Plastic Surgery - ThinnerTimes

tmartin731 · 05-14-2008, 06:20 PM

Hello,

I am looking into having follow-up plastic surgery. The VA hospital will only do the lower abdomiinal part that I call the apron. I am looking for someone who has had this to see how it went, how painful it was and how long before you coulld go back to work.

Still need to loose another 17 lbs to meet the surgens requirement but after loosing 190 that is a snap.

Thanks,

Nyn · 05-14-2008, 10:44 PM

Awesome job on your weight loss! I wish you luck with your plastics. I don't know much about plastics myself yet, but there is a whole section on this Forum just for info about that, so maybe you can check there?

tmartin731 · 05-15-2008, 08:24 PM

Thanks for the info. Great job on your weight loss also.

MiladyB · 05-15-2008, 08:45 PM

Martin, I had a full abdominoplasty last September. That is the "apron" and having the abd. muscles tightened. I also had a breast lift along with it so it was a pretty big surgery. Feel free to send any questions my way.

In regards to work? I was off for 6 weeks but I am an RN and I do a lot of lifting so my surgeon didn't want me back to work for awhile. Personally, I really didn't feel up to being back to work much before that anyway. I lost a lot of blood during the surgery so I was pretty anemic afterward until I could get my hemoglobin back up. For at least the first 3 weeks I felt like a MAC truck had hit me. I could get around without a lot of pain by that point but I was totally exhausted.

pebitpeb · 05-16-2008, 06:14 AM

Hi Martin, after loosing about 190 lbs the my gastric surgeon and plastic surgeon both agreed it was time to remove my apron, it was necessary so I could ahead and schedule my hip surgery, because my abitlity for walking was deteriorating quickly due to sever artheritis and the apron putting pressure on the hip. When the did the surgery the removed 20kg or just about 41 lbs of skin and fat.

I like was like Beth, wiped out for several weeks, low hemoglobin. The reason my this was because of the large amount of me they removed and the blood loss. I did not have pain at all, but I felt the need to take it easy for several weeks and also had to wear a elastic torso belt for 6-8 weeks.

It was all worth it for me and would recommend it highly if you can get it done. It was an area that would not go back to normal as my panis(apron was about 3-4 inches above my knees, and the elasticity of the skin was not going to bring it back to normal. I lost more weight afterward and my plastic surgeon will do more work, but for now I am very happy with all results and anticipate retouches after the new year 2009 and not before. I also am still going to my surgeon about one time every 3 weeks to have liquid cyphoned out in large tubes that seems to form around the incession area. It has slowed and I am just 4 months post op., this is also due to the large area removed.

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions you like of me.

pebitpeb
Paul

tmartin731 · 05-19-2008, 09:17 PM

Thank you all.
I feel better about the surgery. I don't have a whole lot to remove. I have lost 190 lbs and need to lose another 17 lbs to be elegible for the surgery.

I will only have about 10 lbs removed. I have worked my butt off (literely).
I weigh 250 lbs now so will end up after surgert about 225 lbs. At 6'2" I feel that is a great weight to be at.

I spoke to the surgen again and they will be putting a lidocane pump in the incision so I shouldn't have a lot of pain. He said I should be back to work after about 3 weeks. I sit a lot and will have to wear a belt for about 6 weeks.

The only bummer is they will not take my boobs away. Oh well at 58 I guess something is going to sag somewhere.

I will miss working out for all that time. I do about 1 1/2 hrs every day. That's why I don't have a ton to remove. I just can't get any more to come off the apron.

Again thank you all.

Tim