My story- I had my body lift on June 30, 2020, with board-certified plastic surgeon Christa Clark, MD in Granite Bay, California. My daughter’s friend also went to her, and she told me that she did a wonderful job. Dr. Clark is Stanford trained and had wonderful reviews. I have also done extensive reviews on Real Self, as well. It also helped that her office was right down the street from where I used to live in the 1990s. It was my Christmas Tree lot. I went into surgery on June 30, 2020, and lost 2.5 pounds of skin in the front and the back. I ended up at 107.5 pounds. Then, I went down to 107. Too thin. My butt was way too flat. No projection. I’m currently at 115.2 today, but I’m trying to stay at 113-114. I think the weight gain helps build up my butt a little. Everything changed physically and structurally with the body lift. Dr. Clark said that she would lipo the muffin top that is still on the back hips when I am able to move forward with my other surgeries. I think with the extra weight gain and contouring, I should be able to pass on adding fat to my butt, especially since my butt and thighs took the brunt of my weight gain in the past. I’m not too keen on adding more fat cells back there. I have always been pear-shaped. I always used to say that my butt followed me wherever I went. Even at my highest weight gain, my hips were proportioned about 9 1/2”-10” bigger than my waist. My bust was a little smaller, but not by much. Breastfeeding three kids for 6 years deflated me along with the weight loss.
My history- I was an RN who had a 320-pound patient fall on me in 1999. Then, I had a twisting injury in 2003. The second injury took me out. It literally ruined my career. I have had three lumbar surgeries, have cervical disk injuries, and Physical Therapy says I have thoracic injuries. So, basically, my entire spine is a mess. You will see that my spine looks somewhat twisted in the pictures. I live in pain constantly. I ended up gaining weight from menopause, lots of meds, depression, polycystic ovarian syndrome, chronic pain, depression, and hypothyroidism. I weighed about 129 when I was injured the second time in 2003. I got up to 196. I’m 5’1” tall. I was a little overweight when I was first injured in 1999 but not tremendously so. I was 118 when I met my husband in 1998 and the same in 1999. My injury was 6 months after I married my husband. I battled weight gain one other time in my early 30’s (I will be 59 in April) when I broke both ankles 9 months apart. My ankles are trashed too, along with my back. I found out after all of these years that I have lipomas in my ankles according to Dr. Clark that she can remove with my thigh lift. Yippee! That happened after I broke my ankles as a result of another trauma. I used to have tiny ankles. I am small-boned. I have literally been injured from head to toe, so my self-confidence has not been the best. I have had 3 back surgeries, so I have plates, screws, and rods on my left side of my spine. After my body lift, I developed an abdominal necrosis. It was absolutely terrifying. I struck the jackpot with Dr. Clark. I was an RN, so I know doctors and their attitudes. I have seen it. Dr. Clark is the best doctor, not only technically, but her care for her patients is exceptional. Her staff are also exceptional in their personal care and professionalism. Dr. Clark went the distance with me and supported me every step of the way, and my tummy looks so good. I found her care for her patients to be very personable and down to earth. I literally love my doctor!!! I can't say enough about how much she has touched my life, and I will always consider her to be a friend. That's how much I care about her. My legs still need help from the weight loss though. They are so wrinkly. I also need help with my upper back, arms, and neck. Ankles, too. My back looks a little deformed from my injuries. The two scars above my body lift incision in the back are from my posterior spinal fusion and a laminectomy with a diskectomy. The scars look like an extended butt crack, but they are not. Lol!!!. I also had another scar prior to the body lift across the front of my abdomen for the anterior spinal fusion. Dr. Clark removed that scar with the body lift. Dr. Clark did not do lipo on me, because I had no fat. Since then, I’ve gained a little weight trying to figure out the best weight for myself after the body lift. Not too much, but enough for a butt. Too thin, and I have a flat butt. Lol! I’m hoping Dr. Clark can contour my flank area well with the next surgery- thigh lift and ankle repair. I don’t know if it will ever be perfect, because the plates, screws, and rods may leave a muffin top look to my lower back above my scar, but I hope it will. I have to still wear mom jeans because of the muffin top. I’m trying to figure out where I want to be regarding my weight. Too thin, and I have a flat butt. I used to have more curves. My butt looks better from the back, but there isn’t much projection from the side. I’m hoping the contouring and my weight gain will help that. I hope to move forward with the thighs, ankles, and contour of the lower back next year. Then an upper back lift doing the J lift, Brachioplasty, and breast lift with small implants. Hopefully, a neck and lower mini facelift. Even my neck is wrinkly from the weight gain. I don’t want to be too big breast wise. I don’t want to look matronly. I just want to fill out my 32D Victoria Secret bras on top.Despite all of the many injuries and the scary necrosis, I still want to proceed forward.My necrosis- this is something I really want to concentrate on. I started noticing bruising within a couple of days. It got so bad that about 9 days later, on July 9th, the skin began to turn black and leathery. We started Silvadene ointment to soften the necrosis for debridement surgery. By July 15, 2020, I started gushing fluid out of my incision. It looked like old, dried period blood. I was going through ABD pads at an alarming rate. Dr. Clark had me come in. We were in constant communication via text and phone calls. Anytime I needed her, she was there. Everything started going down with the necrosis over the July 4th holiday last year. Not good timing. Dr. Clark told me to come in, and she ended up having to open up my incision to cut out as much of the necrosis as possible. I was doing wet to dry dressing changes. By July 20, 2020, I ended up in surgery for the debridement of the wound and had the wound vac applied. That was insane. It started to work well initially. I went into the office 3 days later, and I could see the difference. The problem with the wound vac was that I had 4 separate issues from it. In the first instance, the tubing got caught in my lift chair sending the pressure back into my abdomen. That was extremely painful. That night, I decided to sleep in my bed. I didn't want the long tubing caught in my lift chair. I didn't want to chance any further issues. I ended up getting out of bed in the middle of the night to go to the restroom, so I ended up ripping part of the dressing off around the wound vac. I was back to doing wet to dry dressings. Then, I went in and had it applied again. The tubing was long and twisted on me. I am very short. I ended up having problems with the canister. I called the office and we troubleshot it over the phone. The cannister started working right. That same night, the pressures went very high. It felt like a very strong and painful vacuum suction to my abdomen. I looked at the pressure gauge, and it had gone up to 175 mm Hg. It was supposed to be 125 mm Hg. I ended up taking the whole dressing and wound vac off. My incision blew open again. It was macerated (very soft and broken down around the edges) and bleeding. From then on, the wound vac was out of the picture. In addition, my wound had black spots in it afterwards. I was literally terrified that it was more necrosis. I couldn't shake that feeling. I ended up finding out that the black sponge inside of the dressing left dark areas. It wasn't necrosis. I was very scared though. I have to say that I could deal with an incision opening, but necrosis is another animal altogether. I also had a little opening above my spinal scar surgery incisions, but that healed without any necrosis or complication. Prisma dressing- that was the next wound care option Dr. Clark tried. By the way, I was in Dr. Clark's office twice a week for months. That's how good she is and how much she cared about me, and I know that she cares about all of her patients. The Prisma dressing is like a collagen wafer that you place in the incision and add a little sterile water or sterile saline to it. It builds up the collagen in the wound and heals the incision from the inside out which is what you definitely want. It took about 3 1/2 months for everything to heal, but it finally did heal. We had to wait for my scar to soften to move forward with the revision. Finally, a few days shy of 7 months post op, I was able to go in for my revision surgery on January 25, 2021. I was scared all along. Poor Dr. Clark had to hold my hand the entire time, but her knowledge, skill and real care for her patients made all of the difference in the world. I showed my primary doctor recently after my scar revision, and he was thoroughly impressed. He said it looked remarkable. He knew how bad it was after the necrosis. I know I sound crazy, but I can't wait to repair all of the damages with my multiple injuries from head to toe. It will be with Dr. Clark. I am exactly 9 months post-op from my body lift today. My scars are lightening every day. The last two pictures from the revision were taken 12 days after my revision and 35 days post-op. In two days, it will be a month since the last pictures. I am healing well. Thank you, Dr. Clark! I will be forever appreciative and grateful to you. You are healing the woman who has been so damaged from injuries, weight gain, and weight loss with copious amounts of skin. I adore you!!! I also want to send a shout out to Dr. Clark's staff- Kristin, Ann, Audri, Bonnie, Rebecca, Rose, Cindy, Lacey, and Destiny. I hope I remembered everyone. The anesthesiologists, too. Thank you very much. Your care and compassion have affected me deeply. You are so appreciated. I know I was a stress cadet, but I was truly scared, especially with all of the previous trauma I have been through. Thank you is not enough, but it's from the bottom of my heart. To other Real Self members out there: It is my hope that my experience will help you even a little. Dr. Clark said the last time I saw her that she knew it would be okay. I was just too frightened to see it. I hope my story helps someone else who may need it and may also inspire others. God Bless!
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
Necrosis developed pretty quickly. Dark and bloody fluid kept trying to escape the wound. Dr. Clark opened me up to remove the Necrosis. Silvadene ointment and dressing changes begun to soften the scar for debridement of the wound 3 weeks later.
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
Undergoing debridement of wound and using a wound vac which did not work for me.
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
Wound vac was on for about a week. 4 complications from it. Discontinued. I was pretty scared at this point. It was a massive wound. My doctor was so wonderful through out this ordeal. I was crying constantly. As an RN and after having multiple surgeries, I should have been prepared for this, but I wasn’t. Dr. Clark was so calming and supportive. She was exactly what I needed. Complications happen, and I just ended up being one of the lucky ones. Despite everything, I feel Blessed to have had her as my doctor. Truly, she is an Angel and very smart, too!
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
This was about two weeks after my wound vac went wonky. I was doing wet to dry dressing changes. My incision was looking good minus the massive wound. The two incisions in the back are from my back surgeries. I had three of them. The abdominal one was removed with the body lift. My poor legs were still saggy. I was always pear shaped and had a 9.5”-10” waist to hip ratio even at my highest weight. My legs relaxed and my butt went flat. I had the bubble butt my whole life. A flat butt is something new. Lol! I went into surgery at 110 pounds. Started at 196. I lost 86 pounds, but my lowest weight was 106, so 90 pounds of sagging, loose skin. My next goal is my legs and ankles from breaking both ankles 9 months apart in my 30’s while trying to save my 5 year old from getting injured. I guess they are lipomas from those injuries. I’m really not accident prone. I’ve just been through a lot of trauma as you can see how off my back is from my 320 pound patient falling on me many years ago. I fought hard to lost the weight I gained through a diet app and exercise. It took sheer will and determination. I was fighting for my life! My hope is that Dr. Clark can lipo the muffin top on my back hips. I’m sure the metal in my back has something to do with that.
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
The Prisma dressing was a lifesaver for me. The wound vac tubing was long and unwieldy. It would constantly twist. I’m only 5’1”. I would definitely use the Prisma dressing again. The wound specialist started it and almost immediately my wound began to close. It is a collagen wafer that has sterile water or saline lightly dripped on it. It integrates into the body’s tissues. Kind of feels like goo! This is definitely the best stuff. I was so thankful that this was an option for me. I really tried to make the wound vac work, but it just didn’t.
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
The scar was finally healed by October 18, 2020. I massaged the scar with a lot of thick creams and aquaphor to loosen up the car for the removal. It took over 3.5 months to fully heal. I was so happy! What a long haul, and as always, Dr. Clark walked me through the fire. Poor Dr. Clark! I was literally terrified, and I have been through a lot!
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
I was worried that the Necrosis was going to take over my belly button. It looked like a Christmas Tree with he shading. I had seen the case of a woman on Botched who was fixed beautifully by the doctors on the show. She had her tummy tuck out of country. I couldn’t imagine doing that myself. Thank goodness, I didn’t! What a nightmare that must have been for her. The wound must heal from the inside out. Not from the outside in. Dr. Clark was let on that. Hers obviously didn’t. Mine was looking like it wanted to do the same.
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
I was so excited to finally get to the stage to remove the scar, but I have to admit that I was scared when I saw the bruising. The fear set in again! I think I was pretty traumatized over the whole thing. I’m so grateful to Dr. Clark. I couldn’t imagine going through this without her support and the support of her entire staff.
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
I’m finally on the other side and healing well! The Necrosis is gone. I feel Blessed that I’m healing so well. The “Christmas Tree” like shading is history. The scar is gone like it never existed! All I can say is that I’m ecstatically happy. My tummy looks so good. I was worried. I’m a Nervous Nellie! Last time I talked with Dr. Clark about a month ago, she stated that she knew everything would be okay. I just couldn’t imagine it when this all began. Even my primary physician said she did a phenomenal job. He was thoroughly impressed. He saw the scar before and after. I did some research on complications after this surgery, and they do occur. Not everyone puts it out there. We don’t always see the complications. I decided to do this review, because I’m living proof that you can come out on the other side. Pick your doctor well. Research like crazy. All I can say is run to Dr. Clark. She’s the best. I can’t wait to fix the other areas of loose skin on my body. If I could give any advice, it would be to watch the bruising after the body lift. It came on so fast!!! I hope my back looks normal again after J lift. My spinal injuries plus the loose skin make it look strange. My legs are next when I can afford to move forward. Then, onto the J lift, brachioplasty, and Breast lift with small implants. Thank you to Dr. Clark and her staff! You will be forever adored. I also wanted to give a special shout out to Rose and Audri. They were very there for me and very emotionally supportive. I hope my story encourages someone out there who is going through this. It took a lot for me to post these pictures, because I am so private, but Real Self helped me. I’m paying it forward. Blessings!!!
Updated on 31 Mar 2021:
After proofreading, I found many spelling errors. I was typing on my cell phone when I added the pics today. It cuts off letters when I was typing. Sorry.
Updated on 2 Apr 2021:
For what it’s worth, I want to emphasize that my doctor did nothing wrong. This was unfortunately a risk with this surgery, and I was the “lucky one.” There is a blessing in everything, and Dr. Clark is my blessing. The area in the triangle has a lower blood supply. When the skin is lifted all the way to the breastbone, the rectus abdominal muscles are repaired, and then the skin is pulled down and cut off, that’s a lot to an area that has a lower blood supply. Dr. Clark made absolutely sure that I was her number 1 priority. My intent was to let people know that she’s an excellent surgeon and very caring. Her kindness and skill are top notch. I just really wanted everyone out there to understand that you can get through this no matter how terrifying it is. I couldn’t be happier with my doctor, and I will definitely move forward with the other areas to fix when I can. With any surgery, there is a risk. I was just glad that Dr. Clark got me through the necrosis as if it never occurred. I am thrilled with my results. She is an excellent surgeon.