Austin Tummy Tuck doctors

You are absolutely correct.  There are many ways of performing a tummy tuck.  Massive weight loss typically results in a lot of extra abdominal skin and this is frequently more severe than our standard mom with three kids.  A physical exam helps us to determine what technique suites your personal needs most.  In patients who have a circumferential excess of skin at their trunk and want improvement in the abdomen, hips, and buttock region, a lower body lift (or you may see the words extended tummy tuck or circumferential tummy tuck/belt lipectomy) may serve the patient best.  It can helps with the extra skin all the way around the body.  This prolongs the time of procedure, cost, and some of the risks such as wound healing problems.  But, it can result in a powerful improvement.  Other patients are more concerned with the abdomen itself with most of the redundant skin being there.  If the extra skin is modest to moderate, a standard tummy tuck (removing a wedge of lower abdominal skin, repairing the underlying muscle, and bringing the upper skin down like a window shade) resulting in a low lying scar reaching from hip to hip may serve the patient well.  The fleur di lis (may also be referred to as an anchor shaped or upside down T shaped scar) is also a powerful manuver when patients want to avoid the circumferential surgery but have a lot of excess skin such that they need a vertically oriented excision and a horizontally oriented excision in order to remove the skin and bring the abdomen in to reach that pleasing and flat contour.  This winds up giving you a central, vertical (up and down) scar combined with the lower horizontal scar of a standard tummy tuck.  The belly button ends up being placed within that vertical scar line. 

I suggest a consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to determine your best option for your particular skin issues.  Tummy tucks are initially tough on the patient for a week or two but offer such a nice, dramatic effect in weight loss patients with extra skin that it is well worth it.  Good luck! 

Yes, I do feel that it is normal to feel some pain at this point.  This discomfort may even be worsened as you become more active and start using your abdominal muscles more.  It is also quite possible that you were simply more bruised on one side.  I am glad to hear that everything has healed well and that nothin new appears to be swollen.  Sometimes fluid collections can be to blame for discomfort, pressure, and a new site of swelling.  Just check out your symptoms on your next follow up visit with your surgeon to get further reassurance.

The drains after having a tummy tuck performed can certainly be irritating.  The skin point of entry frequently appears a bit red when they have remained in place for a week or more.  Over time, the drains can also get a bit loose.  I agree with the advice you were given.  I don't like patients to manipulate the drains because forcing them back into the abdomen can potentially expose that healing space to new bacteria from the drain that had escaped your body a bit.  But, rest assured, drain site infections are pretty uncommon.  It is reassuring that the fluid remains normal appearing and does not smell foul.  Pus usually looks more thick, cloudy, and can smell bad.  Let your surgeon know if you have fever above 101 or if your symptoms worsen or the drainage changes.  I really prefer to have the drains out before 2 weeks but I know that some drains remain too high of output for the surgeon to be comfortable pulling them and that may be the case for you.  Sometimes there are substances we can inject through the drain to help diminish drains that continue to persist with higher output.  Please call or see your surgeon if you remain worried.  Good luck!