A. Lawrence Cervino, MD (retired)

I am a mom of 3 well 4 if you count my husband lol. I have decided to have a tt with lipo on inner thighs and hips/flanks. I also have RA and fibromyalgia and my "double bubble" as my doctor put is putting alot of strain on my joints. That is partaially why I am doing this. I also hate that I have to spend a ton of money to buy clothes that still don't really fit because I have big hips and a smaller waist and nothing fits right I'm tired of feeling miserable in my own body. I will admit I have been going back and fourth every other day because of the cost but I'm going to go for it because I know I won't regret it. So here I go Wooooooo Hooooooo!!!!!

I am 53. I have had a breast reduction years ago, and always wanted a tummy tuck. That is where I carry all my weight, but was always too scared for some reason. After talking to a friend who had one done I decided it was time for me to do it! Surgery is April 12th. My family thinks I am crazy. They are supportive of my decision, but disagree with it. (My husband is fine with it, so that's good!) My biggest fear is recovering from the anesthesia...i.e. getting sick and having to throw up! Anyone else have that issue? Updated on 11 Apr 2011: Well, to all the April 12th TTer's...mackenzieds, kumama, Clair Bear, shari1969,tomorrow is the day!!! All my best to all of you. I am not really nervous, just anxious! Praying for all of you and send an update ASAP! Am I forgetting any other April 12th ladies??? Updated on 15 Apr 2011: TT was April 12th. Doing well, but also had a brow lift. A bit much,. but DO NOT regret it. I just look very scary right now! More when I am feeling a little better. Updated on 18 Apr 2011: po update: doing great. have to keep drains in for another week, staples out of brow lift next monday, too! Updated on 10 May 2011: I am 4 weeks post op today. Yesterday I saw my PS. He pushed on my very swollen stomach and it bounced back just like a water bed. Yep, a Seroma. He had to drain it. It was painless, as I am still so numb. By the time I made it home I was drenched and ended up changing my clothes 3 times yesterday. Today it has stopped leaking and boy, do I feel better. Still have a large open wound that is very sore from the surgery...a spot that they were overly aggressive on. It will heal in time, and I am starting to feel somewhat human again! I get tired really easily, esp the muscles in my mid-back. Will post after pics, when I am feeling a little better. Updated on 17 May 2011: 5 weeks PO, tomorrow. Had to have more seromas drained today. Last night I looked HUGE and distended. I thought I was one of those weird people who was not going to benefit from a TT. But, after the nurse took 500cc of fluid out....(it continues to drain throughout the day...) I feel somewhat better. I have a feeling there will be more to drain possibly as early as Thursday...if I'm lucky, not til next Monday. I also have a 3" x 3" deep hole from PS being overly aggresive when they took the old belly button out. Not the post op healing experience i was looking for, but I am healthy, the wound will heal in time. Just going to take longer than I had hoped! Pictures to come! It is STILL WORTH IT!!!!! Updated on 25 May 2011: 6 weeks post op-Had to have another seroma drained. It felt like a water balloon burst in my stomach and came out the open wound I still have. What a mess. I now have to pack it with sterile gauze and be patient!! No infection, just an extra long recovery....but it's STILL worth it. I want to upload after pics...but waiting for some of this swelling to subside. Updated on 10 Jun 2011: This week was 8 weeks PO. Finally, I am feeling better. The wound I have is still open and oozing, but not nearly as painful!Still lots of swelling, but on the up swing now! Updated on 20 Jun 2011: Updated on 20 Jun 2011: I finally uploaded a few after pics at 9 weeks PO. Updated on 3 Jul 2011: So, I am 12 weeks post op and feeling huge! Can someone tell me if this is normal at 12 weeks? Updated on 28 Jul 2011: Hi girls, I was reading Farz's ordeal, and I too, have an issue. I have a large wound from the PS underestimating the amount of skin he needed after he took out the old belly button. Well, that wound is getting smaller all the time, but it is starting to look deformed. I have a big belly buldge right on top of my scar and where the wound is it is very hard and lumpy. I was down 11 #'s after my surgery, and now am up 6#'s. My PS said to wait for 6 mo. (Jan.) to re-evalute and that I might need some more lipo and that he could take the lump out near the wound site. Don't know what that entails, but I am starting to get a little freaked out. Since my surgery, I have found a few bad reviews about my PS, none of which had to do with Tummy Tuck's, but still! He came highly recommended by another Doctor. Anyone else have this issue? I want to post a pic soon. Very discouraged with my tummy right now. Some days I feel like I didn't have anything done. Updated on 16 Apr 2012: In need of some info! It's been 1 year since my TT. In January of this year, 2012, I had a repair surgery done, because my original incision split open. My surgeon ended up not only fixing that problem, but extended the tummy tuck all around the hip and butt area, which makes my lower stomach really flat. Now, my waist is bulging again, like I never had the TT in the first place. (Probably not as bad, but still!) What is going on. Anyone else have this issue? Updated on 5 Mar 2015:

I had a TT 7 months ago and my dr thought lipo would be all I needed for my inner thighs but it wasn't I can't find any pants to fit because I have alot of skin at the top of my legs. It's like trying to stuff a sausage lol. My daughter calls them my lumps. Kids gotta love em. I am scheduled for 1/31/12 and I'm getting nervous. I guess I'm just now thinking about what all really goes in to a thigh lift but I know it will be worth it. I couldn't even wear a tankini suit because my legs bulged out the bottom of the skirt it is very embarrassing. It looks like I weigh 300 lbs if you saw me from the top of my legs down. So I can't wait to get it over with and get back to normal. Well I guess that's it for my rambling lol.

Not worth it at all. I researched diligently for a qualified surgeon and thought I had one of the best. I wanted a straight nose, no tipping up and get rid of the hump. I now have a ski jump nose with pushed up nostrils. We did photo imaging but apparantly he forgot to look before he did surgery. I have not been out socially since I had it done. He also messed up something in my lip somehow and destroyed my smile. I would take my old nose back in a heart beat. I have been to other doctors but he has so overresected my nose, most say it is too difficult to fix or they want so much money to try, it's beyond my means.

I do not recommend a rhino. There have been no pros whatsoever.  I did it because I had a dorsal hump and wanted the tip refined.  We discussed what I wanted and went over photos. I now have a nose that is crooked, overresected and tipped up, nothing like I asked for.   It does not fit my face or personality at all.   After closer look at photos of his work....all his noses look the same. The surgeon admits he is not capable of correcting it and will cost me more than I have to get it corrected elsewhere.    It is overdone and will need to be rebuilt but he took out so much septum, I've been told I'll need rib to rebuild it. If you are ready to deal with that .....I hope you feel lucky. Updated on Jan 31, 2009: