If pregnancy or significant weight loss has left you with loose, saggy skin, excess fat, and torn abdominal muscles, a tummy tuck may be the perfect solution to correct this damage.
Something that many people do not often consider is that excess skin and fat can also accumulate just above the pubic bone (mons pubis area), which is not normally corrected during a tummy tuck. The good news is that you can combine a mons lift with a tummy tuck to tighten and smooth the entire area so it looks natural and balanced during one surgery.
What Is a Mons Lift?
A Mons lift (monsplasty) is a surgery that improves the appearance of the upper pubic area, which is the soft triangle-shaped area above your pubic bone. This procedure can help reduce:
- Excess fullness or bulging in the pubic area.
- Loose or sagging skin above your pubic region.
- Issues fitting into certain clothing comfortably.
- The appearance of an uneven transition between your lower abdomen and your pubic region.
Why Combine a Mons Lift With a Tummy Tuck?
Tummy tuck surgery removes excess abdominal skin and usually involves repairing torn or stretched abdominal muscles and eliminating excess fat with liposuction. It can dramatically improve the way your abdominal area looks, but it normally is not able to make significant corrections that reach all the way down to your pubic bone. If you have a moderate amount of loose skin or excess fat in that area, combining a mons lift with a tummy tuck can help give you the results you are looking for.
Some benefits of combining these surgeries include:
- The changes the surgeon makes during a tummy tuck normally do not reshape the mons pubis area.
- A mons lift can make the transition between the lower abdomen and mons pubis look smoother and more natural.
- Combining the two procedures into one surgery allows for only one time being put under general anesthesia and one recovery period.
- It may be more cost effective because you are only paying certain fees once, rather than twice if two surgeries were involved.
Who May Be a Good Candidate?
The best way to find out if you are a suitable candidate to combine a tummy tuck and mons lift is to set up a consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Angelina Postoev with IBI Plastic Surgery & Med Spa.
You may be a suitable candidate if you:
- Have a moderate amount of loose skin hanging from your abdominal area, excess fat, or stretched abdominal muscles along with an accumulation of extra fat or sagging skin in the mons pubis area.
- Were left with loose, excess skin on your abdomen and above your pubic area after pregnancy, significant weight loss, or age-related skin laxity.
- Are at or near your ideal weight
- Do not smoke or are willing to quit several months before your surgery.
- You understand what the surgery can and cannot accomplish.
What Happens During This Combined Surgery?
Combining a monsplasty with a tummy tuck normally only adds between 15 and 45 minutes to the normal tummy tuck surgery time. The additional time it adds depends on the extent of correction needed.
A tummy tuck eliminates excess skin from the abdomen and usually involves tightening torn or stretched abdominal muscles. Many tummy tuck surgeries also involve using liposuction to remove excess fat and to reshape certain areas to provide smoother, tighter body contours.
If the surgeon is also doing a mons pubis lift, they will eliminate excess skin in this area and may use liposuction to reduce fullness caused by fat. Then the remaining skin is lifted up and sutured to deliver a flatter, smoother, natural look to the entire abdominal area and below.
Your surgical plan will be created based on:
- Your current health.
- Your anatomy
- How much loose skin and excess fat are present in each area.
- The results you wish to achieve.
What Is Recovery Like After a Mons Lift With Tummy Tuck?
Recovering from this combination surgery is almost the same as the recovery after a stand alone tummy tuck. The initial healing phase is somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks with complete internal healing at about 8 weeks.
The mons lift is done using the exact same lower abdominal incision as the tummy tuck, so you will not have an additional incision to take care of, but there will be swelling in that area.
The combination of surgeries will require mandatory posture restrictions for at least the first week or so because they both exert a great deal of pressure on the lower incision coming from both directions. You must remain in a hunched-over position because standing upright too soon will force your skin to stretch and can tear open your incisions.
Most patients have swelling, bruising, and feelings of tightness across their abdomen during their recovery. Recovery from a combination surgery of a tummy tuck and mons lift usually includes:
- Sleeping only on your back for several weeks. (Many prefer a recliner.)
- Wearing a compression garment.
- Getting a lot of rest and avoiding strenuous activity until cleared by a surgeon.
- Eating a healthy diet and staying hydrated to give your body what it needs to repair itself.
- Following all the instructions provided by the surgeon regarding aftercare.
Where Can I Have a Combination Tummy Tuck and Mons Lift?
Dr. Angelina Postoev at IBI Plastic Surgery & Med Spa offers stand-alone or combination tummy tuck with mons lift surgery in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Angelina is a triple board-certified surgeon with expertise in cosmetic procedures, including tummy tucks and mons lifts.
If you are unhappy with excess skin and fat on your abdomen or pregnancy or extreme weight loss has left you self-conscious about your appearance, this combination surgery may be the solution you are looking for.
Set up a consultation to learn more about combining a mons lift and tummy tuck and how you can achieve your aesthetic goals.
FAQs
Is a Mons Lift the Same Thing as a Tummy Tuck?
No. A tummy tuck removes loose skin and fat and repairs abdominal muscles to enhance the appearance of the abdomen, and a mons lift reshapes the mons pubis by removing excess skin and fat if needed. They can be performed during the same session, but they are two different surgeries.
Does Everyone Who Has a Tummy Tuck Need a Mons Lift?
No. Some patients do not have any issues with the contour of their mons pubis area, so they do not need any loose skin or fat removed. Many individuals have stand-alone tummy tuck surgeries.
Does a Tummy Tuck Automatically Also Lift the Mons Pubis Area?
No. Not always. Having a tummy tuck may improve the appearance of the mons pubis, but patients who have a significant amount of fullness or sagging skin may need a separate mons lift.
Can a Mons Lift Be Included as Part of A Mommy Makeover?
Yes. A mommy makeover is a customizable combination of surgeries, so a mons lift can be included if desired.
Will Insurance Cover a Mons Pubis Lift?
No. Not normally because a mons pubis lift is considered an elective cosmetic procedure.
Will I Be Left With Surgery Scars?
Yes. Any time an incision is created, you can expect to have some scarring. Dr. Angelina strives to place incisions in places where they will be well hidden by undergarments or a swimsuit. Taking care of your incisions and following your surgeon’s instructions will help your scars heal as well as possible.
