Dr. Gingrass Did my Awesome Tummy Tuck! Nashville, TN

I will try to give a detailed experience of my surgery. I arrived at the Fll airport the day before my surgery and pick up my rental car. My boyfriend came with me so we stayed at the residence inn by Marriott. It's approximately 1 mile from Dr. Salama's office. I think it's expensive there but that's where I always stay when I go to Miami, it was a little over 2000 for 9 nights. And they are pet friendly so we brought our lil pug:) After we checked in and freshened up we headed over to do my preop paperwork. I had already met Dr. Salama the week before because I just happened to be in Miami with my daughter, so I didn't see him until the next morning.
My surgery was scheduled for 730 and we were there before the staff so we just waited until the doors were opened. Once they arrived everything happened so fast. I was taken to the bathroom and asked to void and put on the gown, compression socks and non slip footies. I then went into Dr. Salama's office where he marked me up and explained the dangers of surgery. Now dolls let me tell you...I have had quite a bit of surgery and he made me feel more comfortable than anyone had immediately before going in. I was very nervous about my pain being controlled because I have been on opiates for quite a while. I currently go to pain management and both Dr.'s were aware of both situations. Also when the anestheologist came in I expressed my concerns to him at the same time. So because Dr. Salama gives Percocet and I current take those everyday for my knees, Dr Salama told me during my consult that he couldn't contol my pain and my pain management doctor needed to give me something. During my regular pain management appointment before my surgery, I expained to him what Dr. Salama said. The only thing he told me was to take more Percocet...hmmm now I was very nervous about this pain being controlled. If any of you know anything about opiates...if you have been on them for a while then your body becomes addicted to them and you pain threshold is very low. So back to surgery day. Both the Dr and the anestheologist understood my concerns and Dr. Salama knew the Percocet would not control my pain so he wrote another prescription and gave it to my boyfriend. The anestheologist told me that he usually gives 100mcg of Fentanyl but he would give me 400mcg. That made me nervous because that sounded like a LOT and I had never had fentanyl. Now I may be on Percocet and my body my be addicted to it but don't confuse that with me taking more that one pill at a time...because I don't. Ok so off to the surgery room I went with the anestheologist. He was very sweet, he told me to hold his fingers with my hand as he was inserting the iv. Well I was so dehydrated that the vein blew and so he went to the other side and got it no problem. Did I mention how hot he was....whew!.... Ok back to the surgery, so then he said ok your going to have a metal taste in the back of your mouth then your going to relax. I said there it is and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the recovery room. The first thing I noted when I woke up was the catheter, I asked if I had one in and she said yes. I said I can feel it so she removed it. If you can feel it then it needs to go up further. It probably came out some during all the movement. I woke up in my garment and face down. When I initially woke up I was not in pain but then the shivering began and I asked for something to stop it because when I began shivering the pain started...I seen her even though I was face down, she put something in my iv. So it immediately stopped and I then realized I was so so so thirsty. She gave me a Capri sun and you would have thought I had been in the desert for a week the way I drank AND enjoyed that carpi sun. So then the shivers started again and she put something in my iv again and it stopped. So she come over and told me to push up with my arms and I did and I got in the wheel chair...she removed my iv and away to the car I went. I was told to get in the backseat on my hands and knees. Now keep in mind I just got out of surgery and I had my arms, thighs, my abdomen, my chin, my flanks, and my entire back lipoed, and now we get to go to the pharmacy to fill this pain script. Ugh. Somehow I ended up in the floor board while waiting on my script and while I was waiting I took a Percocet because it was taking them forever. So once we got the medication we were back at the room. I walked in and laid face down and slept for a while. Every time I woke up I drank, voided, and I walked. Oh my goodness, girls I've had a lot of surgery but this was the top of all pain. The reason I hurt so bad is because 80 percent of my body was lipoed...and it was rough. My boyfriend really put up with a lot from me those ten days we were in Aventura. Whew, boy did we fight. He wiped my butt, he washed me up, he fed me, he did it all. And the reason we were fighting is because he told me he thought maybe for once I would depend on him. Yes while he was doing all this for me...I was still trying to do it myself :(...I am so independent and this was not the time for it. So the day after surgery was Saturday before Easter and Dr. Salama came into the office to check on me and to change my garmet. He told me that he could only get 900cc in each buttock because the skin was not expanding outward....ugh. Anyway he told us how and where to place the foams and he asked me how I was with my pain. I told him I had never woke up from surgery better than I did the day before and that's when he informed me that the anestheologist did indeed give me 400mcg of fentanyl...wow. My boyfriend said he can't believe that I woke up period...haha. Anyway the ride to and from the office was terrible. I had to be on my knees so much and my knees have been a source of pain for me since I was sixteen. They swelled up like grapefruit. Ok so for my first massage, it was a little painful but it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. Well then I met Ceclia. Jesus Joseph and Mary! Wednesday I had my second massage and that woman was using her weight to lean into "massaging" me. Oh my God, when she was on my ribs I had the towel that was supposed to be covering my breasts in my mouth biting down as hard as I could. I was sweating, shaking and the tears were just flowing. She even asked me if I needed a break...well I said yes because I had to blow my nose...I should have never stopped because it was worse when she started again. Girls...its was bad. So the rest of my time there was spent in my hotel room. All the girls were so kind at the office and before I left the office on my last day there Noami gave me a hug...these ladies make you feel like family. And believe me I've delt with a lot of doctors and none compare to this group. My flight home wasn't that bad because it's was non stop and only one and a half hours. Today I am two and a half weeks post op and still to this day I have pain. It's the strangest thing because for two days I'll be good and then the next day I will be down all day. My left side is swollen larger than my right and that is including my left buttock. This surgery is no joke. I don't know if it's because I had so many areas done but I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I can not wait to be able to stop wearing these garmets. Ugh. So far I am pleased with my results but 3 months is still a while away so I can see the final result:)

I had wanted a tummy tuck forever. I was eating right and exercising every day but still nothing was happening with my saggy skin. I was 37 when I went to see Dr. Gingrass and she told me there would be nothing I could do for my tummy except surgery. I did a lot of research before I chose her. But her before and after pics were the best. I am so glad I did too. I love my tummy and now I can wear bikinis even 5 years later at the age of 42 a feel confident. She is very personable and believe me she does not take chances. The day I went in for my surgery, I was on the surgical table and had already been sedated and she stopped the surgery. When I woke up, I was in the recovery room and I noted not having any pain. I pulled the blankets back and had the same ugly loose skin. I started crying and then Dr. Gingrass literally came running in my room. She told me that once I was sleeping and laying down she could see my abdominal aorta pulsating and it was of concern to her that I had an abdominal aortic aneurysm so she stopped the surgery and sent me for a CT scan. I went for the scan and all results were good. So the next day was not a surgery day for Dr. Gingrass and she completely rearranged her schedule to perform my surgery. She is a fantastic surgeon and her results speak for themselves. Besides how could she not be great, she is a third generation plastic surgeon:)