Help me with questions for my plastics pre-op - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

sbjim5755 · 03-18-2008, 10:52 PM

Hey everyone,

I'm going in for my pre-op appointment on thursday. On April 2nd I'm getting a circumferatal abdominoplasty and some lipo on the chest area. I asked a ton of questions during my consult to various doctors but dont want to forget anything. What are common things that I should ask about? thanks for any input.

Jim

MiladyB · 03-18-2008, 11:51 PM

Hi Jim. Let's see some of the questions I asked were:

1. How much time off from work
2. What kind of lifting restrictions
3. How many drains
4. Expected length of stay in the hospital
5. What kind of postop pain management is used
6. How much bleeding might occur
7. Will I be typed and crossed for possible blood transfusions
8. Will I need to wear a binder and for how long
9. Might I need possible revisions down the line
10. What are possible postop complications
11. How long do you expect the surgery to be
12. Will I be able to sleep in my bed or would a recliner be suggeted
13. Will I have to walk bent over for awhile.
14. Might I get muscle spasms postop and if so how are they treated

Right now that's all I can remember. I had an abdominoplasty with breast lift so I also had questions regarding the breast lift but these were the general questions I can remember asking.

sbjim5755 · 03-19-2008, 12:16 AM

Beth,

Thanks so much. There were quite a few in your list that I hadn't even thought of to ask. He has a surgery room in his office that is right accross the street from the hospital. It is supposed to be an out patient procedure, I have a 6am check in so I have all day to recover. Hopefully it will go well.

Thanks again

Jim

MiladyB · 03-19-2008, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbjim5755

Beth,

Thanks so much. There were quite a few in your list that I hadn't even thought of to ask. He has a surgery room in his office that is right accross the street from the hospital. It is supposed to be an out patient procedure, I have a 6am check in so I have all day to recover. Hopefully it will go well.

Thanks again

Jim

Out patient? Wow, I'm surprised. I was in the hospital 3 nights. I could have gone home after 2 but DH had the gastric flu and the docs said there was no way they wanted me home with him being sick.

For myself I couldn't have handled it outpatient. I lost LOADS of blood, was having dry heaves all evening and into the night, even with meds for it and I really needed my Dilaudid that first night. I could handle the pain with pain pills after the first 24 hours but before that? I needed them.

Well let us know how all of it goes. Hope you have some help at home because you probably will need it for a day or so.

Tim · 03-19-2008, 10:33 AM

Jim, I am hoping to get out of this binder tomorrow, it doesn't move with you and rubs the skin raw, it hurts worse then the wound does. I got the surgery on the 11th of last month and had to sleep in the recliner almost a month, I couldn't get any sleep in bed, then I started to sleep in bed with a couple of pillows under my knees. As soon as the Doc. said it was ok my wife rubbed Kelo-Cote on the scars everyday it's supposed to minimize it. My Doc. said any such treatment needs to have silicone in it. Man you never felt any shower that felt so good, I use the shower wand to massage and scratch without having to actually touch the skin. Also use a lotion on your skin, it will look like a snow storm when you remove the binder. I can't believe how flat my belly is, good luck on your surgery. Oh yea I was a day surgery also. Tim

Gina in NY · 03-19-2008, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbjim5755

Beth,

Thanks so much. There were quite a few in your list that I hadn't even thought of to ask. He has a surgery room in his office that is right accross the street from the hospital. It is supposed to be an out patient procedure, I have a 6am check in so I have all day to recover. Hopefully it will go well.

Thanks again

Jim

OUT PATIENT?? Woa man - that is nuts. I am tough - but I was happy to be in the hospital, I think it was two nights actually... You really won't be able to do much - and you have to learn to deal with your drains...hmmmm...I would ask what happens if you want to stay overnight.

I had the belt lipectomy too and I'm telling you - the only bad part was the drains. Even the pain was managable for me - but I have had natural childbirth twice, so you'll have to gauge your own reactions.

Still - I haven't ever heard of this as an office procedure. I was under for 7 hours! Is he doing any muscle work? Maybe that is the difference. My surgery wasn't just skin. he tightened the ab muscles too.

I didn't get a binder and didn't have any discomfort with my incision. I was sewed and glued. Good luck!!

sbjim5755 · 03-19-2008, 01:07 PM

My doc says that I won't need any abdominal muscle tightening, he is only removing skin and doing a little lipo to even my stomach out. I have been hitting the gym since my bypass and so he thinks that I won't need the tightening. I'm definetely going to ask him about staying in the hospital if needed, worried that if I do it will cost me alot more. Will insurance pay for hospital stay IF I have complications from a plastic surgery?? I'll definetely ask my doc. Thanks.

porshh951 · 03-19-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbjim5755

My doc says that I won't need any abdominal muscle tightening, he is only removing skin and doing a little lipo to even my stomach out. I have been hitting the gym since my bypass and so he thinks that I won't need the tightening. I'm definetely going to ask him about staying in the hospital if needed, worried that if I do it will cost me alot more. Will insurance pay for hospital stay IF I have complications from a plastic surgery?? I'll definetely ask my doc. Thanks.

Coming from someone who is young, male, and works out very very hard on his body and who has had plastic surgery and got told the same thing.

Heres some advice. Do the muscle tightning. I would recomend everyone do it if you are having a tt done in anyway/shape/form.

It will make shaping your midsection much easier which in turn will help shape your chest/upper body.

I got talked outta muscle tightning too because I workout like a madman my surgeon said simply "John you are a animal with the workouts, your skin will come back you won't need the muscle tightning procedure, besides it adds alot to the downtime"

Don't make my mistake.

MiladyB · 03-19-2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbjim5755

My doc says that I won't need any abdominal muscle tightening, he is only removing skin and doing a little lipo to even my stomach out. I have been hitting the gym since my bypass and so he thinks that I won't need the tightening. I'm definetely going to ask him about staying in the hospital if needed, worried that if I do it will cost me alot more. Will insurance pay for hospital stay IF I have complications from a plastic surgery?? I'll definetely ask my doc. Thanks.

Jim, are you self pay or is the pannilectomy covered by insurance? I would say that if you have complications from plastic surgery and the insurance covered at least part of your surgery they should cover any hospital stay. My insurance covered my pannilectomy and breast lift but I paid extra for the muscle tightening. I had some co-pays for the surgeon but my insurance covered my entire hospital stay.

Like Gina my surgery was really long. I was in surgery for 6 hours and like I mentioned, I lost a lot of blood. I went in with a hemoglobin of 14 and came out with one at 9.0. That is a significant blood loss and I can tell you that I couldn't even get myself to the bathroom that first night without shaking and feeling like I was going to pass out.

For sure talk to your doctor about a one night hospital stay. Like Gina, I've gone through 3 natural childbirths and have a really high pain tolerance but I would have had a really hard time being home that first night.

SueRN · 03-20-2008, 11:03 AM

Minimally, you should be and observation or overnight stay. I had a TT and thigh lift and was in the hospital 4 nights. I did have the stomach muscles tightened. I did have a hernia and that took care of that problem. My surgery was supposed to be about 4 hours and wound up being 7!. I lost a lot of blood and if I didn't stabilize when I did, I would have need a transfusion. I had an inverted T done and not circumfrential. I had to use a walker cuz I couldn't stand up straight at first and walked around like an evil garden troll. I had purchased a 12 in wedge pillow cuz I couldn't lay flat for a long time. It's not that your surgeon won't do a good job, but it really is a big surgery and I don't think you'd be ready to go home the same day. The surgeon, no matter how good, doesn't always know what it's like to be on the receiving end of these procedures and sometimes under-estimate the pain and movement post op! Good luck to you. Sue