Tummy Tuck: Stories

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A Tummy Tuck Was the Best Thing I Ever Did!

blondgirlie
posted 5 years ago
updated 8 months ago

Worth It
Cost: $6,250
The Avalon Clinic (Lakewood,Wa.)

After having 3 children I was left with stretched,...

2 Apr 2008

After having 3 children I was left with stretched, lose hanging skin on my stomach. I had gained 100 pounds with my 2nd pregnancy because of a medical condition that just made it worse. I worked out at the gym for years and NEVER could get rid of the skin on my stomach. After careful consideration and research I decided I'd go to the place that had done several of my friends breast augmentations. Yes, even with a "comfort pump" the procedure was painful, but it was very worth it to me. Gone was the stretched, lose skin and the stretchmarks that went almost up to my boobs before, were now all below my belly button. My swelling lasted several months, but I wore my girdle for that whole time. Even with the swelling, the long incision (that I can easily hide in bathing suits and underwear), and the almost 1 year before I was back to normal recovery was worth every dime and day that I spent under that girdle! For me, a tummy tuck was easier than putting myself through 3 natural childbirths, tatoos and a broken foot.

Update 2012 For those asking it was Dr....

11 Sep 2012

*Update 2012*

For those asking it was Dr. Zilmer (with Dr. Ekland assisting, who is going into retirement) at the Avalon Clinic in Lakewood, Washington, who performed my Tummy Tuck. I will post updated pictures soon, but I'd like to say that to this day, with a yo yo of gaining and losing 60 lbs since I had the procedure, my belly still looks AMAZING and Dr. Zilmer is one of the best surgeons you will find.

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Comments (27)

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Newme83 13 May 2013

That looks great!

Happy with Smaller 13 Mar 2013

What did you do about the dog ear? Did that go away or do you need another touch up?

Happy with Smaller 13 Mar 2013

I also tend to yo-yo with my weight. But after having breast reduction in October 2012 I can really see my rolls of fat and distended stomach area and I just hate how I look in and out of clothes. So April 9, 2013 I'm going back to my BR surgeon for a tummy tuck and liposuction where needed. I'm 5'5", 230#, 58 yrs old and mother of 2 children and I'm so ready for a flat stomach.

mbeachly 8 May 2013

I had a reduction 10 years ago!!! Having my TT after losing 140 lbs...so excited!!!

SamanthaD 1 Mar 2013

Fantastic results!!!!...and encouraging words for those of us still considering the surgery....Also I had been thinking of trying to hide the stretch marks with a tattoo too : ) Your's looked nice but the Tuck best I think! Thank again and all the best : )

Maryzayas 28 Feb 2013

waooo

SuzyinHollywood 10 Jun 2010

Wow! Great results. Congrats.

Forlife 29 Dec 2009

Excellent result!!! I just had a full tummy tuck 3 weeks ago--after 3 kids and gaining(over about 6-7yrs), then losing(the last 2 1/2 yrs) about 90 pounds. I would do it again--in a heartbeat. It does hurt--esp the first few days...but--I agree---totally worth it!! :)

Kearah (unregistered guest) 1 Jul 2009

I just wanted to know where you got your procedure done. I am really considerig having a tummy tuck I want mine to turn out an great as yours. I fyou dont mine telling me You can e mail me at kearah_critchfield@yahoo.com Last question about how much did the hole thing cost you?

Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager) 2 Jul 2009

Hi Kearah,

Provider and cost information is shown above the review. Please note, you must be signed in to view, which requires free registration for an account.

blondgirlie 18 Oct 2008

Yes, it was a little over 3 pounds, and the tattoo came off in 1 piece! They gave me a picture of that as well.

Anonmous 17 Oct 2008

Hi i have had 3 kids and man its hardest getting rid of this belly on the third.. wa able to get rid of it the first two times... So did they say how many pounds of skin they removed total?

finallyready30 22 May 2008

So congrats on how great you finally feel and look...So I am probably going to skip getting the lipo on the flanks as well and I am thinking about a breast lift.. Well my question is one I haven't read yet.. Do you have any pics of your belly straight on for the afters... I keep seeing altered pics of people leaning in the befores and standing straight up and in the afters and then theres your case only a profile...?

blondgirlie 17 Apr 2008

Well all they had to do to get rid of the "dog ear" was to cut off the little piece of skin that stuck out. I think I had like 4 or 5 stithces and they were in for about a week. They were annoying and burned, but it wasn't painful. I kept the incision covered with gauze but the pressure from pants hurt it, but if I wore loose clothing it felt like a curling iron burn or something... and then it's healed up very nicely. I think my incision is about an inch long, so I traded a 3cm piece of poking out skin for a flat incision.

blondgirlie 6 Apr 2008

A "dog ear" is a little piece of skin that sticks out at the end of your incision. I didn't have the "before" of my dog ear but I can see if my doctor can give it to me. Mine was small about 3cm that poked out like a little triangle. It grossed my daughters out! Early on there was this piece of flesh that didn't lay flat, so after a few years I decided that I wanted it removed.

MaryKaren (unregistered guest) 16 Apr 2008

Could you explain the dog ear correction in greater detail please???? How long did it take to recover after? Was it painful to correct?

Vida 10 Oct 2008

I also had a full tummy tuck and my doctor was really good, he made the stitches meet in the middle so there would be no "dog ears". I'm now 1 week short of 3 months post-op and I feel good. Sensation is almost all back, and I look really good. I used to have a big belly from multiple pregnancies and what a difference my surgery did. I'd say the lipo hurt more, it itched and was sore for weeks. Honestly, it's all worth it. Get a great surgeon and do it. Just do it.

Karenemountains 30 Jan 2013

LOL - yes, should have mentioned in my review that the lipsuction in my midriff kept hurting waaaaaay past the pain from the incision! But my fat had settled there and I felt like 8 months pregnant all the time. Now that's gone.

jmcaul 6 Apr 2008

Not sure what you mean by "dog ear"? Can you describe more fully? I wasn't sure what I was seeing in the picture. Thanks!

blondgirlie 3 Apr 2008

It was more of a lifestyle change instead of a "diet." I knew that staying healthy and eating a balanced, nutricious diet would be the best choice anyways. But watching a friend have a tummy tuck who continued to just eat alot of junk and fast food,(and didn't wear her girdle!!!) who was a social smoker realy hit home. I don't know if the two issues were in fact related, but her scars looked nasty. Mentally it was enough to make me committed to NOT looking like that. I wasn't going to go through all this pain and money and not do what I could, even if it took over a year from start to finish to have the best scar I could. And it went through alot of different phases from red and raised, to dark brown and flat... it was lumpy. But eventually, it calmed down and faded with time. I know everyone is different and I told myself if I was going to tan my scar then I was going to do everything I could to make sure it looked the best it could. It was lumpy for about a year,and I massaged it every night and I think wearing the girdle around the clock for several months helped to keep the tension off the scar so it didn't widen. Some people made fun of me for wearing my girdle for so long but like other people have said, I had residual swelling for several months.

B. Linda (unregistered guest) 2 Apr 2008

agree with irene....u look fabulous. congrats on getting your body bck... what diet changes did you make to get rid of scarring?...was it temporarey or are u still on this diet?

Irene 9 (unregistered guest) 2 Apr 2008

You look great! WOW. question - What skin products did you use to fade the scars? irene

blondgirlie 2 Apr 2008

I didn't! And they warned me about tanning, that it would darken the scars but I tried not tanning the scars for a few months and it drove me crazy so I said forget it..they did darken for several months then faded away. I will say that taking your vitamins, and watching your nutrition was a HUGE factor in my scar looking so nice.

blondgirlie 2 Apr 2008

Ok, I'm commenting on my own story. The last photo was taken 1 month ago after a surgery to remove a "dog ear" I had developed after my tummy tuck. You can see that almost 3 years later how much my scar has faded comepared to the 6 week follow up one that is posted above. I know I could have used some Lipo on my hips but chose to get surgery on my breasts over lipo about a year later.

JENV (unregistered guest) 22 Dec 2008

Hi there Dont know if this thred is too old for you to comment on, but here goes...I had my TT 11 days ago. I have, on the sides, almost at the ends of the incision, flaps of skin (not very much, mayb 1-2 cm) that dont lie flat. My incision is smooth (as smooth as it coudl be after 11 days) every where else. Is this a "dogs' ear" or is this just an unfortunate few stitches? It's unsightly, as all else seems to look much better. Sounds like you may have had something similar? Also, while I'm here, how long did it take for the swelling to go down. I'm hard and sticky outty from the BB down! Thanks BTW, your scar is almost unnoticible, FANTASTIC! Congrats