar over time.
One surgery per day. All follow-up with Dr. Racanelli personally.
Dr. Racanelli schedules one major surgical case per day. Your procedure receives his complete focus. All postoperative visits are with Dr. Racanelli directly, not a nurse practitioner or physician assistant.
About the Mommy makeover
What Pregnancy Does to the Body
Pregnancy affects nearly every system in the body. The physical changes most relevant to a mommy makeover include:
Abdominal changes: As the uterus expands, the abdominal skin stretches beyond its elastic limit, skin that has been stretched this significantly rarely fully retracts after delivery. The rectus abdominis muscles are also pushed apart during pregnancy; this separation, called diastasis recti, does not heal on its own and cannot be corrected through exercise. A tummy tuck addresses both: excess skin is removed and the separated muscles are repaired, in multiple layers at this practice, for a more durable, lasting repair.
Breast changes: Hormonal shifts during pregnancy cause significant breast enlargement, often followed by volume loss and deflation after breastfeeding ends. Many women find their breasts are smaller, looser, or lower after weaning than before they were pregnant. A breast lift, breast augmentation, or a combination of both can address this, depending on the specific changes.
Fat distribution: Pregnancy can shift where the body stores fat, and certain deposits become resistant to diet and exercise. VASER liposuction addresses these areas with precision.
Why Patients Choose a Mommy Makeover
Benefits of a Mommy Makeover
Comprehensive results from a single surgical plan
Pregnancy affects multiple areas of the body simultaneously. A mommy makeover addresses those changes in a coordinated way, a single surgical plan, a single operating room, a single anesthesia event, and a single recovery period. The combined result is a restoration of overall body contour that no individual procedure alone could achieve.
Restored confidence in your own body
The most significant outcome patients describe is not a specific physical measurement, it is feeling comfortable and recognizable in their own body again. The changes pregnancy causes are real and often permanent without surgery. Addressing them through a carefully planned procedure is a serious medical decision, not an indulgence. Patients who go through this process typically describe the results as restorative.
One recovery instead of multiple
The practical advantage of combining procedures is recovery consolidation. Each surgery carries its own recovery period, if a tummy tuck, breast augmentation, and liposuction were performed separately, a patient would face three separate recovery periods, three sets of time off work, and three separate anesthesia events. Combining them means going through that process once. This is the genuine clinical and logistical benefit, not primarily a cost argument.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
The most important factor for mommy makeover candidacy is that you are done having children. Pregnancy after a mommy makeover can reverse many of the results, particularly the tummy tuck. If there is a possibility of future pregnancy, Dr. Racanelli will recommend waiting.
General candidacy criteria include:
Patients should also be aware of the 6-hour surgical limit at this practice. Depending on anatomy and the combination of procedures desired, it may not be possible to address every goal in a single session. Dr. Racanelli will give you a direct, honest assessment of what is achievable safely at your consultation.
Do I Have to Have Been Pregnant?
No. A mommy makeover is a descriptive term for a combination of body-restoration procedures, it is not limited to patients who have given birth. Any patient in good overall health whose goals align with the procedures involved can be a candidate, regardless of parental status. The term reflects the most common context for these changes, not a requirement.
Your Consultation
At your consultation, Dr. Racanelli will assess your anatomy, review your goals, and develop a specific surgical plan. This includes:
You will leave the consultation with a clear plan, specific procedures, expected surgical time, and a fixed cost. There are no estimates or price ranges.
Procedures Involved
A mommy makeover is a series of cosmetic procedures customized for each woman based on the issues she wishes to address. Most makeovers commonly incorporate:
1
Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) with VASER HD Liposuction
The tummy tuck is the most commonly performed procedure in a mommy makeover at this practice. It addresses excess abdominal skin, separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti), and the contour of the surrounding areas.
At this practice, every tummy tuck includes VASER HD liposuction, it is standard, not an add-on. The abdominal muscles are repaired in multiple layers for a more durable result. The entire tummy tuck scar is closed by hand, in multiple layers, minimizing tension from deep tissue up to the skin surface.
2
Liposuction
VASER High Definition liposuction removes stubborn fat deposits from targeted areas, flanks, back, thighs, arms, and other areas that have not responded to diet and exercise. Custom-made smaller cannulas are used alongside VASER energy for more precise sculpting and smoother contours. Liposuction is one of the most commonly combined procedures in a mommy makeover at this practice.
3
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation adds volume using saline, silicone, or gummy bear implants. When breast augmentation is part of a mommy makeover, Dr. Racanelli uses intraoperative sizers, the same approach used in standalone breast augmentation cases. Temporary sizers are placed during surgery to assess size and proportion before the final implant is selected. This eliminates pre-surgical guesswork and ensures the size selected is based on how it actually looks and feels in your body.
4
Brazilian Butt Lift (Fat Transfer to Buttocks)
Fat harvested during liposuction can be processed and transferred to the buttocks to add volume and improve shape. This is not a separate fat removal procedure, the fat comes from the liposuction already being performed. Candidacy for fat transfer depends on having sufficient donor fat volume. Dr. Racanelli will assess this at your consultation.
5
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
A breast lift removes excess skin and repositions the nipple and areola to a higher position. For patients whose primary issue is position and firmness, rather than volume, a lift alone may be the right approach. For patients who want both improved position and more volume, a lift and augmentation can be discussed. Dr. Racanelli will recommend the appropriate approach based on your anatomy at consultation.
6
Breast Reduction
For patients with disproportionately large breasts, a common consequence of hormonal changes during pregnancy, breast reduction removes excess tissue and reshapes the breast. This can also be combined with other mommy makeover procedures depending on the overall surgical plan and time constraints.
A mommy makeover may consist of any combination of the above procedures. During your consultation, you and Dr. Racanelli will determine the optimal combination of treatments to accomplish your desired outcome.
Recovery After a Mommy Makeover
Recovery
Recovery from a mommy makeover depends on which procedures are combined and the extent of each. For a tummy tuck with liposuction and breast augmentation, the most common combination at this practice, patients should expect:
- Walking in a slightly flexed position for the first 1–2 weeks while the abdominal repair heals
- Compression garments worn continuously for approximately 2 months to support healing and help the skin conform to its new contour
- Returning to desk work and light activities within approximately 2 weeks for most patients
- A light exercise program typically feasible around 6 weeks
- Full recovery and return to strenuous activity generally by 8 weeks
Specific instructions, including medication management, wound care, sleeping positions, activity restrictions, and compression garment guidelines, are reviewed in detail before discharge and reinforced at follow-up visits.
All postoperative visits are with Dr. Racanelli personally. He monitors every stage of healing directly, no nurse practitioners or physician assistants are involved in surgical follow-up at this practice.
Mommy Makeover Results
The results you experience from your mommy makeover will depend on the procedures your specific makeover incorporated. However, common outcomes are a slimmer, tightened waistline and torso; higher, firmer breasts; a contoured, hourglass-like silhouette; a larger butt; smoother skin; and removal of excess skin.
Cost of a Mommy Makeover in New Jersey
The cost of a mommy makeover is determined by which procedures are included and the total surgical time required. Because all procedures are performed in a fully accredited hospital operating room with a board-certified anesthesiologist, hospital and anesthesia fees are part of the total cost, billed based on surgical time.
At your consultation, Dr. Racanelli will give you an exact quote for your specific combination of procedures. There are no estimates or price ranges, the plan is specific to your anatomy and goals, and the cost reflects that plan.
Financing is available through Cherry for qualified patients. Visit our financing page or ask our team at consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions before surgery
Are the results of a mommy makeover permanent?
Why is an abdominoplasty necessary after pregnancy?
An abdominoplasty is the procedure to address the deleterious effects of pregnancy on a woman’s body. Diet and exercise cannot treat excess skin and repair muscles that have been stretched. During an abdominoplasty, excess skin and fat are removed and the muscles are permanently tightened to restore a woman’s body to the way it was before pregnancy.
Why is liposuction alone not recommended after pregnancy?
Liposuction will only remove fat but does nothing for the skin. The patients who generally request liposuction are expecting a flat tight abdomen. Liposuction alone cannot deliver those results after a woman has had children.
What type of anesthesia is used in a mommy makeover?
All mommy makeover procedures at this practice are performed under general anesthesia administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist. This is the standard for every surgical case here, not a nurse anesthetist, not sedation. A board-certified anesthesiologist is present and managing your anesthesia for the entire duration of the procedure.
What is the difference between a mini tummy tuck and a full tummy tuck?
A mini tummy tuck focuses on the lower abdomen, requiring a shorter incision, while a full tummy tuck addresses the entire abdominal area and includes a longer incision.
When can I expect to see the results of a mommy makeover?
Results will become more evident as swelling subsides, generally within four to six weeks after the procedure.
What causes diastasis recti?
Diastasis recti, or separated abdominal muscles, can arise from various factors, primarily pregnancy, which places stress on the abdominal wall, but weight fluctuations and certain exercises can also contribute. A full tummy tuck can resolve this issue as well as removing excess skin and fat from the midsection.
Is there a limit to how many procedures can be combined?
Yes. Dr. Racanelli does not perform mommy makeover surgery beyond 6 hours of total operative time. This is a firm safety limit, extended surgical duration meaningfully increases the risk of complications including deep vein thrombosis, fluid imbalances, and impaired healing. The 6-hour limit determines which combination of procedures is feasible for a given patient in a single session. Patients with more extensive goals may need to stage certain procedures across two separate surgeries. Dr. Racanelli will give you a clear and honest assessment of what is safely achievable in one session at your consultation.
How is breast implant size determined during a mommy makeover?
The same way as in a standalone breast augmentation: with intraoperative sizers. Dr. Racanelli does not predetermine your implant size before surgery based on measurements alone. During the procedure, he places temporary sizers and evaluates the result before selecting the final implant, assessing how each size looks and feels relative to your actual anatomy and stated goals. This approach is used consistently across all breast augmentation cases at this practice, including those performed as part of a mommy makeover.
Who performs each procedure in a mommy makeover?
Dr. Racanelli personally performs every component of the mommy makeover from start to finish, the tummy tuck, the liposuction, the breast augmentation, and any other procedures included in the plan. No other surgeons, residents, or physician assistants participate in the operation. This applies to every surgical case at this practice, not just mommy makeovers.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re considering a mommy makeover in New Jersey, schedule a private consultation with Dr. Joseph A. Racanelli.
This is your time to feel confident, comfortable, and fully yourself again.