Two to three weeks away from work is the minimum the practice of Leo Lapuerta, MD, FACS asks mommy makeover candidates to plan for. For a mother who runs a business, manages a team or bills by the hour, that figure belongs on the calendar before the surgery date does.

Dr. Lapuerta, a triple board-certified plastic surgeon based in the Houston area, has a practice that offers mommy makeover guidance for League City patients. Sorted by time, people and risk, that guidance reads like a project plan.

The time-off math

A mommy makeover combines several procedures, most often a tummy tuck, liposuction and breast surgery, in one operation. The practice describes the trade-off in scheduling terms: recovery from a combined procedure runs longer than recovery from one, but it cuts total downtime compared with having each operation on its own.

The numbers the practice publishes give a working parent enough to build around:

• Surgery time of four to ten hours, with a typical case around seven
• Return to work within two to three weeks for most women, depending on the nature of the job
• Full recovery in about six weeks in a typical case, with vigorous activity around the same point
• Final results within eight to 12 weeks as swelling resolves

A desk job and a job on your feet are different cases. The practice says the return date depends on the work, and patients face limits on lifting and strenuous activity during recovery, so a role that involves hauling stock or standing all day needs a longer runway or a temporary change in duties.

Scheduling around the business

The practice points to an advantage of surgery in a dedicated office facility: more flexibility in scheduling than a hospital offers. Dr. Lapuerta owns and operates his own accredited facility, the Plastic Surgery Institute of Southeast Texas, which opened in 2003. A patient picking a slow season for her business has more room to match the surgery date to it.

The practice lists four offices, in Houston, Katy, Pearland and Piney Point, and a League City patient can schedule at the one most convenient for her. Dr. Lapuerta also holds privileges at hospitals including the Memorial Hermann network, HCA hospitals such as The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, and St. Luke’s Houston Medical Center. Patients with complex medical problems, or those having a significant amount of liposuction, are advised to have surgery in a hospital with an overnight stay. Most patients go home the same day.

Managing the risk

All surgery involves risk, and a long combined operation calls for careful screening. The practice looks for candidates in good health at a stable weight who have completed their families. Smokers must stop at least six weeks before surgery. A woman who has given birth waits at least six months after delivery, or six months after she finishes breastfeeding.

The facility side matters too. The practice’s facility carries AAAASF accreditation, which the practice describes as one of only two accreditations the American Board of Plastic Surgery recognizes. Dr. Lapuerta works with physician anesthesiologists rather than nurse anesthetists or anesthesia assistants.

Staffing at home counts as risk management. The practice wants each candidate to have a strong support system to assist her until she can handle her daily routines.

Due diligence on the surgeon

Dr. Lapuerta argues that a surgeon’s experience with the procedure, in cases and in years, together with board certification, is the best determinant of an outcome patients are pleased with. His own record includes more than 30 years in practice, more than 30,000 surgical and non-surgical procedures and certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Board of Surgery and in Surgery of the Hand.

Recognitions include the American Institute of Plastic Surgeons 10 Best Patient Satisfaction Award and RealSelf Top Doctor. The practice says he uses before-and-after photos in consultation to show patients what is possible and to manage expectations. With more than 3,000 of those images available, a patient can look for cases that resemble her own starting point before she signs off on the plan.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Results vary from patient to patient. Consult a board-certified plastic surgeon or your physician about your own situation. Written in partnership with Joseph Lambert, a publicist working with Leo Lapuerta, MD Plastic Surgery.