Go for it! If you really need it, if you are healthy, if you are in decent shape, do it! I sincerely wish you the best. I understand your backing out last year. I have a real anxiety problem, and I was scared and felt guilty about having a tummy tuck done, since a TT is an unnecessary elective procedure (and a costly one at that). I first consulted with plastic surgeons in January 2012. Then I spent most of 2012 reading horror stories online and viewing ridiculous youtube videos. The best advice to follow is that of the surgeons you consult and his/her patients. Look up local surgeons online and read patient reviews. My doctor said I'd need help for 3 days (and I did). He said I'd be tired etc for 2 weeks. He was right. And I am almost 59 years old! Anyone younger than me should recover much faster. A PAIN PUMP IN MANDATORY, in my opinion, WITH MUSCLE REPAIR. I read somewhere that decades ago, before the whole plastic surgery craze, when tummy tucks were done (rarely), patients were hospitalized for days with a morphine drip! The pain pump is used for other surgeries too (I don't know all of them). One of my daughters has a friend who was given a pain pump after appendix removal. If your doctor doesn't do pain pumps, go elsewhere! If your doctor says you'll need two or three drains, go elsewhere! (I saw a very overweight young woman on a youtube video who had three drains and a truly scary-looking compression garment. She was easily half my age and she looked like a medical emergency.) When I asked my doctor how many drains I'd have, he simply said he had a special way of doing things that results in just one drain for all patients. This kind of expertise and know-how comes from years of experience, high personal standards and expectations, and continuing education. I had liposuction on the flanks and in the "Mons" area. I didn't really ask for this; it was my surgeon's decision that I needed some liposuction to get the best result. FYI, in case you are young and don't know this yet (brace yourself---it's gross), when a woman gets older, the "Mons" area kind of bulges out and you can see the bulge through jeans, dress slacks, leggings. It is gross looking and immediately makes a woman look old (in my opinion). I did not ask my PS about doing lipo down there because it never occurred to me. I didn't know there was anything that could be done about the age-related and super-gross bulge. Anyway, after surgery, this is where I had the real swelling, so I started wearing an elastic (very light compression-type) brief over my regular underpants. This very light compression has made a huge difference. The first few days post-op I was so swollen down there that when I sat on the toilet to urinate I had a hard time starting to urinate and then the urine would spray all over! I didn't know WTF was going on and then went online and read that this happens with liposuction. It resolved itself in just a few days. When I was at the hospital, the registered nurse who was in charge of the operating room told me that she had had a full TT with muscle repair years ago and was back at work (at the hospital, on her feet for 12-hour shifts) after 10 days at home. So my surprising-to-me, no-hideous-pain, no hideous swelling, and no hideous back pain experience is NOT unique. Again, I am 58 years old, I followed all of my surgeon's written instructions and the hospital's written instructions, and I feel fantastic and am so happy I finally had the TT I thought about and wanted for YEARS. Good luck to you!
I had a full abdominoplasty with muscle repair on January 7, so I am now 3+ weeks post-op. I am 58 years old, almost 59. Your recovery tips are intimidating to me and make the TT recovery sound much more complicated than what I experienced. Before the surgery I was never "half naked in some paper getup" in front of my fully clothed male doctor. To view my tummy area, I simply pulled up my shirt and showed my doctor my huge bulging stomach area. Nor did I ever wear "surgical undies." At the hospital my doctor marked my stomach area and took photos while I wore a hospital gown and still had my underpants on, albeit pushed down a bit in the front. Of course, I removed my underwear before the surgery and the OR staff saw everything. My plastic surgeon performs all his TTs at nearby hospitals; none are performed in his office operating suite (simpler plastic surgeries are done there). I chose to stay overnight at the hospital. I experienced no nausea, thanks to, I think, the anti-nausea prescription patch I was told to apply behind one ear the night before surgery. I had no mobility problems after the surgery. I was able to stand almost completely straight up. In fact, I asked my plastic surgeon repeatedly whether I should force myself to bend over as I walked, even though I didn't feel the need to. He said No. I attribute my comfort level (especially compared to the "hideous pain" etc that I read about online beforehand) to my plastic surgeon's outstanding skills. I think your pre-op exercise regimen and dietary advice is unnecessary, with questionable benefits. I don't see how "intensive core and cardio training at the gym" in the weeks leading up to surgery is a particularly good idea or beneficial. Nor is "meticulous diet at home." Sorry, but this sounds neurotic to me. Walking 30 mins a day and always trying to eat a well-balanced diet are all that healthy people need whether they're having surgery or not. I am surprised you recommended all this, especially in your case. Your "before" photos really aren't that bad. My stomach, from a side view, was easily twice to three times as large, and I am significantly older (58) than you look in the two photos. My abdominal muscles were stretched out so badly from multiple pregnancies that when I was younger I always looked 7 months pregnant and then when I got too old to be mistaken for a pregnant woman I just looked like a slob with a big beer belly. My PS's office gives all patients Bromelain and Arnica (no extra cost) and recommends vitamin C capsules/tablets starting before surgery. Your "home care" tips are overwhelming and almost scary. Nowhere over the course of a year of research did I read such tips. My PS's lengthy written do's and don'ts recommended none of the things you suggest. If I had read your tips beforehand, I think I might have been scared off. And that would have been a real shame, because now that I've finally had a full TT, I am stunned by the fantastic results and by the much easier than expected recovery. I am confused by your multiple recommendations, specifically "sterile gauze," "Hibiclens" (what is that?), "gloves" (for what?), "triple antibiotic ointment" (any tube of this stuff says it is NOT to be applied deep wounds), "TransPore or paper tape," and "Jackson-Pratt drain care chart." Sorry, but the last one is laughable. No one except a nurse or technician in a hospital needs such a thing. All you need at home to record the times when you take your pain pills and the times/amounts of fluid in the drain bulb is a sheet of paper and a pencil. Recovery is a chore, definitely, so I would say keep things simple and don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. My TT incision was covered in strips of short white tape. I was told to leave the tape alone and that it would all fall off in due time (two weeks). I was NOT to pull it off and then apply "triple antibiotic ointment"! No gloves are needed for TT recovery. Wash your hands with soap and water! No TransPore (whatever that is) or paper tape is needed. I was given two cups (in case I lost one, I guess) by the nurse who did my hospital discharge paperwork and instructions. Emptying my one-and-only drain was a no-brainer. I simply emptied the fluid into the measuring cup and then recorded the amount (with a pen and paper I kept on my bathroom vanity). My instructions said NO ice packs or heating pads. At home I have been wearing cotton T-shirts and pajama bottoms or sweatpants. There is no need to buy new clothing, however cheap. Just wear what is most comfortable for YOU. I've seen some postings in which women said they bought surgical scrubs (pants) to wear after a TT. Again, keep things simple, don't make this all out to be more complicated than it is. Instead focus on resting, eating well, and walking around the house (to prevent blood clots and promote overall healing). There is no need to rent a "lift chair" or "hospital bed." Also, if you think you might benefit from a walker, cane, etc., don't buy them new at Walmart or Amazon. These things are readily available on CraigsList. Based on a year of research, I bought a used walker, a used cane, and a new toilet seat riser---and I have used NONE of them. I even considered a wheelchair, I was so scared beforehand based on stories of "hideous pain" and terribly hunched-over backs. A friend talked me out of the wheelchair, and I laugh about that now when I think back on it. I do have one recommendation: Do not have a full tummy tuck (meaning with muscle repair) unless your surgeon installs a pain pump. A pain pump contains numbing medicine, and that numbing liquid goes from the external pump (a small device in a separate bag with a shoulder/neck strap) into your body via two very skinny tubes, which bathe the abdominal muscles with the numbing medicine for about 3 days (can't remember the number of hours I was told the medicine should last). Once the pain pump was empty, I gently pulled the two very skinny tubes out of my body (sort of in between breasts and a few inches below). With the pain pump and a Vicodin or two every 4 to 6 hours, I felt no pain. I continued with the Vicodin for 3 days after the pain pump ran out, and then I took ES Tylenol for a couple of days. Nothing after that. I forced myself to rest for 2 weeks and did not leave the house. I feel fantastic, my stomach looks absolutely great, and this was the best thing I ever did. Last suggestion: Only go to a highly experienced, top-rated, top-notch plastic surgeon. My surgery was performed at INOVA Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia. Oh, one last thing: "sitting on a crotch with metal hooks"??? This sounds medieval. Are you joking? I woke up from surgery wearing an elastic binder with a Velcro closure. The binder is a long stretchy length of fabric that I put on kind of like a wide belt. I position it behind me on my lower middle back and then wrap the length of it comfortably around my abdominal area, and then I close it by pressing down on the Velcro strip. I was given a second binder when I left the hospital. My doctor said to wear it constantly for 3 days (except when showering, starting 48 hours post-op) and that after that it was up to me when and for how long to wear it. I have worn it pretty much constantly because it is not the least bit uncomfortable, provides comfy support, and makes me feel like I am protecting my fantastic new tummy from the cruel outside world. My PS said many patients choose to wear the binder for weeks or months. I understand why now. I am able to wear ordinary underwear and cannot imagine the absurdity of "having your spouse close the crotch of your surgical garment."
EVERYONE has the option of doing a full tummy tuck or a mini-tummy tuck. Everyone also has the option of not doing anything at all. Your abdominal muscles are either stretched out from multiple pregnancies or they're not stretched out and maybe you just have very loose skin due to extreme weight loss. If your abdominal muscles are stretched out and you don't have muscle repair, you will inevitably be disappointed with the results of a mini-tummy tuck. No, the recovery from the two different procedures is NOT "about the same." Muscle repair is very painful. DO NOT HAVE IT DONE UNLESS YOUR PLASTIC SURGEON INSTALLS A PAIN PUMP. A pain pump bathes the abdominal region with numbing agent for about 3 days. I also took Vicodin (one pill every 5 hours, sometimes 2) for about 6 days post-op. Many years ago, before pain pumps, back when plastic surgery were rare, patients who'd had a tummy tuck were hospitalized for days with a morphine drip for muscle repair pain.
I am 3 weeks post-op too--and I am probably much older than you (58). I stayed overnight at the hospital out of fear, based on all the horror stories online about hideous pain, being terribly hunched over, etc. At the hospital, I was told to GET OUT OF BED AND WALK and so I did, and I was NOT hunched over! I felt good. I was stunned. I thought, Is this normal? Should I make myself bend over? I did have a pain pump (my PS installs one for all TT patients), and I was on Vicodin (never more than 7 or 8 (5-300 mg) pills in a 24-hour period). I feel like a million bucks. My stomach is fantastic. I was stunned the first time I saw it and still am. For years I looked like I was pregnant when I wasn't and then, once I got older, looked like I had an enormous beer belly. I did not have loose skin or any stretch marks. My huge stomach was the result of ridiculously stretched-out abdominal muscles due to multiple pregnancies. I did have liposuction on the "flanks." I forced myself to stay home and rest, with only walks around the house day or night, for 2 weeks. At 2 weeks post-op, I went to the mall to see a movie. I felt great and looked great, but realized when people were staring at me that I was walking about as fast a turtle. I caught a glimpse of myself in a store window and almost laughed out loud. But I just couldn't go any faster, even though I felt absolutely fine. Every day is better, my new tummy is STUNNING, and this long-overdue TT was the best thing I ever did for myself.
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